Arvind Mahankali, 13, of Bayside Hills, N.Y. hoists the championship trophy after winning the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Thursday, May 30, 2013.OXON HILL, Md. - Thirteen-year-old Arvind Mahankali of New York has won the Scripps National Spelling bee.
Mahankali correctly spelled his final word 'knaidel' to win the 86th version of the tournament that tests brain power, composure and, for the first time, knowledge of vocabulary.
He takes home $30,000 in cash and prizes along with a huge, cup-shaped trophy.
For the first time, competitors had to know the definitions of some of the words they spelled. The eleven finalists advanced from a field of 281 contenders based on a combination of a performance onstage and their performance on a computerized spelling and vocabulary tests.
He outlasted several spelling bee veterans to win.