After three years of studying, it took Dev Shah about 45 seconds to reach the apotheosis of his craft and become the national champion on Thursday night.
After 14 rounds of words like “probouleutic” and “zwitterion” and “schistorrhachis,” Dev Shah, an eighth grader from Florida, had to wait through one more commercial break. If he spelled the next word correctly, he would win the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
“Psammophile,” a plant or animal that prefers or thrives in sandy areas, would determine his fate. He asked for all the word’s information — its definition, part of speech, use in a sentence — but he didn’t need it, evidenced by a slight smile as he spoke. After three years of studying, it took him about 45 seconds to reach the apotheosis of his craft and become the champion on Thursday night. “It’s surreal,” he said as he held the coveted Scripps cup, the official championship trophy. “My legs are still shaking.”
Dev, 14, outlasted 228 other competitors, including 10 finalists on Thursday night, to win $50,000 in cash and a commemorative medal. Charlotte Walsh, an eighth grader from Virginia who finished in second place, will receive $25,000.
Read More at https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/02/us/dev-shah-scripps-spelling-bee-winner.html