Scripps National Spelling Bee: 5 North Texas students advance to quarterfinals
DALLAS - Five North Texas students have made it through the preliminary round of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
What we know:
This is the 98th year for the competition, which is being held this year from Tuesday through Thursday at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.
There are a total of 247 spellers competing from across the country.
Local perspective:
Five students from North Texas advanced to the quarterfinal round. They include:
- Benjamin Pearson, a 7th grader at the Katherine Johnson Technology Magnet Academy in DeSoto
- Avishka Dudala, an 8th grader at Rogers Middle School in Prosper
- Krish Manjunath, an 8th grader at Coppell Middle School East in Coppell
- Luke Sturlin, an 8th grader at Kerr Middle School in Burleson
- Bidhaan Bhattarai, a 5th grader at the Harmony School of Innovation in Euless
The 2025 champion was Faizan Zaki, a Plano ISD student who lives in Allen. He took home a $50,000 grand prize and bragging rights after spelling the word "éclaircissement" correctly.
North Texan, 13, wins $50,000 grand prize in Scripps National Spelling Bee
A teenaged North Texan has won the Scripps National Spelling Bee, securing the $50,000 grand prize and bragging rights for his home town of Allen.
What's next:
The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds will be held on Wednesday.
The finals are on Thursday night.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the Scripps National Spelling Bee website.