Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN News Today’s top headlines for May 30, 2023.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — They say everything is bigger in Texas, and that also goes for the number of Scripps National Spelling Bee champions native to the Lone Star State.
Data compiled by Bet Texas reported 15 winners from the national competition’s 95-year run hail from Texas. Ohio with nine winners and Pennsylvania with seven winners round out the Top 3.
- Texas: 15 winners
- Ohio: 9 winners
- Pennsylvania: 7 winners
- Colorado: 7 winners
- California: 6 winners
- Tennessee: 5 winners
- Kansas: 5 winners
- Kentucky: 4 winners
- Iowa: 4 winners
- Missouri: 4 winners
- Indiana: 3 winners
- Oklahoma: 3 winners
- New York: 3 winners
- New Jersey: 3 winners
- Nebraska: 2 winners
- Illinois: 2 winners
- Georgia: 2 winners
- North Carolina: 2 winners
- Alabama: 2 winners
- Virginia: 2 winners
- Florida: 2 winners
- Maine: 1 winner
- Massachusetts: 1 winner
- Michigan: 1 winner
- Arizona: 1 winner
- Washington: 1 winner
- Wisconsin: 1 winner
- Minnesota: 1 winner
- Louisiana: 1 winner
And this year’s competition could crown not only another Texan, but an Austinite as winner. Two Austin students — 14-year-old Shrethan Botla and Tarini Nandakumar, 12 — will vie to become the next Scripps champion.
In total, 21 students will represent the Lone Star State in this year’s competition:
- Sariah Titus: 5th grader from Abilene, Texas
- Jayden Zheng: 7th grader from Amarillo, Texas
- Shrethan Botla: 8th grader from Austin, Texas
- Tarini Nandakumar: 6th grader from Austin, Texas
- Jaxon Escobar: 5th grader from Corpus Christi, Texas
- Sriya Gomatam: 7th grader from Dallas, Texas
- Faizan Zaki: 5th grader from Dallas, Texas
- Arnav Tonde: 8th grader from El Paso, Texas
- Brihasa Veduru: 5th grader from Fort Worth, Texas
- Luke Nguyen: 6th grader from Houston, Texas
- Ishika Varipilli: 7th grader from Houston, Texas
- Kirsten Tiffany Santos: 7th grader from Houston, Texas
- Nathaniel Rimocal: 8th grader from Laredo, Texas
- Ava Flores: 5th grader from Lubbock, Texas
- Robbie Ortiz: 8th grader from McAllen, Texas
- Shwetha Jayakumar: 8th grader from Midland, Texas
- Siyona Kandala: 5th grader from New Braunfels, Texas
- Ajay Gundlapalli: 7th grader from Odessa, Texas
- Akash Vukoti: 8th grader from San Angelo, Texas
- Lucas Lee: 7th grader from Victoria, Texas
- Gabriella Chiang: 8th grader from Waco, Texas
The 2023 Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee will be held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Contestants will undergo a preliminary round Tuesday, with the quarterfinals running on Wednesday morning through the early afternoon.
Semifinalists will compete Wednesday evening, before the finalists vie for the national title on Thursday evening. You can watch the competition online.
