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Hayden 7th grader makes it to top 50 in Scripps National Spelling Bee

Joseph Moran first won a North Idaho regional spelling bee in Coeur d'Alene, eventually becoming one of four young spellers from Idaho to compete at nationals.

HAYDEN, Idaho — How well can you spell? Chances are good Joseph Moran, 12, of Hayden may have an edge on you.

The seventh grader is currently enjoying some downtime at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. To get there, Moran first won a North Idaho regional spelling bee in Coeur d'Alene, eventually becoming one of four young spellers from Idaho to compete at nationals. Moran and his mother's trip to D.C. was sponsored by the Coeur d'Alene Press. 

Moran's spelling, however, was clean enough to send him to the finals portion of the national competition. He eventually became one of the final 50 contestants. To make it that far, Moran's mother, Sally Moran, said her her son also had to pass a challenging written test.

"I was the first one from North Idaho that has ever advanced to the finals," said Moran over a phone interview on Thursday.

Unfortunately, Moran's run came to an end Thursday morning after misspelling ‘cyclamen,’ a genus of flower.

Regardless, Moran's mother expressed pride in Joseph's trip to finals and his journey to make it there. 

"He's studied really, really hard. We've prayed a lot," said Sally. 

As of the spelling competition itself, Sally described the bees as stressful. 

"It's very nerve-wracking. I'm probably more nervous than he is," she said. "He actually does pretty well under pressure."

Joseph, when asked about spelling in front of crowds and cameras, appeared unfazed by the pressure. 

"That kind of thing tends to affect a lot of people, but it's never really had an effect on me," he said. "I've always been pretty able to just ignore all the lights and cameras and just focus on the pronouncer and the word he's giving me."

The Morans say they plan to hang around the Scripps competition for another day before flying home on Saturday. Before that, they'll attend a banquet hosted by Scripps for the national contestants. 

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