McLEAN, Va. (AP) - Nineteen Ohio students are competing in the annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, beginning at 9 a.m. today in Washington, D.C.
Only a dozen or so of the 293 spellers who have descended on the nation's capital this week will make it to finals on ABC, and a handful more will get past the written test and appear on the ESPN-televised semifinals earlier Thursday.
For most of the rest -- who might stand out as a bit dorky back home -- socialization trumps competition for the more than $40,000 in cash and prizes.
Spellers who've made it this far before say they've been looking forward to seeing all the friends they met at the bee in past years.
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