OXON HILL (Maryland): Eight young super spellers humbled the dictionary to be crowned co-winners of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, in what officials said was exceptional since the inception of the US word contest in 1925. Each winner received a $50,000 prize and a trophy. The contestants simply could not be separated after a marathon session. "We’re throwing the dictionary at you, and, so far, you are showing the dictionary who’s boss," the bee’s pronouncer, Jacques Bailly, told the finalists.
More than 11 million students participated in this year’s National Spelling Bee, ranging in age from seven to 15 and hailing from all 50 US states, overseas territories and six other countries: the Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan and South Korea. Officials say that while there have been co-champions in the past, there have never been eight.
As the tension mounted, the young scholars worked out the correct order of vowels and consonants in words such as bougainvillea, a type of climbing plant; aiguillette, braided loops hanging on a military uniform shoulder; and pendeloque, a diamond or gemstone cut in a pear shape.
Officials announced a rule change as all remaining children notched up every answer declaring all remaining spellers at the end of Round 20 will win, “It was a decision made earlier today,” said bee director Paige Kimball, who won the bee in 1981. By the midnight, eight were competing.
“They have a lot of grit,” said Kimball. “Most of them will tell you they have been working on this for years ... they are just the top of the top, clearly.” The eight winners have decided to call themselves “octochamps.” The trophy holders are six boys and two girls hail from six states: Rishik Gandhasri, 13, San Francisco; Erin Howard, 14, Birmingham, Alabama; Saketh Sundar, 13, Columbia, Maryland; Shruthika Padhy, 13, Cherry Hill, New Jersey; Sohum Sukhatankar, 13, Dallas; Abhijay Kodali, 12, Dallas; Christopher Serrao, 13, Allentown, Pennsylvania; and Rohan Raja, 13, Dallas.
"I’m just really in shock that this happened," Sundar said. Another winner, Serrao, said, "I think all of us were rooting for each other." Kodali, the youngest of the group said, "It feels amazing that I’m here with all these amazing spellers.”
