Washington: Harini Logan, a 14-year-old Indian American from Texas, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee in a dramatic, unprecedented spell-off.
Harini, competing in the bee for the fourth time, correctly spelled 21 words in a rapid-fire 90-second burst at National Harbor in Maryland on Thursday night, outlasting runner-up Vikram Raju, 12, of Colorado who correctly spelled 15.
The spell-off followed several heart-stopping rounds during which neither contestant was able to prevail, according to media reports.
After she was announced the winner, Harini jubilantly held the trophy high over her head.
“This is just such a dream. I’m overwhelmed,” she said. “I just had to take a deep breath and tell myself that I just go out there and do my best and whatever happens, happens.”
Vikram fought back tears and struggled to take a breath as LeVar Burton, the competition’s host this year, asked: “Will we see you next year?”
The three-day competition, held fully in-person for the first time since 2019, drew students from around the country and a few from abroad. Most were middle-school age — the cutoff is eighth grade — but this week two were 7.
Many were first-time qualifiers, after winning local and regional bees; Harini and Vikram were veterans.
“When it got introduced last year, I was a bit terrified, to be honest,” Harini said. “I go slow. That’s my thing. I didn’t know how I would fare in that setting.”
Harini, one of the best-known spellers entering the bee and a crowd favorite for her poise and positivity, wins more than $50,000 in cash and prizes.
She is the fifth Scripps champion to be coached by Grace Walters, a former speller.
“I knew I just had to blurt off the spelling I could think of off the top of my head, and I just had to be a little faster,” said Vikram, a 12-year-old seventh-grader from Aurora, Colorado, who hopes to return next year.
Vihaan Sibal, a 13-year-old from McGregor, Texas, finished third and also has another year of eligibility. Saharsh Vuppala, a 13-year-old eighth-grader from Bellevue, Washington, was fourth.
Harini is Indian-American, resuming a trend that's persisted for two decades — 21 of the past 23 champions have had South Asian heritage. (UNI)
(Photo Source: Facebook/Scripps National Spelling Bee)