Mankato’s Elijah Elledge, a 12-year-old sixth grader from Immanuel Lutheran School, made it to the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee this week in Washington, D.C., but has been eliminated.
Elledge was eliminated during the first round of competition Tuesday. He misspelled the word “Aitutakian,” his mother Beki Elledge said.
Nine Minnesota participants made it to the bee, which began with 245 spellers competing.
The Elledge family took Elijah to Topgolf in National Harbor and on The Capital Wheel, an enclosed Ferris wheel, near the water to celebrate his achievement, his mother said.
They’re also enjoying the “Bee Week experience,” she said, noting they’re participating in fun activities such as trolley tours of D.C., a Bee Week Bash on Friday, and a Memorial Day picnic at Audi Field, which was complete with food, games and jugglers.