The Scripps National Spelling Bee ended with two champions for the third consecutive year Thursday, when a fifth-grader and a seventh-grader lifted the winner's cup into the air.
Nihar Janga, 11, of Austin, Texas, and Jairam Hathwar, 13, of Painted Post, New York, will each take home $40,000 in
cash and prices after tying for first place, USA Today reported.
Jairam’s final word was “Feldenkrais," a system of aided body movements. Nihar's final word was “gesellschaft,” a type of social relationship.
“I’m just speechless,” Nihar said, according to USA Today. “I’m only in the fifth grade.”
He is the youngest contestant ever to
win the event, The Associated Press reported.
Rather than asking for definitions, he wowed audiences by demonstrating his knowledge of words including "appetitost" — "Is this a cheese?" — and "taoiseach" — "Is this an Irish
prime minister?" The Washington Post noted.
Jairam's older brother, Sriram Hathwar, was a co-champion in 2014.
During the tense final rounds, Jairam twice misspelled a word, but Nihar also misspelled words during those same rounds, giving Jairam a chance to stay in the event.
"I wasn't expecting this,"
Jairam said, according to the spelling bee website. "I dreamed about winning this bee and it finally came true. It's just amazing."
Jairam is interested in golf and politics and hopes to attend Harvard University and become a
physician, according to his bio on the website. He tied for 22nd place in last year's National Spelling Bee.
Nihar is interested in football and video games and hopes to be a neurosurgeon.
The 89th annual bee started Tuesday with 284 contestants.
The 10 finalists ranged in age from 11 to 14, with four of them appearing in the
event for the first time, NPR reported.
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