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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 DeSotoAvishka Dudala, an 8th grader at Rogers Middle School in ProsperKrish Manjunath, an 8th grader at Coppell Middle School East in CoppellLuke Sturlin, an 8th grader at Kerr Middle School in BurlesonBidhaan 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.
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.