Avon Lake Student to Compete in National Spelling Bee

After winning the District Spelling Bee finals, Learwood Middle School student Rachel Mueller will be competing in the annual Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., this May.

Mueller won out after the runner up, Avon Middle School student Nick Gardner, misspelled the word “parquet,” which she then spelled correctly.

In an instant the word “threptic” went from obscure term to one of the most important words of the young seventh-grader’s life, and after spelling it correctly she clinched her victory.

Learwood Middle School Principal Vishtasp Nuggud said in a newsletter that he wished to congratulate Mueller and was amazed by the potential of all his students.

“I am very proud of our students and their daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly achievements,” Nuggud said. “It is hard to fathom what all they can, and have accomplished at such a young age.”

Mueller is the second consecutive student from the school to go to the National Spelling Bee, following in the footsteps of former student Emma Jankowski last year who missed the cutoff for the semifinals.

The National Spelling Bee is held May 23-26. The preliminary Spelling Bee will be televised from 8 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. on ESPN3 May 25; the semifinals from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on ESPN2 May 26; and the championship from 8 to 10 p.m. on ESPN May 26.