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Herbert Hoover Middle School student Ananya Gautam finished this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee tied for 12th place on Sunday, besting her previous performance by 39 places.
Ananya Gautam, a 14-year-old eighth-grader, returned to the Bee this year after placing 51st in 2019. The competition was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19.
In an interview before the quarterfinals this month, she said her main goal was to move on past that round. She did, and then some.
When the competition began, more than 200 spellers from across the country were competing. In the semifinals on Sunday, there were 30, including Ananya.
On Sunday, she correctly spelled one word: “sponson,” which is the structure outside the hull of a vessel to give added stability or protection for paddle wheels.