A seventh grader from La Pietra-Hawaii School for Girls was crowned the 2022 Hawaii State Spelling Bee champion. Emma Maldarelli won March’s competition and will represent Hawaii at the Scripps National Spelling Bee to be held May 30 to June 3 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Maryland.

Forty schools from across the state participated in this year’s State Spelling Bee, more than the 28 that were represented last year but still fewer than half of the normal participants in pre-pandemic years, according to Jennifer Yang, Hawaii State Spelling Bee coordinator and volunteer.

Many schools were able to hold their school bees in person, and some used online platforms to broadcast the competition throughout classrooms and to family and friends, she said.

The statewide contest was held March 11 with 16 district champions competing. Yang said initial plans called for the event to be held in person with all the participants present, but that was before the COVID-19 omicron variant caused cases to surge in Hawaii.

So, for the second year in a row, the students competed via an online testing platform developed by the Scripps National Spelling Bee, with the winner determined by the highest score.

“We are so proud of these students that endured their current challenging learning environment to participate and compete,” Yang said.

The other district champions who competed in the 2022 Hawaii State Spelling Bee:

>> Nhi Nguyen, grade 7, Washington Middle School

>> Maci Ige, grade 8, American Renaissance Academy

>> Dominique Zayco, grade 8, American Renaissance Academy

>> Zoe Gray, grade 6, St. Theresa School

>> Drezdin Taylor, grade 6, Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School

>> Madelein Miliet, grade 8, Lokelani Intermediate School

>> Lily Hagler, grade 7, Doris Todd Christian Academy

>> Elliot Briggs, grade 6, Carden Academy of Maui

>> Ashton Garzon, grade 8, Carden Academy of Maui

>> Jack Ferguson, grade 6, Kainalu Elementary School

>> Joe Sarji, grade 8, St. Anthony School

>> Noah Banks, grade 7, Mililani Middle School

>> Nathaniel Reed, grade 8, Trinity Lutheran School

>> Kathryn Son, grade 8, Hilo Intermediate School

>> Patrick Win, grade 5, Haili Christian School

Sponsors of the Hawaii State Spelling Bee included Kaya’s Store in Punaluu and the aio Foundation.

To support the long- standing spelling bee tradition, email hawaiistatespellingbee@gmail.com or call Jennifer Yang at 808-388-8489.