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MAUREEN DOLAN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 11 years, 8 months AGO
COEUR d'ALENE - They call them "spellebrities," youngsters reknowned for their ability to spell difficult words quickly and correctly while under pressure.
Tricia McCullough of Coeur d'Alene is a member of that elite group.
The 14-year-old Canfield Middle School eighth-grade student is in Washington, D.C., this week preparing to represent North Idaho at the 86th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee that begins Tuesday.
"I'm feeling really nervous, excited and scared," McCullough said Friday, as she prepared to travel to the nation's capital.
McCullough became eligible for the national competition in March, when she won the regional spelling bee hosted by North Idaho College. The Press is sponsoring McCullough's trip to the national bee.
She is one of 281 students from throughout the United States who are participating this year in the final rounds of the national spelling contest.
As a group, this year's crop of contestants, according to spellingbee.com, are fans of Harry Potter movies, pizza and Taylor Swift.
McCullough told spelling bee organizers that her role model and the person she would most like to meet is singer and actress Selena Gomez because "she is talented and beautiful inside and out, and inspiring to young girls everywhere."
Headed for her freshman year at Coeur d'Alene High School this fall, McCullough said she's considering continuing her studies after high school in order to become a forensic scientist. She enjoys crime-scene analysis, she said.
"And I'm pretty good at figuring out stuff like that," she said.
It's McCullough's first trip to Washinton, D.C., and she's looking forward to doing some sightseeing.
"I'm excited to see all the monuments," she said.
McCullough said she's also excited to meet her "spellebrity" peers from all corners of the country, who must be in eighth grade or below to compete.
Spelling is something she's always excelled at, she said: "Studying for the spelling bee has made me even better."
The national spelling bee's preliminary rounds get underway Tuesday with a written test for all competitors, and then continue Wednesday with two more preliminary rounds which will be broadcast online on ESPN3.com.
The top-scoring 50 spellers to get through all three preliminary rounds will continue to the semifinal rounds that will be held Thursday and broadcast live from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. PDT on ESPN2.
The championship finals also take place Thursday, and will be broadcast live on ESPN from 5-7 p.m. PDT.
The winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee goes home with a grand prize of $30,000 cash and an engraved trophy from Scripps along with several smaller prizes.
This is the 11th year The Press has sponsored the North Idaho regional spelling champ's trip to the national spelling bee.
ARTICLES BY MAUREEN DOLAN
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