14-year-old Avant-garde Wins Scripps Spelling Bee
New Orleans-native Zaila Avant-garde became the first African American to ever win the National Spelling Bee yesterday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World. She also became the first person from the Pelican state to win the annual competition.
It was the smile and twirls for us! After tying for 370th place in 2019, #Speller133 Zaila Avant-garde wins the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Congrats to all of our spellers. We’re proud of everyone’s poise and courage in facing the dictionary. #SpellingBee #TheBeeIsBack pic.twitter.com/wHfYeU4CNl
— Scripps National Spelling Bee (@ScrippsBee) July 9, 2021
A Win to Remember
The 14-year-old Speller #133 won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee in the 18th round. To win, she correctly spelled “Murraya.” According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, murraya is a “a genus of tropical Asiatic and Australian trees having pinnate leaves and flowers with imbricated petals.”
Image Credit: Heather Harvey / Scripps / ESPN Images
“It felt like really good to become a winner simply because of the fact that I’ve been like working on it for like two years and then to finally have it like the best possible outcome was really good,” Avant-garde said in an interview on “Good Morning America” that aired this morning.
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First Lady Dr. Jill Biden also attended the competition to celebrate the teenager’s win. Herself a teacher, Dr. Biden often champions causes focused on education and attended the Bee in 2009 as well.
Photo Source: CBS News
As the winner of the competition, Avant-garde received a $50,000 cash prize from Scripps as well as the Scripps Cup, the official championship trophy. She also won a $2,500 cash prize from Merriam-Webster as well as a reference library. Encylcopedia Britannica provided $400 in reference materials and a three-year subscription to their online services.
Credit: Scripps National Spelling Bee
Avant-garde’s Other Interests
In 2019, the brilliant Avant-garde placed 370th in the annual national competition. An avid basketball player, Avant-garde holds three Guiness World Records.
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A Close Competition
Avant-garde defeated hundreds of other challengers to claim this year’s title. The Bay Area Regional Spelling Bee found its competitor in Chaitra Thummala of Frisco, Texas. Bhavani Madini represented the NYC Regional Spelling Bee and placed third. Both took home cash prizes.
Feature Image: Twitter/@ScrippsBee
