2019 San Benito County Spelling Bee Winners

Top Two Winners Go On To State!

Hollister, CA February 8, 2019: The San Benito County Office of Education has declared the top four spellers in the Elementary and Junior High divisions. The first and second place winners will go on to represent San Benito County at the state competitions in May.

Elementary winners are
1st place: Evie Gonzalez, a 6th grader from Hollister Prep School;
2nd place: Miranda Navarro, a 4th grader from Spring Grove School;
3rd place: Brooklynn Goldstone, a 6th grader from Accelerated Achievement Academy and
4th place: Valeria Esqueda, a 6th grader from Spring Grove School.

Junior High winners are
1st place: Rasmeet Brar, a 7th grader from Accelerated Achievement Academy;
2nd place: Donnobhain Haertel, an 8th grader from Spring Grove School;
3rd place: Deepinder Mann, a 7th grader from Rancho San Justo and
4th place: Stephanie Miramontes, a 7th grader from Jefferson.

Preliminary rounds were held on January 23 and 24 at Ladd Lane School with the unprecedented implementation of Google Forms to collect and grade student responses. The top 20 spellers from each of those rounds were invited to the championship contest on February 6 and 7 where judges evaluated the contestants’ responses and ultimately declared the top four spellers. First place winners received an iPad air donated by the Rotary Club of Hollister. Both first and second place winners will receive up to $250 of their travel expenses to the state-level competition reimbursed by the County Office of Education.

Judges for this year’s Spelling Bee included Sheriff Darren Thompson, Supervisor Jim Gillio, Supervisor Mark Medina, County Superintendent Krystal Lomanto, and SBCOE Director of Special Education Bill Sachau.

Elementary finalists were: Evie Gonzalez, Baron Recht, Brooklynn Goldstone, Emilia Rovella, Annie Cullumber, Quinton Zanger, Tyler Crosby, Valeria Esqueda, Alexander Brister, Maximus Madrigal, Aryanna McClelland, Daniela Orsetti, Morgan Ruiz, Isabella Nicholson, Madeline Rosa, Kathy Miramontes, Levi Tran, Miranda Navarro, Sophia Madrigal, Adeline Mellow, Anthony Medrano

Junior High finalists were: Rasmeet Brar, Ava Thatcher, Max Westphal, Cassie Rayas, Deepinder Mann, Donnobhain Haertel, Emmia Rivera, Aarush Jagtap, Madison Statua, Luis Silva, Isabela Fernandez, Julian Martinez, Ignacio Velazquez, Stephanie Miramontes, Fabiola Gonzalez, Hailey Garcia, Rosa Miramontes, Brandon Gatson, Dafny Senties, Rasmeet Brar, Ava Thatcher