Top-spelling students from Wonewoc, Holmen, and La Crosse earn trips to state spelling bee finals

“Goliath” was no match for a Wonewoc area student who won a regional spelling bee on Thursday at West Salem.

Kynsleigh Woolever from Wonewoc-Center Middle School spelled “Goliath” correctly to take the championship at the CESA-4 bee, from among a field of 26 students.

The top four spellers qualified for the state bee next month in Madison, and the winner there will compete in the National Spelling Bee.

Woolever and a second speller from Wonewoc, Avery Miller, will represent the area CESA district at the Badger Bee on March 29th. Miller placed fourth in Thursday’s contest.

Weston Lorentz from Holmen Middle School placed second at Wesr Salem, and Reese Carrington of Blessed Sacrament School in La Crosse earned third place. In previous years, CESA-4 was able to send five spellers to the state bee, but that was reduced to four this year because of enrollment changes.

Thirteen area schools, including Aquinas Middle School, Onalaska Middle School, and St. Patrick’s in Onalaska, sent spellers to the regional.