Three students will advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee after competing Sunday in a regional qualifier sponsored by Visit Hopkinsville at the Alhambra Theatre. Fourteen students had qualified for the regional event.
Ian Gibson, of Bowling Green Junior High School, won the competition, organizers announced in a Facebook post. Noah Brumfield, of James Madison Middle School, Madisonville, finished second. Finishing third was Isabella Carver, of Hanson Elementary School. Gibson correctly spelled the word permafrost to earn first place.
Each of the three top finishers will receive a $500 stipend from Visit Hopkinsville to help with travel expenses.
The national spelling bee is slated over the Memorial Day holiday at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center at National Harbor, Maryland. The convention center is in the greater Washington, D.C., region.
