Student leaves Saturday for Scripps National Spelling Bee

Claire Thomas, a sixth grader at Incarnate Word Academy Middle Level, is heading to Washington, D.C. on Saturday, May 24, to compete in the 2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 27-29.

“I’m really excited and I hope that I do well,” Claire said. 

Claire placed first at the South Texas Regional Spelling Bee on Feb. 22, at the Congressman Solomon P. Ortiz International Center. Before placing first in the South Texas Regional Spelling Bee, she placed first in the IWA Middle Level Spelling Bee on Feb. 6. 

This year was not the first time Claire had placed in a school spelling bee. In 2013, she placed first in the IWA Elementary Level Spelling Bee. Claire said she had a lot of help from her elementary level spelling bee coaches, IWA Teachers Sarah Smith and Yvette Rangel.

“They helped me a lot with learning how to spell words from different languages and origins,” Claire said.

Smith said she thinks it’s great that an IWA student won the regional spelling bee. “It speaks volumes of her parents, teachers, and the guidance she has received so far in her education,” Smith said.

“I’m going to be studying really hard,” Claire said.

Competition Schedule:

• Computer-Based Test: Tuesday, May 27, various times. Not aired.


• Preliminaries: Wednesday, May 28, 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. EDT. Streaming live on ESPN3.


• Computer-Based Semifinals:Wednesday, May 28, 7-8 p.m. EDT. Not aired.


• Semifinals: Thursday, May 29, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT. Live on ESPN2.


• Championship Finals: Thursday, May 29, 8-10 p.m. EDT. Live on ESPN.


•