Spelling Bee ends in unprecedented 8-way tie
In the most extraordinary ending in the 94-year history of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, a record eight spellers were crowned co-champions Thursday after each correctly spelled a word in the 20th and final round.
Rishik Gandhasri, Erin Howard, Saketh Sundar, Shruthika Padhy, Sohum Sukhatankar, Abhijay Kodali, Christopher Serrao and Rohan Raja spelled the final 47 words correctly, going through five consecutive perfect rounds at Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, Maryland.
Each speller will receive a Scripps Cup and $50,000 cash prize from Scripps.
Sixteen spellers advanced to the night finals, going 121-for-129.
The breakdown of the final word each spelled correctly was as follows:
Gandhasri: Auslaut
Howard: Eerysipelas
Sundar: Bougainvillea
Padhy: Aiguillette
Sukhatankar: Pendeloque
Kodali: Palama
Serrao: Cernuous
Raja: Odylic
The Associated Press contributed to this report.