2021 County Virtual Spelling Bee Winner

Lara Randhawa 2021 Winner of the First-Ever Riverside County Virtual Spelling Bee
Posted on 03/23/2021
Lara Randhawa - 2021 Riverside County Spelling Bee Champion

RIVERSIDE - The COVID-19 Pandemic has changed the format of most events, including the annual Riverside County Spelling Bee. Despite that, the event pressed on and was held virtually.

CNUSD's very own Lara Randhawa, a 7th grader from Auburndale Intermediate School, took the top prize at this year's first-ever Riverside County Virtual Spelling Bee. Lara won at the 19th round, outlasting 21 competitors by spelling the word "lavation". She follows in the footsteps of Aisha Randhawa. Her older sister and four-time Riverside County Spelling Bee Champion. 

The competition was held exclusively via Zoom with measures in place to ensure its integrity.

Congratulations Lara! We wish you the best at the Scripps National Spelling Bee!

2021 Riverside County Virtual Spelling Bee Final Standings

The bee featured 21 spellers from Riverside County charter schools, private schools, and school districts. Top finishers at this year’s bee included:

1st Place – Lara Randhawa, Grade 7, Auburndale Intermediate School, Corona-Norco USD
2nd Place – Ben Josh Del Rio, Grade 8, Santa Rosa Academy
3rd Place – Hayley Foo, Grade 6, Ysabel Barnett Elementary School, Temecula Valley USD
4th Place – Swetha Jayasinghe, Grade 7, Palm Middle School, Moreno Valley USD
5th Place – Gene Trevor Garcia, Grade 7, Bell Mountain Middle School, Menifee USD


Along with the admission to the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition, the Riverside County Spelling Bee winner prize pack includes:

· The Samuel Louis Sugarman Award — a 2021 United States Mint Proof Set

· A one-year subscription to Britannica Online Premium

· A one-year subscription to Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online, the official dictionary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee