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| 3 of This Year’s Spelling Bee Winners Are Friends From Dallas | 3 of This Year’s Spelling Bee Winners Are Friends From Dallas |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| When students from the Dallas area took the stage for a regional spelling bee this spring, the competition was so intense that officials ran out of words, had to resort to a written test and, in the end, decided to send three top spellers to nationals. | When students from the Dallas area took the stage for a regional spelling bee this spring, the competition was so intense that officials ran out of words, had to resort to a written test and, in the end, decided to send three top spellers to nationals. |
| That was just a preview of what was to come at the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday. In a dramatic ending on live television, the prestigious competition announced that it had begun to exhaust its most challenging words and, shortly after midnight, crowned the eight remaining contestants co-champions — including the three from the Dallas area. | That was just a preview of what was to come at the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday. In a dramatic ending on live television, the prestigious competition announced that it had begun to exhaust its most challenging words and, shortly after midnight, crowned the eight remaining contestants co-champions — including the three from the Dallas area. |
| [The National Spelling Bee, at a loss for words, honored eight champions.] | [The National Spelling Bee, at a loss for words, honored eight champions.] |
| The stunning twist was the first time the national bee, which in the past has experienced two-way ties, had seen such a logjam of competition. And it was the latest spelling victory for the Dallas region, which has emerged as something of a juggernaut in spelling in recent years. Last year, the top three finishers were all from Dallas suburbs. (The other winners this year were from Alabama, California, Maryland and New Jersey.) | The stunning twist was the first time the national bee, which in the past has experienced two-way ties, had seen such a logjam of competition. And it was the latest spelling victory for the Dallas region, which has emerged as something of a juggernaut in spelling in recent years. Last year, the top three finishers were all from Dallas suburbs. (The other winners this year were from Alabama, California, Maryland and New Jersey.) |
| The unusually high representation from one area was made possible, in part, by a new invitational program that allows more students from around the country to compete in the Scripps bee. And while some regions sponsor just one student for the national competition, the local sponsors in Dallas have begun to send more than one because of the many high-quality candidates in the region. | The unusually high representation from one area was made possible, in part, by a new invitational program that allows more students from around the country to compete in the Scripps bee. And while some regions sponsor just one student for the national competition, the local sponsors in Dallas have begun to send more than one because of the many high-quality candidates in the region. |
| It’s unclear what makes Dallas unique or whether the past two years were simply a fluke. But Valerie Miller, a spokeswoman for the Scripps National Spelling Bee, said families had taken notice. | It’s unclear what makes Dallas unique or whether the past two years were simply a fluke. But Valerie Miller, a spokeswoman for the Scripps National Spelling Bee, said families had taken notice. |
| “We’ve heard of some stories of families who move to the area knowing the competitiveness and the value the spelling competition is given in that area,” she said. | “We’ve heard of some stories of families who move to the area knowing the competitiveness and the value the spelling competition is given in that area,” she said. |
| Among this year’s eight champions, three live and attend schools in separate areas of the Dallas-Fort Worth region, a sprawling metroplex of more than seven million people. But they are no strangers. | Among this year’s eight champions, three live and attend schools in separate areas of the Dallas-Fort Worth region, a sprawling metroplex of more than seven million people. But they are no strangers. |
| The students — Abhijay Kodali, 12, of Flower Mound; Rohan Raja, 13, of Irving; and Sohum Sukhatankar, 13, of Dallas — have gotten to know one another through competitions and have formed a friendship that spans from spelling to video games. | The students — Abhijay Kodali, 12, of Flower Mound; Rohan Raja, 13, of Irving; and Sohum Sukhatankar, 13, of Dallas — have gotten to know one another through competitions and have formed a friendship that spans from spelling to video games. |
| When they see one another at contests, the boys often goof off together in their free time, said Rohan’s father, Raja Adaikalasamy. “They talk about video games, movies, ‘Hey what’s going on in your school?’ ‘This thing happened in my school,’” he said. | When they see one another at contests, the boys often goof off together in their free time, said Rohan’s father, Raja Adaikalasamy. “They talk about video games, movies, ‘Hey what’s going on in your school?’ ‘This thing happened in my school,’” he said. |
| He said the parents had gotten to know one another as well. “It’s very nice,” said Mr. Adaikalasamy, who works as a product manager for IBM. “You kind of relate to what each parent is doing and what they put into it, appreciating and recognizing. You just want everyone to do well.” | He said the parents had gotten to know one another as well. “It’s very nice,” said Mr. Adaikalasamy, who works as a product manager for IBM. “You kind of relate to what each parent is doing and what they put into it, appreciating and recognizing. You just want everyone to do well.” |
| “At the end of the day, these kids are not competing against each other,” he said. “They are just competing against the dictionary.” | “At the end of the day, these kids are not competing against each other,” he said. “They are just competing against the dictionary.” |
| [There are 472,000 words in the dictionary. That may not be enough.] | |
| But there is little time to socialize outside of competitions. Abhijay, a middle schooler who placed third in last year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee, told CNN in an interview on Friday that he studied four to five hours on weekdays and, during competition season, up to 10 hours on weekends. “A little more, just depending on if I had any homework,” he said. | But there is little time to socialize outside of competitions. Abhijay, a middle schooler who placed third in last year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee, told CNN in an interview on Friday that he studied four to five hours on weekdays and, during competition season, up to 10 hours on weekends. “A little more, just depending on if I had any homework,” he said. |
| At the Dallas Regional Spelling Bee in March, all three boys made it to the end, forcing a written test for 25 words. Abhijay got a perfect score; Rohan and Sohum each missed just one and tied for runner-up, according to the Dallas Sports Commission, which runs the regional bee. | At the Dallas Regional Spelling Bee in March, all three boys made it to the end, forcing a written test for 25 words. Abhijay got a perfect score; Rohan and Sohum each missed just one and tied for runner-up, according to the Dallas Sports Commission, which runs the regional bee. |
| The scores were so close that the Dallas Sports Commission and another local sponsor, Golden Chick restaurants, decided to pay for all three students to go to nationals in Maryland. “That was unprecedented,” said Andrew Dockrill, the event manager for the Dallas Regional Spelling Bee. | The scores were so close that the Dallas Sports Commission and another local sponsor, Golden Chick restaurants, decided to pay for all three students to go to nationals in Maryland. “That was unprecedented,” said Andrew Dockrill, the event manager for the Dallas Regional Spelling Bee. |
| A few days later, he said, the commission took the three boys and their families to a Dallas Mavericks basketball game, where they appeared on the Jumbotron together. | A few days later, he said, the commission took the three boys and their families to a Dallas Mavericks basketball game, where they appeared on the Jumbotron together. |
| In nearby Fort Worth, which has its own regional competition, this year’s contest went through more than 60 rounds and also ended with a written exam, according to WFAA, the local ABC affiliate. | In nearby Fort Worth, which has its own regional competition, this year’s contest went through more than 60 rounds and also ended with a written exam, according to WFAA, the local ABC affiliate. |
| In all, Texas sent 69 students to the national spelling bee this year out of the competition’s more than 500 contestants, more than any other state. A fourth student from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Hephzibah Sujoe, 13, was one of the final 16 contestants, but was edged out before the final eight were crowned winners. | In all, Texas sent 69 students to the national spelling bee this year out of the competition’s more than 500 contestants, more than any other state. A fourth student from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Hephzibah Sujoe, 13, was one of the final 16 contestants, but was edged out before the final eight were crowned winners. |
| Each of the eight remaining students earned $50,000 and a trophy. | Each of the eight remaining students earned $50,000 and a trophy. |
| In an interview on Friday, Rohan said he planned to save the money for college. But in the short term, he had his sights set on a cellphone. | In an interview on Friday, Rohan said he planned to save the money for college. But in the short term, he had his sights set on a cellphone. |
| “Earlier, I asked my mom like, ‘Mom, can you get me a phone?’” he recalled. “And she said, ‘If you can win the Scripps spelling bee, I’ll get you a phone.’ And then I did, so that worked well.” | “Earlier, I asked my mom like, ‘Mom, can you get me a phone?’” he recalled. “And she said, ‘If you can win the Scripps spelling bee, I’ll get you a phone.’ And then I did, so that worked well.” |
| Abhijay, who got a German shepherd after placing third in Scripps last year, was hoping for another dog, but his parents said their hands were full for now. Sohum is hoping to get a cat, The Dallas Morning News reported. | Abhijay, who got a German shepherd after placing third in Scripps last year, was hoping for another dog, but his parents said their hands were full for now. Sohum is hoping to get a cat, The Dallas Morning News reported. |
| All of the students said they were glad that they were able to win together. | All of the students said they were glad that they were able to win together. |
| “I’m really thankful I could have this experience,” Rohan said, “and it was really fun sharing it with them.” | “I’m really thankful I could have this experience,” Rohan said, “and it was really fun sharing it with them.” |