By NewsLine Staff
Sreeniketh Vogoti, a seventh-grade student at Fruit Cove Middle School, won the 2016 St. Johns County School District Spelling Bee held Jan. 13 at the Fullerwood Learning Center in St. Augustine. He won by spelling the word “reprieve” correctly. It took 49 rounds for the winner to be determined.
Thirty-two elementary and middle school students from 28 public and four private schools competed for the honor of representing St. Johns County in the upcoming regional competition. The winner of the regional spelling bee will advance to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee scheduled in May in Washington, D.C.
Laurie Hays, St. Johns County School District program specialist for Elementary Language Arts, served as the spelling bee coordinator and the pronouncer was Linda Villadoniga, retired St. Johns County teacher. Judges for the event were Tommy Bledsoe, St. Johns County School District program specialist; Cheryl Freeman, director of retired and senior volunteer program; Sandy Waldeis, community representative; and Laurie Hays.
Vogoti is the son of Padamja and Balasubramanyam Vogoti.
The 2016 St. Johns County School District Spelling Bee will be broadcast on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 6 p.m. on SEA TV channels 99 or 262.
