Ambystoma. A-M-B-Y-S-T-O-M-A.
That was the word Roy Seligman, 12, from Nassau, The Bahamas had to spell Thursday night at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. But after he spelled the word, judges at the annual competition had to review an audio recording of his spelling to officially determine whether he spelled the word with an I instead of a Y
At first, the judges told the boy he was correct before opting to review the audio of his spelling. But after the review, they determined that Seligman misspelled the word by using an I.
After being eliminated from the competition, Seligman said he messed up, but he was proud of himself for making it to the finals.
Zaila Avant-garde Becomes 1st African-American To Win US Spelling Bee Zaila Avant-garde Becomes 1st African-American To Win US Spelling Bee Scripps National Spelling Bee: Zaila Avant-garde spelt Murraya - a genus of tropical Asiatic and Australian trees having pinnate leaves and flowers to win the competition and USD 50,000 prize money. The 8th-grader the first African-American to win the title in the competition s 93-year history.
Zaila Avant-garde is also a basketball prodigy holding three Guinness World Records
Washington:
Zaila Avant-garde, a 14-year-old basketball prodigy, has won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee, becoming the first African-American contestant to win in 93 editions of the prestigious competition.
Primary Content
Caption The 2019 Scripps Spelling Bee co-champions hold up their trophy at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md. After pausing in 2020, the competition is back on this year. The finals are Thursday night in Orlando, Fla.
Updated July 8, 2021 at 4:12 PM ET
Last year, fans of the popular Scripps Spelling Bee were distraught when the coronavirus spelled an unceremonious end to the 2020 competition. But this year, the game has returned, with special guest Jill Biden attending the Orlando, Fla., event.
Eleven finalists out of more than 200 of the nation s b-e-s-t spellers will take to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney Resort on Thursday in pursuit of academic prestige and a $50,000 cash prize.
Teen Zaila Avant-garde, 14, becomes first black girl winner of National Spelling Bee after spelling ‘murraya’ correctly
M.L. Nestel
Updated: 1:25 ET, Jul 9 2021
A TEENAGE spelling phenom made history on Thursday by becoming the first black female winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee - after nailing a crazy final word.
Zaila Avant-garde, 14, of Harvey, Louisiana, dominated the near-century-old competition and was treated to a ticker-tape shower on stage after correctly spelling the word murraya in the last round.
8
Zaila Avant-garde of Harvey, Louisiana made history becoming the first African American to win the 96th Scripps National Spelling BeeCredit: Reuters
8
Zaila coasted to victory lane correctly spelling the word “Murraya” which is a genus of tropical Asiatic and Australian trees.Credit: Getty
Zaila Avant-garde, 14, wins 93rd Scripps National Spelling Bee title with correct spelling of Murraya Steve Gardner, USA TODAY
Replay Video UP NEXT
As one of the top 8th grade basketball players in the United States, Zaila Avant-garde should be quite familiar with the concept of survive and advance.
Now, the 14-year-old from Harvey, Louisiana, knows just what it s like to have her one shining moment.
Zaila prevailed in the final round over 12-year-old Chaitra Thummala of Frisco, Texas, by correctly spelling the word Murraya – a genus of tropical Asiatic and Australian trees having pinnate leaves and flowers.
Zaila outlasted a field of 11 finalists to win the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee title and the first-place prize of $50,000 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. In the process, she became the first Louisiana resident and the first African-American to win the title in the competition s 93-year history.