Schools
Lake Elsinore Spelling Bee Spellers Return To In-Person RivCo Event
A total of 27 spellers from across RivCo head to the live stage Thursday to compete for their spot in the 2023 Annual Scripps National Bee.
LAKE ELSINORE, CA — Several Lake Elsinore and Corona-Norco-area students will take the stage in an attempt to spell their way to the 45th annual Riverside County Spelling Bee, Thursday. The bee would be held in person in Moreno Valley, making this the first time since 2019 that the competition will be conducted face-to-face.
The 2020 bee was canceled when the county Public Health Office declared a coronavirus public health emergency, the first time since 1978 that the contest was halted. Both the 2021 and 2022 bees were held online due to ongoing precautionary measures implemented by the county Office of Education. Now, a field of 27 students through eighth grade is scheduled to compete at the Moreno Valley Conference & Recreation Center.
In 2022, Corona-Norco Unified School District eighth grade student Lara Randhawa won for the second consecutive year when she successfully spelled "cumulocirrus," the name of a cloud, in the 11th round of the nearly three-hour contest.
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The 2023 spellers making a return visit to the Riverside County competition include:
- Profess Adhikari, River Springs Charter School - Grade 6
- Antonio Barron, Palo Verde USD - Grade 7
- Athena Fennell, Banning USD - Grade 5
- Ashwin Karthik, Mission Vista Academy - Grade 7
- Dylan Le, Desert Sands USD - Grade 7
- Sarah Marth, Desert Center USD - Grade 5
- Eden Vasquez, Beaumont USD - Grade 7
Participants in the 45th Riverside County Spelling Bee include (*indicates alternates)
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Alvord USD
Alan Castaneda, Lake Hills Elementary School - Grade 5
*Carmen Gama, Ysmael Villegas Middle School - Grade 8
Banning USD
Athena Fennell, Central Elementary School - Grade 5
*Jazmine Morales, Central Elementary School - Grade 4
Beaumont USD
Eden Vasquez, San Gorgonio Middle School - Grade 8
*Cris Tabaloc, Mountain View Middle School - Grade 6
Chammakilawish Pechanga School
Devin Barcello, Chammakilawish Pechanga School - Grade 4
Coachella Valley USD
Alexa Magaña, Saul Martinez Elementary School - Grade 6
*Angel Valdez, Westside Elementary School - Grade 5
Corona-Norco USD
Avijeet Randhawa, Auburndale Intermediate School - Grade 7
*Meghana Ramaraju, Corona Fundamental Intermediate School - Grade 8
Desert Adventist Academy
Katy Wang, Desert Adventist Academy - Grade 6
Desert Center USD
Sarah Marth, Eagle Mountain School - Grade 5
*Aaliyah Mendoza, Eagle Mountain School - Grade 5
Desert Sands USD
Dylan Le, Palm Desert Charter Middle School - Grade 8
*Nirvaan Nettimi, George Washington Charter School - Grade 4
Hemet USD
Aslan Arambula, Harmony Elementary School - Grade 5
*Evelyn Lopez, Hamilton Middle School - Grade 8
Lake Elsinore USD
Victoria Michael-Taiwo, Tuscany Hills Elementary School - Grade 4
*Suzanne Felise Seneriches Surtida, Earl Warren Elementary School - Grade 5
Menifee Union SD
Aden Bunband, Chester W. Morrison Elementary School - Grade 5
*Elijah Andrew Decano, Southshore Elementary School - Grade 4
Mission Vista Academy
Ashwin Karthik, Mission Vista Academy - Grade 8
*Sabine Gimenez, Mission Vista Academy - Grade 6
Moreno Valley USD
Kesiena Otega, Honey Hollow Elementary School - Grade 5
*Nathan Cunamay, Cloverdale Elementary School - Grade 5
Murrieta Valley USD
Lucca Gosney, Tovashal Elementary School - Grade 4
*Aiden Kai Manipon, Rail Ranch Elementary School - Grade 5
Nuview Union SD
Aryanna Isabelle Dato, Nuview Elementary School - Grade 5
*Evelyn Romo, Nuview Elementary School - Grade 5
Palm Springs USD
Sandra Villa, Nellie N. Coffman Middle School - Grade 6
*Que'Miyah Martinez, Nellie N. Coffman Middle School - Grade 7
Palo Verde USD
Antonio Barron, Margaret White Elementary School - Grade 8
*Chazz Fulkerson - Ruth Brown Elementary School - Grade 8
REACH Leadership STEAM Academy
Emanuel Figueroa, REACH Leadership STEAM Academy - Grade 5
*Jazz Boykin, REACH Leadership STEAM Academy - Grade 6
River Springs Charter School
Profess Adhikari, River Springs Charter School - Grade 6
*Michael Remo, River Springs Charter School - Grade 5
Riverside USD
Emogen Soe, Lake Mathews Elementary School - Grade 4
*Zayn Khan, Lake Mathews Elementary School - Grade 4
Romoland SD
Jeffrey Afedi, Mesa View Elementary School - Grade 4
*Ehren Leonor, Boulder Ridge Elementary School - Grade 5
Santa Rosa Academy
Wynter Pepper, Santa Rosa Academy - Grade 8
*Parker Buchanan, Santa Rosa Academy - Grade 4
Temecula International Academy
Ezri Jaén Moreno, Temecula International Academy - Grade 8
*Aria McDonald, Temecula International Academy - Grade 4
Temecula Valley USD
Ryan Scott, Eric Stanley Gardner Middle School - Grade 7
*Jack Callahan, Bella Vista Middle School - Grade 8
Val Verde USD
Dominic Barraquias, March Middle School - Grade 6
*Ameen Jadallah, Tomas Rivera Middle School - Grade 8
Van Avery Prep
Izabella Diaz, Van Avery Prep - Grade 6
*Robert Greenlee, Van Avery Prep – Grade 8
The top-three finishers customarily advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
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