Spelling Bee Champions

This Thursday, June 21, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn will recognize 14 Illinois champion spellers for qualifying and participating in the 80th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

"It took hard work and determination for these champion spellers to qualify for the national spelling bee," Quinn said. "It's important for all of us in the Land of Lincoln to salute these special students and their parents and teachers."

Quinn will honor all 14 regional spelling champions with a proclamation, presenting the award to the following eight spellers who will join him for a mock spelling bee:

William Erwin of Decatur; Kiara Jones of Chicago; Ryan Jordan of Flat Rock; Drew Kluemke of Sherman; Melinda Mathews of Clinton; Kyle Mou of Peoria; Christopher Shelor of Quincy; and Christian Wilks of Freeport.

Quinn will also honor CayliJo Bateman of Jacksonville who won the 10th Annual Statewide Fingerspelling Bee hosted by the State of Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission.

The following spellers also participated in the Scripps National Spelling Bee: Alex Benjamin of Bourbonnais; Sina Ellis of Moline; Katie Medema of Prophetstown; Rose Sloan of Chicago; Katelyn Renee Voss of Leaf River; and Emily Wick of Rockford.

The National Spelling Bee, which began in 1925, is a vigorous competition that has concluded with winning final words such as "autochthonous," "pococurante" and this year's final word "serrefine" (a noun describing small forceps). The Scripps National Spelling Bee starts at a local level and moves on to the county level. County winners then advance to the regional level and all winners of the regional spelling bees advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

Lt. Governor Quinn has an online spelling challenge available to children of all ages. To take the challenge, click here.