About 150 spellers representing 67 schools from 10 counties in central Pennsylvania took a 100-word written test at the witf Public Media Center on January 29.

Thirty-four of the top spellers are now advancing to the Grand Championship Spelling Bee on February 25. While competing onstage at the witf Public Media Center, these spellers will rely on their hours of studying and understanding of a word’s origins to avoid the dreaded bell signaling they are wrong and out. Find out who the lucky spellers are below.

Spellers advancing to Grand Championship Spelling Bee:
Parris J.A. Alleyne, West York Area MS/SD
Rebecca Boltz, Northern Lebanon MS/SD
Danielle Buckingham, Central Dauphin MS/SD
Max Cherepinsky, Susquehanna Township MS/SD
Benjamin Chu, Central York MS/SD
Christine Croll, Northern Lebanon MS/SD
Katherine Mary Dash, Good Shepherd School, Camp Hill
Jasmine Renee Deitz, Fredericksburg ES, Northern Lebanon SD
Katie Dudding, St. Joseph's School, Mechanicsburg
Cecilia Fitzgerald, Tuscarora JHS, Juniata County SD
Rachel Anita Gelfand, Red Lion Area JHS/SD
Frankie Haver, Eagle View MS, Cumberland Valley SD
Jack Knowles-Kellett, Gettysburg Area MS/SD
Samantha Kunkel, Allen MS, West Shore SD
Nicole Lang, Harrisburg Area Homeschool Association
Bojan Lazarevic, Allen MS, West Shore SD
Aneesha Maini, Lemoyne MS, West Shore SD
Jennifer McKee, Yellow Breeches MS, South Middleton SD
Krittika Negandhi, Good Hope MS, Cumberland Valley SD
Madeleine Nesbitt, York Suburban MS/SD
Ryan Nguyen, Swatara JHS, Central Dauphin SD
Veronica Ponti, Central Dauphin MS/SD
Olivia Ramsey, Swatara JHS, Central Dauphin SD
Aparajita Rao, St. Joan of Arc. School, Hershey
Noah Ryan, Yellow Breeches MS, South Middleton SD
Caitlin Salomon, South Eastern MS East, South Eastern SD
Harrison Scott, Greencastle-Antrim MS/SD
Tiffany Sterling, Susquehanna Township MS/SD
Gavin Turtu, Tuscarora MS, Juniata County SD
Benjamin Ulrich, Lamberton MS, Carlisle Area SD
Tyler A. Villegas, Infinity Charter School, Harrisburg
Veronica Werner, Mechanicsburg MS/SD
Meghan Williams, Yellow Breeches MS, South Middleton SD
Madeline Wolfe, Palmyra MS/SD

Thank you to all the spellers who participated in the written test and congratulations to all who are advancing!

Competitors continue until only one speller remains. That Grand Champion will then travel to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the Washington, D.C. area in the spring.

You can watch the contest on witf TV at 6 p.m. February 26 with rebroadcasts at 8 p.m. February 29 and 1 p.m. March 2.

witf’s Central PA Spelling Bee is supported by The Hershey Company, Shippensburg University, The Kline Foundation and New Cumberland Federal Credit Union.