Washington, Idaho students make it to second round of 100th annual National Spelling Bee
This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com
The results are in from the first preliminary round of the 100th annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, and two Pacific Northwest contestants remain.
Navtaj Singh of Pullman, Washington, sponsored by the Lewiston Tribune, moved on to the second round of preliminary action with a correct spelling of 'nouveau.'
Andrew Ford from Sandpoint, Idaho, sponsored by the Idaho Character Foundation, will remain in the contest with a correct spelling of 'svarabhakti' in the first round.
Gabriel Aguirre from Spokane Valley, also sponsored by the Idaho Character Foundation, has been eliminated from the first round by a misspelling of 'ape-ape,' with his attempt being: 'apiapi.'
Aguirre, an 11-year-old from Spokane Valley, finished as the runner-up in the Inland Northwest Spelling Bee, losing to 14-year-old Ford. Both participants were home-schooled.
In the 12th round of the qualifying contest held at North Idaho College, Ford won first place. Ford won the competition with his correct spelling of 'theosophy,' and Aguirre lost for his incorrect spelling of the word 'sobersides' in the final round, according to The Coeur d'Alene Press.
Singh, 14, is competing for the fourth consecutive year and aiming to surpass his personal best, having finished 12th in 2023.
The list of words and resultsfor the second preliminary round is out now.
Ford will receive the word 'trespass' in his second round, and Singh will receive 'vehemence.'
The quarterfinals are set to take place on May 28 from 8 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. ET, and the semifinals will begin later that day from 8 to 10 p.m. ET.
The finals will begin on Thursday, May 29, from 8 to 10 p.m. ET.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
PGA Tour Rookie Honored by UNC Legends, and Hilariously Bill Belichick
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. This week, David Ford became the third player to earn a PGA Tour card by leading the PGA Tour University Program as the nation's top collegiate golfer. The former University of North Carolina star joins Ludvig Aberg (2023) and Michael Thorbjorsen (2024) as recipients of this honor. Although the program is relatively new, the merit of earning a tour card through it has progressively gained recognition outside the golf world. In fact, several of the Tar Heels' top sports figures honored Ford for this achievement. These big names include NBA Hall of Famer Vince Carter, a former star of North Carolina's basketball program; College Football Hall of Famer Mack Brown, the former head football coach; and College Basketball Hall of Famer Roy Williams, the former head basketball coach. Then there is Bill Belichick's surprising praise. David Ford of the United States watches his shot from the sixth tee during the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge 2025 at Colonial Country Club on May 23, 2025 in Fort Worth, Texas.... David Ford of the United States watches his shot from the sixth tee during the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge 2025 at Colonial Country Club on May 23, 2025 in Fort Worth, Texas. More"The Carolina family believes in you, and we are cheering for you every step of the way. I can't wait to see you succeed with the pros and get that first tour win under your belt. You got this. Go Heels!" Carter said. "I just want to wish you the best as you move forward towards PGA Tour. I know the next steps are big ones, and we're all here pulling for you," Belichick added. "Congratulations, good luck moving forward. Go Heels!" Brown said. "You've got something special. You're different. Don't ever forget that...I look forward to many great things from you, but you're a tough little nut, and that's as good as I can say," Williams said. Ford was visibly moved by the kind words of prominent North Carolina sports figures. "To start off with, Vince Carter was wild. But yeah, just the whole host of people. I think Coach Williams definitely stood out to me," Ford said. "He's just a regular guy. He knows competition. He knows how to get better, and he knows what to look for when recruiting great players." The Tar Heels show up 🤜 🤛 to congratulate their guy @Davidfordgolf on getting his PGA TOUR card. — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 3, 2025 But it was certainly strange to see Belichick as part of the ensemble. The former New England Patriots head coach signed on to be North Carolina's football coach earlier this year. He basically just walked in the proverbial door. Meanwhile, the other figures in the video have ties that go back decades. Nevertheless, Ford's designation as the top-ranked player in the PGA Tour University Program concludes his extraordinary amateur career, which began to excel during his junior years. In fact, he was recruited by the Tar Heels, who are ranked No. 1 in the country by the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA). While at North Carolina, he continued to improve, winning seven of the 48 tournaments he played in. This tied the record for the most wins in the Tar Heels golf program. He also led his team to 17 victories, including the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title and three top-five finishes in the NCAA tournament. These results earned him numerous accolades, including the 2025 Haskins Award, which is given to the most outstanding collegiate golfer in the country. Three other notable collegiate stars recently received their PGA Tour cards through the PGA Tour University Accelerated Program: Luke Clanton, Jackson Koivun, and Gordon Sargent were the recipients. More Golf: Kai Trump Makes Strong Statement amid Massive Golf Improvement
Washington Post
14 hours ago
- Washington Post
Flying boats make for a rare sight as Washington clears an island of derelict vessels by helicopter
OLYMPIA, Wash. — As the owner of a marina, Kate Gervais is used to seeing boats in the water. But for the last couple of days, she's been seeing them in the air. The Washington Department of Natural Resources this week used one of its firefighting helicopters to haul abandoned boats off an uninhabited island in the southernmost reaches of Puget Sound, where the vessels had come to rest after drifting with the currents, and fly them to the mainland to be deconstructed later.
Associated Press
14 hours ago
- Associated Press
Flying boats make for a rare sight as Washington clears an island of derelict vessels by helicopter
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — As the owner of a marina, Kate Gervais is used to seeing boats in the water. But for the last couple of days, she's been seeing them in the air. The Washington Department of Natural Resources this week used one of its firefighting helicopters to haul abandoned boats off an uninhabited island in the southernmost reaches of Puget Sound, where the vessels had come to rest after drifting with the currents, and fly them to the mainland to be deconstructed later. With 14 vessels removed, it was the agency's largest operation of its kind, officials said. 'It was a very, very weird sight,' said Gervais, who owns Boston Harbor Marina, just north of Olympia. 'The sail boat with the mast was the weirdest one to see.' A boat removal by helicopter is typically done by a private pilot, but for this operation, which was funded by a federal grant, the DNR opted to use one of its firefighting helicopters. It was cheaper and helped stretch the $1 million NOAA grant, said Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove. The state agency opts to airlift boats when towing them would disrupt the marine bed or surrounding environment too much. The aquatic lands where the boats land often include kelp beds, which are critical for supporting the forage fish that salmon rely on. Vessels for this operation where found in hard-to-reach coves, at the tree line or in mud that rendered an airlift a better option, agency staff said. Since the boat removal program began in 2002, the department has hauled out more than 1,200 derelict vessels. There are at least 300 more out there, with more found all the time, Upthegrove said. 'It's a real challenge impacting the Puget Sound when people essentially dump their old boats into the water because they don't want to deal with disposing of them,' he said. 'That burden then falls on all of us.' The federal grant allowed the state to clean up boats on Squaxin Island, an uninhabited island that is of particular cultural importance to the Squaxin Island Tribe. The tribe's people once shared vast lands in western Washington state, but following the 1854 Treaty of Medicine Creek, the island — 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) long and half a mile (800 meters) wide — was the main area reserved for them, according to the tribe's website. Eventually, the tribe's members moved off the island, but they continue to use it for fishing, hunting, shellfish gathering and camping. 'The Squaxin Island Tribe is very enthusiastic about this opportunity to work with DNR to clean-up derelict vessels on tribal lands,' said Daniel Kuntz, the tribe's policy and program manager. 'Maintaining clean beaches and water are essential to the Squaxin Island culture to ensure gathering access for future generations.'
