SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Ben Evans is officially the Spelling Bee Champion of the San Diego County Scripps Regional Spelling Bee.
“Honestly, I woke up this morning holding this trophy," Evans said. "I didn't expect to win this. This is definitely a special moment."
But this road to victory wasn’t easy. To qualify, each student competed in a spelling bee at their respective schools.
More than 80 kids took turns standing on the stage spelling their given word on Thursday.
“I was nervous because there were a lot of people looking at you," Smythe Elementary participant Axel Barriga said.
Many participants said the competition felt like forever, especially for 6th grader Bodi Glazier, who got a redo from the judges after the announcer struggled to pronounce the word several times.
“I was praying I was on my knees .. saying please, please, please,” Bodi Glazier said.
Bodi Glazier's parents sat in the stands, hoping this wouldn’t be the end for their son.
“Watching these children spell these incredibly different words, I'm missing most of them," Genee Glazier said. "I'm just impressed and proud of my son, and I'm loving watching him do this."
For Evans, this is only the beginning of his quest to become the Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion. One thing is for sure: he’s focused on becoming a winner.
Evans will head to Washington, DC, for the Scripps National Spelling Bee Competition in May.
