OXON HILL, Md. (AP) – Ananya Vinay showed little emotion as she plowed through word after mystifying word in the final rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Later, as she stood beside the confetti-covered stage, the newly crowned champion flashed a toothy grin as she inadvertently revealed how much confidence she’d brought to the competition.
A Scripps representative told Ananya she’d have to deliver a speech during Friday’s closing ceremonies. That wouldn’t be a problem, Ananya said. She’d written the speech before she arrived at the bee.
“In the last few weeks,” the 12-year-old from Fresno, California, said. “Just to motivate me to study more.”
Ananya didn’t come into the bee as the most heralded speller, but she outclassed her better-known competitors and survived a long duel with 14-year-old Rohan Rajeev to win the 90th Scripps bee on Thursday. She’ll take home more than $40,000 in cash and prizes.
Ananya never looked all that impressed by the words she was given. She rarely took even half her allotted 2 minutes to spell. Sometimes she would blurt out questions in a near-monotone – “Part of speech?” ”Language of origin?” – and sometimes she didn’t even bother.