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Meet the 10 SoCal kids in the National Spelling Bee
Contestants in the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee take the multiple choice spelling and vocabulary test on Tuesday, May 24, the first day of the competition.
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Mark Bowen/Scripps National Spelling Bee
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Thalia Hoang-Vy Nguyen, 12, from Freedom Middle School in Bakersfield.
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Mark Bowen/Scripps National Spelling Bee
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Haley Jeffers, 13, from Las Colinas Middle School in Camarillo, California.
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Mark Bowen/Scripps National Spelling Bee
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Daniel Chen, 13, from Loving Savior of the Hills Lutheran School in Chino Hills, California.
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Mark Bowen/Scripps National Spelling Bee
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Ali H. Hussain, 13, from Kennedy Middle School in El Centro, California.
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Mark Bowen/Scripps National Spelling Bee
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Cooper Komatsu, 13, from Culver City Middle School in Culver City, California.
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Mark Bowen/Scripps National Spelling Bee
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Aisha K. Randhawa, 10, from Garretson Elementary School in Corona, California.
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Mark Bowen/Scripps National Spelling Bee
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Ethan Thomas Gomulka, 11, from Del Rosa Christian School in San Bernardino, California.
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Mark Bowen/Scripps National Spelling Bee
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Ella Grace Peters, 13, from Notre Dame Academy in San Diego, California.
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Mark Bowen/Scripps National Spelling Bee
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Samuel Littrell, 14, from Kraemer Middle School in Placentia, California.
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Mark Bowen/Scripps National Spelling Bee
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Kaylee Kim, 13, from Fort Irwin Middle School in Fort Irwin, California.
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Mark Bowen/Scripps National Spelling Bee
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Contestants in the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee take the multiple choice spelling and vocabulary test on Tuesday, May 24, the first day of the competition.
(
Mark Bowen/Scripps National Spelling Bee
)
It's not all serious competition. Competitors enjoy other activities during "Bee Week."
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Mark Bowen/Scripps National Spelling Bee
)
Southern California schools have 10 young contestants representing them in the Scripps National Spelling Bee this week.
Among them are bee veterans Cooper Komatsu, 13, of Culver City, who is returning for his second time; Samuel Littrell, 14, of Placentia, also competing for a second time; and Kaylee Kim, 14, of Fort Irwin, competing for a third time. See the full list below and click through the slideshow to see each contestant.
The competition brings together 285 young spellers who have advanced from their regional contests to compete for the national championship. The youngest competitor is 6 (yes, just one!). The oldest competitors are 15.
The contest began on Tuesday with a multiple-choice spelling and vocabulary quiz.
On Wednesday, the competitors will face off in two single elimination rounds — one misspelled word, and they’re out of the competition.
At the end of the day, quiz scores will be used to help whittle the pool of remaining contestants down to a maximum of 50.
The final rounds begin Thursday morning, with a championship round Thursday evening.
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Regardless of quiz results, all spellers will get to compete in the first round, and the list of contestants who get to advance will be posted by 2 p.m. Pacific Wednesday.
How to watch
ESPN has exclusive live broadcast rights, so you can watch on TV or stream online here if you have a cable subscription. The broadcast begins at 5 a.m. PT, but there’s another round in the afternoon.
Other ways to follow the action
If you can’t watch, you can still get updates in real time by checking out the Spelling Bee website or following the Scripps Twitter account and hashtag #spellingbee.
Test your spelling skills
If you think you’ve got what it takes to be a champion speller, you can take an online test drawing from last year’s words. It’s no joke.
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List of Southern California contestants
| Name | Speller No. | Age | Grade | School | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thalia Hoang-Vy Nguyen | 8 | 12 | 7th | Freedom Middle School | Bakersfield |
| Haley Jeffers | 9 | 13 | 7th | Las Colinas Middle School | Camarillo |
| Daniel Chen | 10 | 13 | 7th | Loving Savior of the Hills Lutheran School | Chino Hills |
| Ali H. Hussain | 11 | 13 | 7th | Kennedy Middle School | El Centro |
| Cooper Komatsu | 13 | 13 | 8th | Culver City Middle School | Culver City |
| Aisha K. Randhawa | 15 | 10 | 5th | Garretson Elementary School | Corona |
| Ethan Thomas Gomulka | 18 | 11 | 6th | Del Rosa Christian School | San Bernardino |
| Ella Grace Peters | 19 | 13 | 7th | Notre Dame Academy | San Diego |
| Samuel Littrell | 21 | 14 | 8th | Kraemer Middle School | Placentia |
| Kaylee Kim | 281 | 13 | 8th | Fort Irwin Middle School | Fort Irwin |
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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