Governor Corbett Congratulates National Spelling Bee Champion and Third-Place Winner, Both from Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG, Pa., June 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Tom Corbett today congratulated Sukanya Roy, the Pennsylvania eighth grader who won the 84th Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Roy, 14, of South Abington Township, Lackawanna County won top honors and more than $40,000 in cash and prizes late Thursday. Her winning word was "cymotrichous," which relates to having wavy hair.

"Sukanya Roy's hard-won victory is a testament to the power of determination and a refusal to quit," Corbett said. "This marked her third trip to the National Spelling Bee, and Pennsylvanians everywhere are proud of our national champion and her achievement."

Roy, known to friends as "Sue," tied for 12th place in 2009 and finished 20th last year. She is a student at Abington Heights Middle School in Clarks Summit.

Governor Corbett also congratulated another Pennsylvania student, Joanna Ye, of Carlisle, Cumberland County, who finished third. She fell out of the running when she misspelled the word "galoubet."

Joanna, 14, is an eighth grader in the Carlisle Area School District. She placed fifth in last year's spelling bee.

The competition started with 275 spellers.

Media contact:  Kevin Harley, 717-783-1116

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor

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