Past Champions Last year’s winner Jacob Theaker

2022 Winner: Jacob Theaker, Martins Ferry City School District

2021 Winner: Lyrik Brown, Bridgeport Schools

2020 Winner: Tyler Harris, St. Mary’s Central, St. Clairsville

2019 Winner: Hannah Leach, Barnesville Middle School

2018 Winner: Linh Lee, St. Clairsville Schools

2017 Winner: Andrew Masciarelli, Bellaire Local Schools

2016 Winner: Chase Ake, St. John’s Bellaire

2015 Winner: Sadie McFarland, Union Local School District

2014 Winner: Justin Hamilton, Union Local School District

2013 Winner: Justin Hamilton, Union Local School District

2012 Winner: Marcus Clark, Martins Ferry City School District

2011 Winner: Natalie Cervelli, St. John Central, Bellaire

2010 Winner: AJ Feiock, Union Local School District

2009Winner: Reese Boyd, East Richland Christian Academy

2008 Winner: Lacey Ware, Union Local School District

2007 Winner: Lacey Ware, Union Local School District

2006 Winner: Brent Milovac, Bellaire Local School District

2005 Winner: Brent Milovac, Bellaire Local

2004 Winner: Eric Milovac, Bellaire Local

2003 Winner: Eric Milovac, Bellaire Local

2002 Winner: Ryan Kroflich, St. Joseph Central

2001 Winner: Melanie Kidder, Bellaire Local

2000 Winner: Michael Ondrick, Union Local

1999 Winner: Michael Ondrick, Union Local

1998 Winner: Megan Vetula, St. Clairsville

1997 Winner: Michael Ondrick, Union Local

1996 Winner: Megan Vetula, St. Clairsville

1995 Winner: Gwendolen Jackson, Bridgeport

1994 Winner: Sarah Dittoe, Union Local

1993 Winner: Adam Muretisch, St. Clairsville

1992 Winner: Mark Kish, Bellaire

1991 Winner: Alex Kish, Bellaire

1990 Winner: Anand Chokkavelu, St. Clairsville

1989 Winner: Emily Mountain, St. John Central, Bellaire

1988 Winner: Shawna Valigora, St. Clairsville

1987 Winner: Marianne Visser, Union Local

I am the 2022 Belmont County Spelling Bee Champion and getting the chance to participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee was an awesome experience.

Day 1 started with Airport Limousine picking us up at 3:30 a.m. and taking my family and me to the Amtrak station in Pittsburgh. The train ride was a phenomenal experience because I had never ridden in a train before and it was way more comfortable than I thought it would be. There was even a dining car where we ate breakfast.

When we arrived in Washington D.C. we checked into the Gaylord National Resort. The hotel was beautiful and enormous. We checked out the surrounding area and walked to grab something to eat at Burger Fi. We then spent the rest of the evening touring Washington D.C. and seeing many of the monuments and memorials. We saw the White House, the Washington Monument, the World War l and World War ll Memorials, the Kore- an Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

Day 2 was Memorial Day and I stared the day out by getting checked into the bee. We decided to visit Arlington National Cemetery in the morning and to our surprise, the President of the United States was there for the National Memorial Day Observance ceremony. We attended the ceremony and it was really cool to have the chance to see the President in person. We headed back to the hotel for lunch and I met up with the other spellers. We were teamed up and we played book related games to win books that were to be donated to area schools. That evening was the opening ceremony for the bee and we got a picture with all the spellers on stage.

On Day 3 they bussed us to Planet Word, which was an interactive language museum. That afternoon was my time to spell. I spelled my first round word correctly. The word was élan which means vigorous spirit or enthusiasm. The next round was a definition round and I was eliminated with the word discombobulated.

Day 4 we visited the American History Museum, The National Archives, The Capitol Building, Natural History Museum and the National Gallery of Art.