Bio: Neelagaru, Suresh (Wins Spelling Contest - 1983)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Neelagaru, Boss, Schelling, Auman

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 4/21/1983

Neelagaru, Suresh (Wind Spelling Contest - 1983)

Suresh Neelagaru, and eighth grade student at the Neillsville Middle School, is not suffering from the heart break of psoriasis. Unlike his closest competitor, Todd Boss, of Fall Creek, Neelagaru correctly spelled the word “ psoriasis” and then spelled the word “cashew” to win the Regional Spelling Bee at Gilman High School, Thursday, April 7.

Both Neelagaru and Boss will now participate in the Statewide Spelling Bee at Madison, April 30.

A total of 32 students from 23 different school districts competed in the regional event. Neelagaru defeated Boss after nearly an hour of head to head competition.

Alternates for the state meet will be Jackie Schelling, Abbotsford, and Ron Auman, Spencer. They are also eighth graders.

Neelagaru is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Narasimhula Neelagaru, 110 Park Street, Neillsville.

The regional contest was sponsored by the Cooperative Educational Service Agency (CESA) No. 6. The state spelling bee will be sponsored by the Wisconsin State Journal.