HOUSTON (TIP): Harini Logan, a 14-year-old Indian American eighth-grader from Texas, barely took a breath as she correctly spelled 22 words during a marathon, first-of-its-kind 90-second spell-off to win the 2022 Scripps National Spelling Bee, beating Vikram Raju in the prestigious contest where children of Indian origin have ruled the roost.
Logan, who took home the USD 50,000 cash prize and Scripps Cup trophy on top of awards from Merriam-Webster and Encyclopedia Britannica, was declared champion on Thursday night after she was reinstated by the judges in the final round.
She spelled 22 out of 26 words correctly, while Raju, a 12-year-old boy from Denver, got 15 out of 19 words right during the first-of-its-kind spell-off, a format that tested the contestants on how many words they could correctly spell within 90 seconds. Vihaan Sibal, a 13-year-old from Texas, finished third, while Saharsh Vuppala, a 13-year-old eighth grader from Washington, was fourth.
Tag: Harini Logan
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Indian American Harini Logan is Spelling Bee Champ
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2021 Virtual Regionals and Finals Conclude for South Asian Spelling Bee
METUCHEN, NJ (TIP): The South Asian Spelling Bee (www.southasianspellingbee.com) concluded its quest for the best speller in the country, by successfully ending yet another virtual season of the program. Six virtual regionals and finals were conducted within the past four weeks.
Spellers from across the country participated in the Houston, TX, Dallas, TX, Seattle, WA, Raleigh, NC, Edison, NJ, and Fremont, CA virtual regional centers and as usual the Bee attracted some top talent in the circuit.
Virtual Finals pic: National Champion – Sahasrad Sathish of Grayslake, IL
Runner Up – Akshainie Kamma of Round Rock, TXAt the 2021 Virtual Finals, Sahasrad Sathish, 12, of Grayslake, IL was the national champion and Akshainie Kamma, 13, of Round Rock, TX was the first runner up.
Houston pic: Champion – Ishika Varipilli of Spring, TX
Runner Up – Yash Ganesh of Tulsa, OKIn Houston, Ishika Varipilli, 11, of Spring, TX was the regional champion and Yash Ganesh, 9, of Tulsa, OK was the first runner up.
Dallas pic: Champion – Michael Kolagani of Austin, TX
Runner up – Rishi Nemmani of McKinney, TXIn Dallas, Michael Kolagani, 13, of Austin, TX was the regional champion and Rishi Nemmani, 12, of McKinney, TX was the first runner up.
Seattle pic: Co-Champion – Pranav Chandar of Newburgh, IN Co-Champion – Saharsh Vuppala of Bellevue, WA In Seattle, Pranav Chandar, 13, of Newburgh, IN and Saharsh Vuppala, 13, of Bellevue, WA were the two co-champions.
Raleigh pic: Co-Champion – Akshita Balaji of Herndon, VA
Co-Champion – Maya Jadhav of Fitchburg, WIIn Raleigh, Akshita Balaji, 14, of Herndon, VA and Maya Jadhav, 13, of Fitchburg, Wisconsin, were the two co-champions.
Edison pic: Regional Champion – Akshainie Kamma of Round Rock, TX
Runner Up – Dev Shah of Seminole, FLIn Edison, Akshainie Kamma, 13, of Round Rock, TX was the regional champ and Dev Shah, 12, of Seminole, FL was the first runner up.
Fremont pic: Regional Champion – Harini Logan of Shavano Park, TX
Runner Up – Shradha Rachamreddy of San Jose, CAIn Fremont, Harini Logan, 13, of Shavano Park, TX was the regional champ and Shradha Rachamreddy, 11, of San Jose, CA was the first runner up.
The top two spellers of each regional competition advanced to the finals that was held virtually in Edison, NJ on August 6. Champion’s grand prize of $3,000 was awarded to the national winner Sahasrad Sathish at the finals. An initiative of the South Asian Engagement Foundation and managed by leading multicultural marketing firm Touchdown Media, the South Asian Spelling Bee is celebrating its 14th anniversary this year.
“Even with the competition going virtual, the raw talent of these spellers was on full display, said Bee Director Daisy Walia. “We are happy to provide a veritable platform for these spellers so they can showcase their spelling prowess”, she added.
“I applaud the efforts of the team and spellers for yet another successful season despite the odds, said Rahul Walia, Founder. “We are also very fortunate to have the support of the South Asian Engagement Foundation and Kawan Foods to help us bring the platform to the community in 2021.”
About South Asian Engagement Foundation: The South Asian Engagement Foundation (SAEF) has a mission to increase leadership potential in migrant communities by providing incentives using educational initiatives and civic engagements. SAEF’s vision is to continue supporting and organizing educational initiatives and cultural outreach to expand national awareness in migrant communities. To volunteer and donate, please visit www.saef-us.org
(Press Release)