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Jamaicans ready for Scripps spelldown

Published:Monday | May 27, 2019 | 1:08 AM
READY FOR THE SPELLDOWN Darian Douglas (second left), The Gleaner’s Children’s Own Spelling Bee champion, and fellow finalists (from left) Ashleigh Jarrett, Rhonoya Anderson and Honey Advani review reading material during an interactive session ahead of today’s start of the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition in the United States.
Sherilla Gordon
READY FOR THE SPELLDOWN Darian Douglas (second left), The Gleaner’s Children’s Own Spelling Bee champion, and fellow finalists (from left) Ashleigh Jarrett, Rhonoya Anderson and Honey Advani review reading material during an interactive session ahead of today’s start of the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition in the United States.

Four Jamaicans will be put to the test today as the Scripps National Spelling Bee gets under way with the preliminary tests in Washington, D.C., United States.

The Gleaner’s Children’s Own Spelling Bee champion, Darian Douglas, and fellow finalists Titchfield High’s Rhonoya Anderson, Immaculate’s Ashleigh Jarrett, and Honey Advani of Heinz Simonitsch School, are among the 565 spellers from around the world who will be competing.

The local spellers concede that the Scripps competition is a tougher prospect than The Gleaner’s Children’s Own Spelling Bee championship, saying preparations have been far more intense.

The competition is set to end on May 31.

The winner of the competition will receive US$50,000 cash and the Scripps National Spelling Bee engraved trophy.

In 1998, Jamacia’s Jody-Anne Maxwell won the international competition.