SYRACUSE -- More than 35 local school children will appear on television later today. They're the finalists in the Post-Standard/WCNY Spelling Bee, which will be televised live on WCNY-TV 24.1. The winner will advance the national level of competition in Washington, D.C. this spring.
Coverage begins at 2:00pm. The spelling bee will take place at the WCNY-TV studios in Liverpool. According to a press release from station spokesman Matt Michael, more than 200 children -- from over 40 local public school districts, private schools and home schools -- entered the competition this year. Here is the complete list of competitors, as provided by WCNY-TV:
1. Emily Carello, 7th grade, HW Smith School, Syracuse
2. Julia Georges, 7th grade, Central Square Middle School
3. Grace Getman, 6th grade, Montessori School of Syracuse
4. Jessica Vann, 8th grade, Liverpool Middle School
5. Maja Cannavo, 7th grade, Manlius Pebble Hill
6. Urie Choi, 7th grade, Eagle Hill Middle, Fayetteville-Manlius
7. Matthew O'Connor, 8th grade, Jamesville-DeWitt Middle School
8. Tom Stewart, 8th grade, Central Square Middle School
9. Joshua Lacey-Baldwin, 6th grade, HW Smith School, Syracuse
10. Alaina Kenny, 6th grade, Onondaga Hill Middle School, Westhill
11. Ishan Gajra, 7th grade, Jamesville-DeWitt Middle School
12. Mimi Lu, 7th grade, Eagle Hill Middle School, F-M
13. Devon McColm, 7th grade, Cazenovia Middle School
14. Zoe Ricks, 7th grade, Ray Middle School, Baldwinsville
15. Tom Culeton, 8th grade, Christian Brothers Academy
16. Colleen Magowan, 8th grade, Durgee Junior High, Baldwinsville
17. Francesca Giardine, 8th grade, Ed. Smith School, Syracuse
18. Thi Tran, 7th grade, West Genesee Middle School
19. Alyssa Whitbread, 8th grade, Onondaga Hill Middle School, Westhill
20. Lara Bruno, 8th grade, Cazenovia Middle School
21. Amanda Lowther, 7th grade, Camillus Middle School, West Genesee
22. Russell Graziano, 7th grade, West Genesee Middle School
23. Lainie LaRonde, 8th grade, Eagle Hill Middle School, F-M
24. Morgan Hand, 8th grade, Union Springs Middle School
25. Laurel White, 7th grade, Liverpool Middle School
26. Rosaleen Morgan, 8th grade, Sandy Creek Middle School
27. Sara Hopkins, 7th grade, Bishop Grimes
28. Camron Spurling, 8th grade, Mexico Middle School
29. Will Grindle, 7th grade, Ray Middle School, Baldwinsville
30. Jeffrey Shi, 5th grade, C.S. Driver Middle School, Marcellus
31. Madeline Saarie, 7th grade, Ray Middle School, Baldwinsville
32. Cameron Dempsey, 8th grade, Cortland Jr./Sr. High
33. Caitlyn Ackerman, 7th grade, Roxboro Road Middle School, North Syracuse
34. Ethan McCabe, 5th grade, Ramsdell Middle School, Jordan-Elbridge
35. Henry Dowthwaite, 8th grade, Wellwood Middle School, F-M
36. Sydney Higgins, 6th grade, Holy Family School
37. Hannah Scalisi, 6th grade, Gillette Road Middle School, North Syracuse
Organizers say spelling bees serve two goals: they help children to expand their vocabularies, while encouraging them to perfect their spelling. The Scripps National Spelling Bee will take place in Washington, D.C. from May 27 to June 1. No word on the national bee's website about TV coverage for 2012 yet, but over the past several years, earlier rounds have been carried on ESPN, while finals have been televised on ABC.