28
Images
Photo gallery: 2024 Alachua County Spelling Bee
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 01.jpg
Shirley Campen, Alexander Campen (7), Cooper Campen (12) and Brad Campen celebrate Cooper's of the 2024 Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. The Campens' are a homeschooling family and this is Cooper's second year competing. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 02.jpg
Edwin Gao, right, representing Linclon Middle School, prays as his opponent Cooper Campen, ,left, who is homeschooled, spells for the judges during the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024.(Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 03.jpg
Leila Sapp of Rawlings Elementary wipes away tears after her elimination from the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 05.jpg
Aidan Burgess, representing Alachua Elementary, listens to a competitor during the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 06.jpg
Briceston Bolton of Shell Elementary approaches the microphone during the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 07.jpg
Spectators cheer during the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 08.jpg
Zoe Nelson of Cornertsone Academy Elementary sits nervously as she waits for her turn during the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 10.jpg
Avyaan Khar of Foster Elementary burns his face in his hand as his turn approaches during the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 11.jpg
Spectators clap as another round comes to an end during the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024.(Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 12.jpg
Host Patrick Gallagher encourages contestants to take a deep breath as they approach the next round of the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News).
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 13.jpg
Maya Zielinski of Kanapaha Middle School concentrates during the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 14.jpg
Alex Chang, left, of Kimball Wiles Elementary looks on as a competitor receives a challenging word during the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 15.jpg
Sri Srinath of Howard W. Bishop Middle School expresses shock as a fellow contestant is eliminated from the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 16.jpg
Spectators watch during the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 17.jpg
Alachua County Spelling Bee Coordinator Don Fitzpatrick listens as students spell during the competition at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 19.jpg
Spectators watch theAlachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 20.jpg
Mekhi Waldon of Archer Elementary is comforted by a member after his elimination from the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 21.jpg
Merritt Tricoche, right, of Idlewild Elementary hugs her mom after a successful round during the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
O
Owen Zaragoza of High Springs Community School takes his turn at the microphone during the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 23.jpg
The crowd of contestants is whittled down during the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 26.jpg
Jude Ranvestel, left, representing Westwood Middle School, and Aisosa Lyamu, right, representing St. Patrick's Interparish Middle School, sit nervously as the host reorganizes the final seven spellers during the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 28.jpg
Seats sit empty toward the end of the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 29.jpg
Norris Ding, right, grips his hands as host Patrick Gallagher reminds contestants of the final rules during the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 31.jpg
Anneliese Smith, left, of Fort Clarke Middle School, and Mitchell Eastman, right, of Cornerstone Academy Middle School, watch as Zoe Nelson, center, representing Cornerstone Academy Elementary, spells during the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 32.jpg
Cooper Campen asks the judges for a definition during the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 34.jpg
Cooper Campen sits anxiously during the final moments of the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024.(Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 35.jpg
Cooper Campen, left, reacts as Edwin Gao, right, spells a word incorrectly during the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
020724 Spelling Bee SJ 36.jpg
Cooper Camen, left, and Edwin Gao, right, pose for a photo after coming in first and second place in the Alachua County Spelling Bee at Idlewild Elementary School in Gainesville, Fla., Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024. (Sydney Johnson/ WUFT News)
1/