By Tennie Sumague
EBC New York Bureau
OXON HILL, MARYLAND (Eagle News) – Spelling bee competitions leave vivid memories for any school kid. For 12-year-old Ananya Vinay of Fresno, California, spelling the word “marocain”, a dress fabric made out of silk or wool or a combination won her $40,000 and was crowned 2017 National Scripps Spelling Bee champion Thursday night.
“It’s like a dream come true. I am so happy right now”, she said in front of a crowd at the Maryland Ballroom in the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center outside of Washington D.C.
Vinay beat out 14-year old Rohan Rajeev, an eighth grader from Edmond, Oklahoma after the two battled 20 rounds of spelling competition until Rajeev misspelled “marram”, a type of beach grass to seal the victory for the sixth grade Indian-American student.
Vinay’s victory marked the first time in three years that the prestigious spelling bee, now in its 90th year of competition had a declared sole winner. The past three years of competition had co-champions, adding the need of a tiebreaker test this year.
The competition has been predominantly won by an Indian-American for the 13th consecutive year. ESPN Sportscenter and National Spelling Bee anchor Kevin Negandhi, the first Indian-American sportscaster, dubbed the event as the “Indian-American Super Bowl”.
The star of the event, however, goes to six-year old Edith Fuller of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The home-schooled kindergartener became the youngest speller to compete. Fuller correctly spelled “tapas” and “nyctinasty” but failed to advance to the final round.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee first started in 1925 to help promote literacy, making the event the largest and longest educational promotion in the nation.
(Eagle News Service)