COLUMBUS, Ohio-At the 96th Scripps National Spelling Bee held near Washington, D.C., 245 spellers from all 50 states and various countries will compete, marking the largest group in five years. Among them is 13-year-old Oviya Amalraj from Virginia, aiming to improve her 23rd place finish from last year.
Oviya, a black belt in tae kwon do, hopes to apply her martial arts skills to excel in the competition. Another participant, Ethan Dunlap from North Carolina, is also a musician and first-time speller, excited to showcase his spelling abilities. The spelling bee begins with the preliminary round, followed by quarterfinals and semifinals before the final round on Thursday.
