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89th Scripps National Spelling Bee

{{Short description|Spelling bee held in the United States in 2016}}

{{Spelling bee

| name = 89th Scripps National Spelling Bee

| image = File:GaylordNationalResortFromRiver.jpg

| caption =

| date = May 24–26, 2016

| location = Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, National Harbor, Maryland

| winner = {{Bullet list|Jairam Hathwar|Nihar Janga} (co-winners)

| age = 13 (Hathwar)
11 (Janga)

| residence = Painted Post, New York (Hathwar)
Austin, Texas (Janga)

| sponsor = Corning Rotary Club (Hathwar)(10 March 2016). [http://www.the-leader.com/article/20160310/NEWS/160319967 Hathwar wins another trip to Scripps], The Leader (Corning)
Houston Public Media (Janga)(26 May 2016). [http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local-education/leander-isd-student-11-among-3-finalists-in-nation/nrTz2/ Leander ISD student, 11, named co-champion in National Spelling Bee], Austin American-StatesmanLevin, Matt (26 May 2016). [http://www.chron.com/news/education/article/Texas-fifth-bee-Nihar-Janga-spelling-youngest-7948575.php Texas 11-year-old Nihar Janga crowned co-champ at national spelling bee], Houston Chronicle

| papertown = Corning, New York (Hathwar)
Houston, Texas (Janga)

| word = Feldenkrais (Hathwar)
gesellschaft (Janga)

| contestants = 284

| pronouncer = Jacques Bailly

| Preceded by = 88th Scripps National Spelling Bee

| Followed by = 90th Scripps National Spelling Bee

}}

The 89th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland (its sixth year at this location) on May 24–26, 2016.[http://spellingbee.com/customer-service-center/scripps-national-spelling-bee/when-scripps-national-spelling-bee When is the Scripps National Spelling Bee?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123152227/http://www.spellingbee.com/customer-service-center/scripps-national-spelling-bee/when-scripps-national-spelling-bee |date=2012-11-23 }}, spellingbee.com, Retrieved 4 March 2016Porter, Toriano (4 March 2016). [http://www.lsjournal.com/2016/03/04/137742/spelling-bee-champ-upholds-family.html Spelling bee champ upholds family tradition], Lee's Summit Journal

Competition

The competition began with 284 contestants (143 boys and 141 girls), winnowed down from 11 million students who participated in local bees around the country.(19 May 2016). [http://www.theindychannel.com/news/national/the-nation-readies-for-the-2016-scripps-national-spelling-bee The nation readies for the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee], WRTV The age range of the spellers was 6 to 15, 70 of whom were making repeat appearances. 29 spellers were relatives of prior contestants. For the first time, a first-grader qualified, 6-year old Akash Vukoti of Texas.(26 May 2016). [https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2016/05/26/forty-five-spellers-remain-national-bee-moves-into-final-day/84965116/ National spelling bee moves into final day], USA Today

On Tuesday May 24, all contestants took a written test. Then, on May 25, 34 contestants were eliminated when they missed their first word in the first oral round, leaving 251 spellers.Theobald, Bill (25 May 2016). [https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/05/25/spellers-around-world-compete-scripps-national-spelling-bee/84911254/ 251 spellers survive in Scripps National Spelling Bee], USA Today By late on May 25, the field had been reduced to 171. After the written scores were added, the field was further reduced to 45 finalists.Theobald, Bill (26 May 2016). [https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016/05/25/spellers-around-world-compete-scripps-national-spelling-bee/84911254/ 171 survive in National Spelling Bee, but only 45 advance], USA Today[http://spellingbee.com/public/results/2016/finishers/html?type=semi Finalists (2016)], spellingbee.com, Retrieved 26 May 2016

The final rounds were held on May 26, beginning with the 45 finalists.(18 May 2016). [http://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2016/05/18/sportscenter-anchor-kevin-negandhi-to-host-finals-of-scripps-national-spelling-bee-on-espn412253/ ‘SportsCenter’ anchor Kevin Negandhi to host finals of Scripps National Spelling Bee on ESPN], American Bazaar After round 4, only 21 spellers were left, and after round 7 there were 10.[https://twitter.com/ScrippsBee/status/735895672185065472 Official Tweet], @scrippsbee ("Rd 7 ends w/10 #SpellingBee finalists! Watch LIVE on @espn @ 8PM! ...)

Notwithstanding efforts to avoid a third year running of inseparable co-winners (see below), Jairam Hathwar and Nihar Janga were declared co-champions after 24 championship rounds.Farrington, Dana (26 May 2016). [https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/05/26/479664617/meet-the-scripps-national-spelling-bee-top-10 Another Year, Another Impasse As 2 Win Scripps National Spelling Bee], The Two-Way, NPR, retrieved 26 May 2016Tumlty, Brian (27 May 2016). [http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2016/05/26/jairam-hathwar-makes-final-10-national-spelling-bee/84980366/ Painted Post seventh-grader Jairam Hathwar is national bee co-champion], Democrat and Chronicle

Co-champion Nihar Janga, at age 11, was the first winner since 2002 to win in his first appearance at the national bee.Nuckols, Ben (28 May 2016). [http://www.stardem.com/ap/entertainment/article_b67e327e-69e5-55a2-9d88-5cbb0f1cf6df.html National Spelling Bee co-champions include youngest ever], Associated Press Jairam Hathwar became the second sibling of a past champion (his brother Sriram Hathwar was co-champion in 2014) to win the competition.Associated Press (27 May 2016)[https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/15756953/scripps-national-spelling-bee-crowns-nihar-janga-jairam-hathwar-co-champions], "ESPN"

Thirteen-year old Snehaa Ganesh Kumar of Folsom, California placed third, falling on "usucapion" in the 16th round, the first championship round.Nuckols, Ben (27 May 2016). [http://bigstory.ap.org/article/1094ac6b92ce4817b26d61f0c2a27692/national-spelling-bee-ends-its-unlikeliest-tie-date National Spelling Bee ends in its unlikeliest tie to date], Associated PressMusal, Steve (27 May 2016). [http://dc.medill.northwestern.edu/blog/2016/05/27/california-teen-snehaa-ganesh-kumar-takes-third-in-spelling-bee/#sthash.vH8y352Z.dpbs California teen Snehaa Ganesh Kumar takes third in Spelling Bee], MedillDC Sylvie Lamontagne of Lakewood, Colorado, also 13, placed fourth, missing "chaoborine" in the 15th round. The final four outlasted all other competitors by a full four rounds. Other finalists, in order, included Smrithi Upadhyayula, Rutvik Gandhasri, Cooper Komatsu, Sreeniketh Vogoti, Mitchell Robson, and Jashun Paluru.

Changes this year

After two consecutive years where the Bee ended in a tie, it was announced in April 2016 that harder words would be used in the final rounds.Mele, Christopher (22 April 2016). [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/23/us/scripps-national-spelling-bee-new-rules.html Harder Words Await Competitors at National Spelling Bee], The New York Times

The first place prize this year was increased to $40,000 from $30,000, second to $30,000 and third to $20,000.

Word list championship round

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References

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{{Scripps National Spelling Bee}}

Category:Scripps National Spelling Bee competitions

Category:2016 in Maryland

Category:2016 in education

Category:May 2016 in the United States

Category:Oxon Hill, Maryland