Ananya Vinay, 12, of Fresno, Calif., is this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee champion after out-dueling Rohan Rajeev, 14, of Edmond, Okla., in Round 20 of 25 possible championship rounds. Ananya spelled the words “gifblaar” and “marocain” to walk away with the victory. After Ananya spelled the contest-winning words correctly and was announced the winner, she burst into tears, and her family rushed to the stage to congratulate her.
Scripps National Spelling Bee 2017 results: Ananya Vinay is this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion
Ananya Vinay, from Fresno, Calif., spelled the words “gifblaar” and “marocain” correctly to take home the national championship.
Jack Gruber-USA TODAY NETWORK
The championship featured Rajeev, Ananya, and Mira Dedhia, 13, of Western Springs, Ill. Dedhia misspelled the word “Ehretia” in the first of the championship rounds.
Rajeev and Ananya showcased their talents by spelling difficult words with ease and composure. However, after Rajeev misspelled the word “marram” in Round 20, Ananya went 2-for-2 on her next words to win.
As this year’s champion, Ananya will earn $40,000, and Rajeev, the runner-up, will earn $30,000. Ananya will also receive a Scripps National Spelling Bee engraved trophy, a $2,500 U.S. savings bond, a trip to New York City to appear on LIVE with Kelly and Ryan, and a complete reference library from Merriam-Webster.
See More:
