The 25th Annual Tulare County Spelling Championship happened at 9:00 a.m. Thursday, March 7 at the Tulare County Office of Education, 6200 S. Mooney Blvd. in Visalia.
This year, 101 spellers from grades four through eight competed for the opportunity to become the 2024 Tulare County Spelling Champion and advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, beginning May 26.
These competitors and alternates are among the best spellers from 101 public and private schools throughout the county.
Returning champion, Sarvadnya Kadam, a seventh-grade student at Oak Grove Elementary School in Visalia, captured the 2024 Tulare County Spelling Championship by spelling ratatouille, the French vegetable dish. Sarvadnya won the championship in the 20th round today. He will represent Tulare County at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May.
In second place was Isla Jay, a seventh-grade student from Sequoia Middle School in Porterville.
In third place was Yunnuen Cruz, an eighth-grade student from Live Oak Middle School in Tulare.
Elementary and middle school students from 100 Tulare County schools competed today, March 7, at the Tulare County Office of Education.
For 25 years, the Tulare County Spelling Championship has been co-hosted by the Tulare County Office of Education and the Visalia Times-Delta / Tulare Advance-Register.
The spelling master was Scot Hillman, chairman emeritus of JDH in Tulare. This year’s judges were lead judge Carlyn Lambert, retired Visalia Unified administrator; Supervisor Eddie Valero, Tulare County Board of Supervisors; Tim Hire, Tulare County Superintendent of Schools.
Hillman and Lambert have served the spelling championship in their respective roles since its creation in 1999.
Tulare County Superintendent of Schools Tim Hire and the Visalia Times-Delta/Tulare Advance-Register annually partner to sponsor the event. The partnership supports the entry fees and travel of the Tulare County student that competes at the National Spelling Bee. .