Last week, over 30 Washington Blue Lions took the stage at Liberty Hall to compete in the annual Bell Aire Spelling Bee.

These students competed against their schoolmates in an intense academic competition, testing their literacy and public speaking skills in front of a large crowd of family and friends.

Belle Aire crowned fifth-grader, Issac Hood, as the 2017 Spelling Bee Champion. Fourth-grader, Cooper Collins, was this year’s runner up. After a record-breaking amount of final rounds, Hood claimed victory for correctly spelling the winning word, “humane.”

Hood will go on to take an online semifinal test for a spot in the next round. If he qualifies, Hood will compete at the Scripps College of Communications at Ohio University.

OU serves as one of the many preliminary hosts for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. More than 11 million students participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee each year.

Fifth-grader Issac Hood (left) was named the 2017 Spelling Bee Champion and fourth grader Cooper Collins was the runner-up.

http://www.recordherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2017/12/web1_image1.jpegFifth-grader Issac Hood (left) was named the 2017 Spelling Bee Champion and fourth grader Cooper Collins was the runner-up.

Over 30 Blue Lions took the stage at Liberty Hall to compete in the annual Bell Aire Spelling Bee recently.

http://www.recordherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2017/12/web1_image3.jpegOver 30 Blue Lions took the stage at Liberty Hall to compete in the annual Bell Aire Spelling Bee recently.