I e-mailed Dr. Jatinder Bhatia, who among other things is vice chairman for research of the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical College of Georgia. These were inter-school championships where the students were selected on a competitive basis and then sent for the competition, usually sponsored by the Rotary Club. And spelling English is about as easy as understanding English. Gentlemen of the jury, I present my case for American English - the language of exceptions. Eggplants have no egg.
Hamburgers have no ham and pineapples have neither apple or pine.
Quicksand works slowly. Teachers have taught, but preachers haven't praught. The plural of tooth is teeth, but the plural of booth isn't beeth. I say fat chance. Or slim chance.