Saturday marks the 34th annual Douglas County Spelling Bee. Twenty-four school district winners representing fifth through eighth-grades will take the stage in the Wildlife Safari auditorium, attempting to earn the title of the county's best speller.

Each contestant has advanced through classroom and school district competitions and will receive a trophy for reaching the county level. The four finalists will receive additional trophies, and the last speller standing at the end of the Douglas County Spelling Bee will win a computer.

The spellers represent 17 public schools, two private schools and one home school. Three students are competing for the third consecutive year: Fremont Middle School seventh-grader Adhvyath Dudala,

home-schooled seventh-grader Kelsi Miller and Winston Middle School eighth-grader Eli Garrard. Joseph Lane Middle School seventh-grader Gillian Gauer is competing for the second consecutive

year.

Umpqua Community College Professor Jillanne Michell will pronounce the words for the spellers. News-Review Editor Vicki Menard will serve as master of ceremonies. The judges will be volunteer Gini

Larson and News-Review employees Cheryl Lumley and Donna Voth. The event coordinator is Amy Holmgren from The News-Review.

The following students will compete:

Cole Barnes, an eighth-grader at Lincoln Middle School in Oakland; Travis Beam, a sixth-grader at West Intermediate School in Sutherlin; Isaiah Bernier, a fifth-grader at Hucrest Elementary School in Roseburg; Shantelle Canete, a fifth-grader at Canyonville Elementary School; Lauren Cantrell, a fifth-grader at Glide Elementary School; Adhvyth Dudala, a seventh-grader at Fremont Middle School in Roseburg; Eli Garrard, an eighth-grader at Winston Middle School; Gillian Gauer, a seventh-grader at Joseph Lane Middle School in Roseburg; Cameron Gelo, a sixth-grader at Fremont Middle School in Roseburg; Shantelle Graves, an eighth-grader at Coffenbery Middle School in Myrtle Creek; Chiquita Hastings, a fifth-grader at Fir Grove Elementary School in Roseburg; Taylor Kuntz, a sixth-grader at West Intermediate School in Sutherlin; Kelsi Miller, a seventh-grade home schooler; Kendra Myers, a fifth-grader at McGovern Elementary School in Winston; Quaid Quisenberry, a fifth-grader at Umpqua Valley Christian School; Owen Richey, a seventh-grader at Yoncalla Middle School; Shawna Rogers, a sixth-grader at West Intermediate School in Sutherlin; Zack Schissler, a sixth-grader at Melrose Christian School; Brittany Shepherd, an eighth-grader at Joseph Lane Middle School in Roseburg; C.J. Scougale, a sixth-grader at Lookingglass Elementary School; Hunter Sparks, a fifth-grader at Melrose Elementary School; Riley Westbrooks, a fifth-grader at Tri City Elementary School; Julian Wood, a fifth-grader at Fullerton Elementary School in Roseburg; Ston Yackamouih, a sixth-grader at Riddle.

• This story was updated April 18, 2011, to correct the spelling of a student's name.