Meet the 5 Ohio kids spelling their way through the Scripps Spelling Bee and how to watch

Cole Behrens, The Columbus Dispatch
·3 min read
Scripps National Spelling Bee Executive Director Corrie Loeffler speaking prior to the competition in 2019.
Scripps National Spelling Bee Executive Director Corrie Loeffler speaking prior to the competition in 2019.

With the semifinals of the 95th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee beginning Wednesday, it's time to take a look at the kids from Ohio participating this year, and how to watch the two-day event.

This year, 231 spellers earned their spots as national competitors by advancing through regional spelling bees, competing against students representing every part of the nation, as well as the Bahamas, Ghana and Canada.

2023 Spelling Bee: Repository speller out at Scripps Bee after missed word

The Canton Repository's speller, Bryce Beckley, was eliminated after misspelling a word in Tuesday’s first round. The 14-year-old eighth grader from Dover Middle School misspelled the word NAUGAHYDE, a type of fabric with a polyvinyl coating.

Who are the Ohio quarterfinalists?

Ohio has five quarterfinalists participating in the national event this year. They are:

  • Shaylynn Dennis, an eighth grader at Beaver Local Middle School in East Liverpool. Dennis previously competed in 2022 and tied for 89th place. Her sponsor is The Salem News, East Liverpool Review and The Morning Journal.

  • Joey Constantine, 13, is a seventh grader at Lakeview Middle School in Cortland. Constantine previously competed in 2022 and tied for 32nd place. He is sponsored by WFMJ Television in Youngstown.

Which Ohioan kids have been eliminated?

  • Avinav Prem Anand, 12, is a sixth grader at Olentangy Orange Middle School. He was eliminated in the fourth round on the word "deflagrate." Anand previously competed in 2022 and tied for 32nd. His sponsor is the Ohio University College of Business in Athens.

  • Henry Corcoran, 14, is an eighth grader at Veritas Classical Academy in Marietta. He was eliminated in the fourth round with the word monoxenous. He is sponsored by The Marietta Times.

  • Andrew MacDonald, 14, is an eighth grader at Bishop John King Mussio Junior High in Steubenville. He was eliminated in the fifth round in a question asking a synonym for paraphernalia. MacDonald previously competed in 2022 and tied for 89th. He is sponsored by The Steubenville Herald-Star.

Northeast Ohio sweeps state's winners circle

Ohio has the second-most winners by state since the event began in 1925, with nine winners. Only Texas has more, with 16 champions.

Each winner from Ohio has hailed from the northeast, with the best spellers in show exclusively hailing from the areas of Cleveland, Akron or Canton. This year, none of the state's quarterfinalists are from those three areas.

Ohio hoping to snap a 13-year spelling d-r-o-u-g-h-t

Ohio's most recent winner was in the 83rd annual spelling bee. Anamika Veeramani, a 14-year-old speller from North Royalton near Cleveland won with the word "stromuhr," a medical instrument of German origin used to measure arteries.

When is it, and where can I watch?

The two-night spelling bee event begins with the semifinals on Wednesday, May 31 at 8 p.m., followed by the finals on Thursday, June 1 at 8 p.m. on the channel ION. ION is available for free on most cable, satellite and streaming providers.

@Colebehr_report

Cbehrens@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Scripps Spelling Bee 2023: Who is in it from Ohio and how to watch