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Scripps Spelling Bee 2021: Zaila Avant-garde Wins
Last Updated
July 8, 2021, 10:00 p.m. ETJuly 8, 2021, 10:00 p.m. ET
Zaila Avant-garde, the winner of the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee.Credit.Scott McIntyre for The New York Times
The last few words were rattled off in a swift spelling duel, with only two finalists still on the stage, Chaitra Thummala and Zaila Avant-garde.
First was
fewtrils (things of little value), which Chaitra, a 12-year-old who just finished sixth grade in San Francisco, got right. Then
retene (a chemical isolated especially from pine tar, rosin oil and various fossil resins but usually prepared from abietic acid), which Zaila got right. And finally
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AP Photo/John Raoux
Eighth-grader Zaila Avant-garde won the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, becoming the first African American champion in the competition s history.
One year after the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancelation of the annual tournament and two years after eight contestants were named co-champions, the native of Louisiana correctly spelled the word Murraya a type of tree to claim this year s title and the $50,000 prize that comes with it.
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Zaila Avant-garde is the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion! pic.twitter.com/eNsy35ctcW
Standing in the same room at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, where the 2020 NBA Finals were held, the aspiring WNBA star battled past a final field of 11 contestants from around the country and the Bahamas en route to the title.
USA TODAY
As one of the top 8th grade basketball players in the United States, Zaila Avant-garde should be quite familiar with the concept of survive and advance.
Now, the 14-year-old from Harvey, Louisiana, knows just what it s like to have her one shining moment.
Zaila prevailed in the final round over 12-year-old Chaitra Thummala of Frisco, Texas, by correctly spelling the word Murraya – a genus of tropical Asiatic and Australian trees having pinnate leaves and flowers.
Zaila outlasted a field of 11 finalists to win the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee title and the first-place prize of $50,000 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. In the process, she became the first Louisiana resident and the first African-American to win the title in the competition s 93-year history.
Zaila Avant-garde, 14, wins 93rd Scripps National Spelling Bee title with correct spelling of Murraya Steve Gardner, USA TODAY
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As one of the top 8th grade basketball players in the United States, Zaila Avant-garde should be quite familiar with the concept of survive and advance.
Now, the 14-year-old from Harvey, Louisiana, knows just what it s like to have her one shining moment.
Zaila prevailed in the final round over 12-year-old Chaitra Thummala of Frisco, Texas, by correctly spelling the word Murraya – a genus of tropical Asiatic and Australian trees having pinnate leaves and flowers.
Zaila outlasted a field of 11 finalists to win the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee title and the first-place prize of $50,000 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida. In the process, she became the first Louisiana resident and the first African-American to win the title in the competition s 93-year history.