Scripps National Spelling Bee: Our Belmont Contestant

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — The 92nd annual Scripps National Spelling Bee is nearly here and there are three whiz kids from San Mateo County who plan to compete this year, including one who attends school in Belmont. More than 560 children from all 50 states will vie for a shot at becoming the nation’s preeminent speller.

Preliminary multiple-choice tests will be held Monday, May 27. Onstage spelling competitions will be held all day the following Tuesday and Wednesday, with finalists competing Thursday, May 30. No more than 50 spellers will advance to the finals Thursday.

Interested viewers can watch every word Wednesday on the Watch ESPN app. On Thursday, finalists will begin spelling on stage at 10 a.m. Eastern Time and this part of the competition will air live on ESPN 2. After the field is narrowed down to roughly a dozen finalists, ESPN will air the spelling bee finals live Thursday night.

The event will be held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. The champion will receive a $50,000 prize.

From San Mateo, Leilani Campos will attempt to best her peers when it comes to spelling. Leilani is 13 and attends Borel Middle School and previously competed in the prestigious spelling bee last year, tying for 323rd place. She is in 8th grade and has been assigned speller number 91.

Thirteen-year-old Prithvi Dixit will also be at the event. He lives in Redwood City but is a 7th grader at Ralston Middle School in Belmont. He is speller number 34 this year.

And from nearby Foster City, Nicole Yang is headed to the bee, as well. Yang is 10 and attends Foster City Elementary School. She is in 5th grade and is speller number 108.

Good luck, you three!

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Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.