Yahoo Finance 3 Charlotte-area spellers aim for victory at Scripps National Spelling Bee quarterfinals
V-I-C-T-O-R-Y. Language of origin: Latin. Definition: what three Charlotte-area students will be vying for during the Scripps National Spelling Bee beginning on Tuesday.
Rishidharan Jayakumar, 12, and Sreethan Gajula, 14, and James Dover, 14, are among more than 200 participants in the Bee’s quarterfinals. The middle school students bested eight others from North Carolina in the preliminary round on June 12.
Charlotte-area Bee participants
Rishidharan Jayakumar: The youngest of the three spellers, Rishidharan is a sixth-grade student at the Brawley School in Mooresville with a love for math and reading. According to his bio provided by Scripps, he mastered the abacus at 4 years old and has read the Harry Potter series in full 20 times.
Sreethan Gajula: Sreethan is in eighth grade at Marvin Ridge Middle School in Waxhaw and is no stranger to academic competitions. At Marvin Ridge, he has competed in First Lego League, Science Olympiads and the National Science Foundation. Gajula also cares deeply about environmentalism, especially in regards to the usage, recycling and decomposition of plastic.
James Dover: The final competitor is certainly no stranger to the world of spelling. While he is now in eighth grade, James tied for 51st place in the 2019 Bee. Outside the world of vocabulary, he spends the majority of his free time playing tennis. James and his brothers even brought the Abilities Tennis program to their hometown of Belmont.
What’s new at the Bee?
The Scripps National Spelling Bee has undergone a few changes throughout the past few years, from a record-breaking eight spellers being crowned victors in 2019 to the 2020 competition being canceled due to COVID-19. This year’s competition will look a little different.
A new category, “Word Meanings,” will require spellers to orally select the correct multiple choice answer to vocabulary questions read by the pronouncer. For this section of the competition, questions have been prepared by noted linguist Ben Zimmer, the language columnist for The Wall Street Journal.
Additionally, this year’s quarterfinals and semifinals will be virtual. Should Rishidharan, Sreethan and James advance to the finals on July 8, they will have the chance to show off their skills in person at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida — not the traditional venue in Washington, D.C. In Orlando, the top 10-12 spellers will compete face-to-face until one is crowned winner or the pool of competition words is exhausted.
Scripps National Spelling Bee Quarterfinals
When: Tuesday, June 15, 12-6 p.m.
Where: ESPN3
More info: www.spellingbee.com
