May 27

May 27 Rochester 8th grader eliminated from spelling bee (updated)

(THE MED CITY BEAT) - Local eighth grader Christine Farnberg has been eliminated in the semifinals round of the 88th Scripps National Spelling Bee.

A student at Holy Spirit School in Rochester, Christine was one of two Minnesota spellers who made it out of the preliminary round in National Harbor, Md. Only 50 participants advanced to the semis out of an initial pool of 285.

Christine correctly spelled “kuruma” and “budgerigar” in the first two rounds on Wednesday. She was eliminated after incorrectly spelling "syrette" on Thursday.

Christine won the regional contest in Rochester in February by correctly spelling the word "Appalachian." Christine was also the local champion in 2013, and the second runner-up in 2014.

Her trip to the Washington, D.C. area was paid for by the Southeast Service Cooperative, which sponsors the local spelling competition.

The only student from Minnesota to win the national competition was 13-year-old Sean Conley of Anoka back in 2001. Sean won the competition by correctly spelling the word "succedaneum."