The 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee, after 20 rounds, was unable to declare a single winner, so eight students were declared co-winners on May 30 in Washington, D.C.
Ties in the National Bee were unprecedented in the competition’s 92-year-old history. However, bee officials announced before beginning the 18th round that in the event that the remaining students all made it through round 20, they would all be co-champions.
Three Dallas area students were among the eight victors: Sohum Sukhatankara, Abhijay Kodali, and Rohan Raja. Sukhatankara, a 13-year-old resident of Dallas, was the first of the three to become a co-winner by spelling “pendeloque”. Kodali was next, with the 12-year-old student from Flower Mound correctly spelling “palama”. Irving’s Raja, 13, became the final co-champion by spelling “odylic”.
Banner printing and other techniques are frequently employed to announce an achievement in a variety of organizations or institutions, including schools and municipalities.
The Lone Star State has an impressive history with the Scripps National Spelling Bee. In addition to this year’s three co-champions, so far during the 21st Century Texas, has laid claim to four other winners, including last year’s winner, Karthik Nemmani from McKinney.
Each of this year’s co-champions will receive the full cash prize of $50,000 and a replica Scripps National Spelling Bee trophy for their spellbinding efforts.
