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LAKE CHARLES WEATHER

2023 SWLA CBS Lake Charles Regional Spelling Bee Winner!

Mar 27, 2023 03:19PM ● By Josh Thibodeaux

On Saturday March 25th, CBS Lake Charles hosted our inaugural SWLA Regional Spelling Bee at First Baptist Church in Westlake.

A total of 17 students representing Calcasieu, Cameron, Jeff Davis, and Beauregard parishes came to compete, and it was indeed a competition!

The Bee started at 1pm with our host Kelsey Swire introducing our Judges and thanking our generous sponsors. Our General Manager Rusty Kirkland followed by thanking all of our schools, parents, and most importantly students for competing and attending the Regional Spelling Bee. After introductions were finished it was on to our Pronouncer Russ Silvers who gave our spellers very important rules and instructions before we began. Then we were off!

We started our Bee with a total of 5 fourth grade students, 2 sixth grade students, 3 seventh grade students, and 7 eighth grade students. After 8 rounds of "Can I have the definition?", "Can you use it in a sentence", and intense spelling, we ended up in our final round with only 2 eighth graders left.

After the correct spelling of the final word we officially crowned an eighth grader by the name of Kai Richardson from Maplewood Middle School our first ever SWLA CBS Lake Charles Regional Spelling Bee Champion!

Kai Richardson is 13 yrs old and is a member of the student council and is also in the French and Gifted program. He loves technology, geography and is very interested in politics. He wants to become a U.S. senator when he’s older. His family including his Mother, Father, younger brother, and even his Grandmother all the way from Scotland were in attendance in the front row to see him become champion. Needless to say tears were shed and cheers filled the room once that final word was spelled and our pronouncer uttered the word CORRECT!

Kai will be sent to Washington D.C. to represent SWLA in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and we are all rooting for him to take home the trophy and claim the title of National Spelling Bee Champion.

Congratulations Kai and congratulations to all of our school level champions who competed.

We look forward to seeing everyone again next year!