Three Menifee students entered in county spelling bee

Aisha Randhawa (left) won her first spelling bee title in 2016. At right is Santa Fe Kiler, who was a seventh grader at Menifee Valley Middle School when he placed third that year. File photo

Three students from Menifee schools will participate in the Riverside County Spelling Bee Feb. 28.

A total of 28 students from Riverside County charter schools, private schools, and school districts will compete at the 41st spelling bee beginning at 9 a.m. at the Moreno Valley Conference and Recreation Center.

Local participants are Ben Del Rio, a fifth grader at Herk Bouris Elementary School; Elijah Tran, a fifth grader at Boulder Ridge Elementary School; and Danielle Paisley, an eighth grader at Santa Rosa Academy.

The winner of the bee will earn a spot in the 91st Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee in Maryland from May 27 through June 2.

Danielle Paisley will be making her second consecutive appearance in the spelling bee. Elijah Tran said he entered the bee, in part, because "one of my teachers died and he really believed I could go all the way."

Aisha Randhawa, a seventh grader at Auburndale Intermediate School in the Corona-Norco Unified School District, returns after winning the event the last two years.

Alternates from Menifee are Ruben Agpalo, seventh grader at Menifee Valley Middle School in the Menifee Union School District; William Johnson, seventh grader at Ethan A. Chase Middle School in the Romoland School District; and Divy Nallamothu, fourth grader at Santa Rosa Academy.