Vindy spelling champ prepares for national bee

YOUNGSTOWN — Hannah Gerdes said she’s doing all she can to get ready for the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., later this month.

Hannah, 14, daughter of Bob and Tena Gerdes of Hubbard, is The Vindicator’s 75th Regional Spelling bee champion, a title that comes with an expense-paid trip to participate in the national contest.

“I’m studying,” she said, noting that she’s spending between one or two hours each day reviewing Web sites designed for spellers. She also works with her dad one hour each evening, concentrating primarily on learning word origins that may help her spell words with which she is unfamiliar.

It doesn’t seem like too much work, Hannah said, pointing out that she still has time to do her school work, take piano lessons, help teach preschoolers at Church Hill United Methodist Church, run the 1,600-meter event in track and help her mother start a vegetable garden.

Hannah and her parents will travel to Washington May 26 for Bee week activities including preliminary competitions. The quarterfinals will be May 29 with the semifinals and finals May 30.

But mom won’t be able to stay all week. Older daughter Abby is graduating from Ursuline High School on Saturday and Tena Gerdes said she will be back in town at mid-week to help prepare for that event.