Aanandi Dutta, a 4th-grade student at Kyrene de los Cerritos Leadership Academy, won the regional champion title at the Maricopa County Region 1 Spelling Bee. 

Top spellers from across the southeast valley competed in the Maricopa County Region 1 Spelling Bee on Saturday, Feb. 11, according to a press release. 

After nine highly competitive rounds, Dutta was the only speller in the ninth round to successfully spell “divestiture.” In the tenth and final round, Dutta correctly spelled the championship word “vexatious” to clinch the title.

Kyrene School District Spelling Bee champion Paige Erickson, an 8th-grade student at Kyrene Middle School, was also among the top 10 regional spellers, the release added.

A total of 33 spellers from Kyrene School District, Mesa Public Schools, Tempe Elementary School District and private, charter and homeschool organizations competed in the competition after winning their individual qualifying spelling bees.

Dutta will move on to the Arizona State Spelling Bee on March 18 at the Madison Center for the Arts. The top two spellers in that competition will qualify for the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. 

“Kyrene congratulates all spellers and wishes Dutta and other regional Bee winners G-O-O-D L-U-C-K,” the release stated.