Spelling Bee Superstars Shine at 7th Annual Regional Spelling Bee!
Get ready to give a HUGE round of applause for the incredible young word wizards who competed in our 7th Annual Regional Spelling Bee yesterday! The Southwest Educational Development Center (SEDC) was thrilled to host this fantastic event, and let us tell you, the talent on display was absolutely inspiring!
We had bright and brilliant spellers from all across southwest Utah, representing Beaver, Iron, Kane, Millard, and Washington County School Districts, as well as the amazing students from Valley Academy Charter School. That’s right – 18 of the sharpest 3rd through 8th graders came together at Canyon View Middle School in Cedar City to put their vocabulary skills to the ultimate test!
A massive thank you to Canyon View Middle School and their wonderful principal, Jeralyn Shaw, for hosting us in their awesome auditorium! We also want to extend our sincere appreciation to Lance Hatch, Superintendent of Iron County School District, for his warm and welcoming words to all our participants and their families.
The competition was fierce, the tension was palpable (in a fun way, of course!), and the spelling was top-notch! After several exciting rounds, we are absolutely delighted to announce our champions:
🏆 First Place: The phenomenal Jenessi Sawyer from South Elementary in Iron School District! Jenessi spelled the word “tenacious” with confidence and grace to take home the gold! Way to go, Jenessi – you are a spelling superstar!
🥈 Runner-Up: The incredibly talented Hayes Holyoak from Delta Middle School in Millard School District! Hayes made it so close, only stumbling on the tricky word “pittance.” What an amazing effort, Hayes! We are so impressed with your skills!
🥉 Third Place: The fantastic Eileen Burrows, also from Delta Middle School in Millard School District! Eileen battled it out in a thrilling four-person spell-off and emerged victorious after correctly spelling “wherewithal“! Congratulations, Eileen!
We are so incredibly proud of all 18 spellers who participated! Each and every one of you demonstrated amazing dedication and a love for language. You all received a well-deserved medal and certificate to commemorate your hard work. And a special shout-out again to our top three who also took home some shiny trophies!
This annual Spelling Bee is a highlight for SEDC, and it’s truly inspiring to see such bright young minds in our region. It reinforces our commitment to supporting academic excellence and fostering a love of learning in southwest Utah.
Congratulations again to Jenessi, Hayes, Eileen, and all the amazing spellers who made our 7th Annual Regional Spelling Bee such a resounding success! Follow us on social media @sedck12 for more updates and highlights! #sedck12 #sedcspellingbee
Check out some photos from the event below! Want to watch all of the action? Here’s the recording of the event or view it below the images. Want to share this? sedck12.org/2025bee
