For the second year in a row, Yashna Nainani, a seventh grade student at Chickahominy Middle School, was declared the 2011-2012 division spelling champion for Hanover County Public Schools.

After 19 challenging rounds, the winning word was “mealymouthed.”

Nainani also was the runner-up in the 2009-2010 competition.

Cal Costic, an eighth grade student at Stonewall Jackson Middle School, was the runner-up this year.

Nainani is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Raj Nainani of Mechanicsville. Her awards include a Webster’s Dictionary that was presented on behalf of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. A division plaque with her name inscribed as spelling champion will be displayed at Chickahominy Middle School for the second year in a row. A division champion certificate will be presented to her at an upcoming School Board meeting.

The Hanover County Public Schools Division Spelling Bee was held on Jan. 26 at Chickahominy Middle School.

Sponsored annually by Richmond Times-Dispatch, the event is the second of four levels as part of the National Spelling Bee competition. 

Competing in the Hanover County event were:

Josh Bock, fifth grade, Battlefield Park Elementary School; Makya DeJesus, third grade,  Beaverdam Elementary School; Yashna Nainani, seventh grade, Chickahominy Middle School;  Elementary School; Alex Stubblefield, fourth grade, Cold Harbor School;  Dean Showalter, fourth grade, Cool Spring Elementary School; Shehzad Shah, second grade, Elmont Elementary School; Zach Russell, second grade, Henry Clay Elementary School; Dylan Williams, fifth grade, John M. Gandy Elementary School; Jessica Jones, fifth grade, Kersey Creek Elementary School; Jacob Anderson, fourth grade, Laurel Meadow Elementary School; Tylor Woods, eighth grade, Liberty Middle School; Tyler Madison, third grade, Mechanicsville Elementary School; Jenny Droujinsky, runner-up to 2010-2011, sixth grade, Oak Knoll Middle School; Alex Miller, fifth grade, Pearson’s Corner Elementary School; Nathan Andrews, fifth grade, Pole Green Elementary School; Robert Patina, fifth grade, Rural Point Elementary School; Carter Prillaman, fifth grade, South Anna Elementary School; Cal Costic, eighth grade, Stonewall Jackson Middle School; and Brianna Bui, fifth grade, Washington-Henry Elementary School.

As division spelling champion, Yashna will represent Hanover County Public Schools at the Richmond Times-Dispatch Regional Spelling Bee at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 12, at The Library of Virginia in Richmond/

The Scripps National Spelling Bee is the largest and longest running educational promotion, administered on a not-for-profit basis by the E.W. Scripps Company located in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The National Spelling Bee originated in 1925 by the Louisville (Ky.) Courier Journal.

The competition is open to students who have not yet completed the eighth grade, reached their 15th birthday, nor won a previous National Spelling Bee.

The purpose of the event is to help students improve their spelling, increase their vocabularies, learn concepts, and widen their knowledge of the English language.

The winner of the regional competition will advance to the finals held in Washington, D.C., during June.

Information submitted by Linda M. Scarborough, Hanover County Public Schools communications specialist.