Local Second Grader to Compete in National Spelling Bee

Update 1:20 p.m.:

Update on Lori Anne Madison's spelling bee progress. She passed round two and correctly spelled "dirigible" which means "capable of being steered, guided, or directed."

Original Post: 

When the Scripps National Spelling Bee gets underway at National Harbor on Wednesday, 6-year-old  will be among the competitors.

Lori Anne, speller number 269, is home-schooled in Woodbridge and is the youngest speller on record to compete in the national spelling bee. Lori Anne started participating in spelling bees when she was 3 years old.

The second-grader won the 2012 Prince William County spelling bee by correctly spelling the word “vaquero.” 

According to the national spelling bee’s speller roster, Lori Anne has won gold medals in the National Mythology and Etymology Exams, first place in the 2012 Prince William County HOPE Science Fair and will compete in the FIRST LEGO League in an all-girls team.

Lori Anne swims competitively and also takes classes in karate, dance and tennis.

Preliminary rounds get underway Wednesday (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., TV:ESPN2), with semifinals on Thursday (10 a.m. to 1 p.m., TV: ESPN2) and finals on Thursday evening (5 p.m. to 8 p.m., TV: ESPN).