Tulare County student Bryce Melgar advances to next round in Scripps National Spelling Bee

Lauren Jennings, Visalia Times-Delta
·2 min read

While many were busy celebrating Memorial Day and enjoying the three-day weekend, Bryce Melgar and his family were busy preparing for the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

The Ridgeview Middle School student was declared the 23rd annual Tulare County Spelling Championship winner on March 1 after going head-to-head for more than 20 rounds at Valley Strong Ballpark.

More on Melgar: Tulare County student among top 32 young spellers in the country

On Tuesday, Melgar made it through the preliminary round and into the Scripps National Spelling Bee quarterfinals.

"Your hard work and sacrifice is paying off. We are here to support you all the way," said Bryce's mother, Caroline Melgar, who added words of encouragement. "Continue to pray and give thanks for all your blessings."

Bryce Melgar, Ridgeview Middle School's spelling champion, made it through the preliminary round and into the Scripps National Spelling Bee quarterfinals.
Bryce Melgar, Ridgeview Middle School's spelling champion, made it through the preliminary round and into the Scripps National Spelling Bee quarterfinals.

The quarterfinals consisted of three rounds, where Bryce first successfully spelled “hawok,” then provided the right definition for the word “mitigative,” and ended by spelling “Crimea” correctly.

The majority of words used during the bee are selected from the "Words of the Champions," a Scripps National Spelling Bee study resource.

When Bryce competed in Visalia, he qualified for the preliminary round with “neolithic,” though throughout the day he also spelled “nuggets,” “pigeon,” “buffoonery,” “agitation” and “clearance.”

“We are so proud of Bryce and his accomplishments at the Scripps National Spelling Bee,” said Tulare County Office of Education Superintendent Tim Hire. “He is showing great perseverance in the national spotlight and that is a tremendous reflection on his family and the educators in Tulare County who have supported him.”

The Tulare County Spelling Bee is sponsored by the Visalia Times-Delta in coordination with TCOE.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee quarterfinals are scheduled to start from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. June 1, followed by the semifinals from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and the finals from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. June 2.

Each round is being streamed live on ION Plus and Bounce XL. The semifinals and finals will also be streamed on Bounce, Laff and TrueReal.

Bryce Melgar, the Ridgeview Middle School spelling champion, made it through the preliminary round and into the Scripps National Spelling Bee quarterfinals.
Bryce Melgar, the Ridgeview Middle School spelling champion, made it through the preliminary round and into the Scripps National Spelling Bee quarterfinals.

Lauren Jennings covers education and news for the Visalia Times-Delta/Tulare Advance-Register. Follow her on Twitter @lolojennings. Get alerts and keep up on all things Tulare County for as little as $1 a month. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Bryce Melgar advances in 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee