Aiken County student advances to national spelling bee after regional win

Landon Stamper, Aiken Standard, S.C.
·1 min read

Mar. 15—A local elementary school student will soon compete on a national stage.

Kaitlyn Toole, a student at Byrd Elementary, won the 2022 Carolina Panthers South Carolina Scripps Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday.

Toole will travel to Washington, D.C., in June to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Toole was the runner-up in the 2022 Aiken County Spelling Bee held in February.

The regional was held at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

As part of Toole's prize package, she and her family will receive an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., as well as a Panthers jersey, a Panthers autographed football that will be signed by the team and mailed to her, a one-year subscription to the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online Dictionary, a one-year subscription to the Encyclopedia Britannica Online Premium and a U.S. Mint Proof Set.

There were 13 other Aiken County students who participated in the Charlotte Spelling Bee besides Toole: Quintin Armstrong (North Augusta Middle), Corbin Banks (Jefferson Elementary), Evelina Burr (A.L. Corbett Middle), Kaydee Croom (New Ellenton Middle), Tyler Deyton (LBC Middle), Ogechukwu Oli Eneje (Kennedy Middle), Chloe Epling (Oakwood-Windsor Elementary), Ayla Holmes (Paul Knox Middle), Sa'Mya Lovett (Graniteville Elementary), Gage Peterson (Ridge Spring Monetta Elementary), Isaac Shockney (Ridge Spring Monetta Middle), Elliana Smith (Schofield Middle) and Adrian Thomas (Hammond Hill Elementary).