ARIZONA NEWS

2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee starts with 3 Arizona students

May 30, 2023, 12:37 PM | Updated: May 31, 2023, 9:39 am

Tazbah Spruhan of Window Rock, Arizona, reacts after misspelling "Groenendael" during a preliminary...

Tazbah Spruhan of Window Rock, Arizona, reacts after misspelling "Groenendael" during a preliminary round of the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 30, 2023, in National Harbor, Maryland. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

PHOENIX — Three Arizona middle school students qualified to compete in this week’s Scripps National Spelling Bee in suburban Washington, D.C.

The event started Tuesday morning with about 230 spellers and wraps up Thursday night.

Karen Opoku-Appoh, a 14-year-old eighth grader at Marana Middle School, qualified by winning the Arizona Educational Foundation’s Arizona Spelling Bee in March.

Opal Mishra, 12, made it to nationals by finishing second at the Arizona Spelling Bee. The sixth grader at Basha Accelerated Middle School in Chandler is the youngest of Arizona’s three participants.

Tazbah Spruhan, a 13-year-old eighth grader from Tséhootsooí Middle School in Window Rock, punched her ticket by winning the Navajo Times-Navajo Nation Spelling Bee in March.

The preliminary rounds of the 95th Scripps National Spelling Bee included both spelling and word meaning.

Spruhan misspelled “Groenendael” (a dog breed) as “Grunendoll” in the first round Tuesday, but Opoku-Appoh and Mishra made it through the first three rounds of the opening day.

Opoku-Appoh correctly spelled “wapiti” (a type of elk) and knew “immolate” means “to sacrifice oneself in the interests of some goal or cause” before spelling “ecosphere” properly.

Mishra got the spelling right on “hyssop” (a shrub in the mint family), properly defined “subcutaneous” as “located beneath the skin” and correctly spelled “cyclical.”

The contest is being broadcast by the Ion Plus and Ion platforms.

Tuesday’s preliminary round coverage was set to run on Ion Plus from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Arizona time).

Ion Plus will also show the quarterfinals from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Ion will televise the semifinals from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and the finals from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.

The Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Fort Washington, Maryland, is hosting the competition.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona Spelling Bee champion Karen Opoku-Appoh. (Arizona Educational Foundation Photo) Arizona spelling champion Karen Opoku-Appoh. (Arizona Educational Foundation Photo) Judges of the 2023 Arizona Spelling Bee. (Arizona Educational Foundation Photo) The top three finishers at the Arizona Spelling Bee. (Arizona Educational Foundation Photo) The top five finishers at the 2023 Arizona Spelling Bee. (Arizona Educational Foundation Photo) Arizona Spelling Bee competitors. (Arizona Educational Foundation Photo)

Arizona News

A man is seen in handcuffs in a stock photo. Nicholas Murphy, 43, made his initial appearance in a ...

KTAR.com

Volunteer Scottsdale high school football coach accused of child sex crimes in Nebraska

A volunteer football coach at a Scottsdale high school has been accused of child sex crimes in Nebraska, authorities said.

56 minutes ago

scottsdale patrol vehicle parked behind caution tape...

KTAR.com

Scottsdale man forced to withdraw money from ATM after home invasion

A north Scottsdale man was robbed in a home invasion early Wednesday and forced to pull out money from an ATM.

2 hours ago

Animal shelters in Arizona are seeing a growing number of Huskies enter the shelter system....

Colton Krolak

Here’s why Maricopa County is seeing a rise in Huskies in shelters

Animal shelters in Arizona are seeing a growing number of Huskies enter the shelter system making them among the most common breeds in shelters.

5 hours ago

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks announced approximately $240 million in awards for the e...

Kevin Stone

Research and development hub based at ASU gets nearly $40M in funding from CHIPS Act

A regional innovation hub based at Arizona State University was awarded nearly $40 million in federal funding to promote technological advances.

5 hours ago

Four schools in Arizona were recently recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2023 by the U....

SuElen Rivera

4 Arizona schools named as 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools

Four schools in Arizona were recently recognized as 2023 National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education. 

6 hours ago

bowls of different ice cream dishes at Tom's Incredible Ice Cream...

KTAR.com

Tom’s Incredible Ice Cream serving free scoops during Scottsdale grand opening Friday

Tom's Incredible Ice Cream is set to debut this Friday near Old Town at Scottsdale Road and Second Street.

6 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

DAY & NIGHT AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING AND PLUMBING

Importance of AC maintenance after Arizona’s excruciating heat wave

An air conditioning unit in Phoenix is vital to living a comfortable life inside, away from triple-digit heat.

...

Ignite Digital

How to unlock the power of digital marketing for Phoenix businesses

All businesses around the Valley hopes to maximize their ROI with current customers and secure a greater market share in the digital sphere.

...

Mayo Clinic

Game on! Expert sports physicals focused on you

With tryouts quickly approaching, now is the time for parents to schedule physicals for their student-athlete. The Arizona Interscholastic Association requires that all student-athletes must have a physical exam completed before participating in team practices or competition.

2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee starts with 3 Arizona students