Meet the NC student who competed in 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee finals
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- Kushi Gottimukkala, 13, from Wake County qualified for the 2026 Scripps finals.
- Gottimukkala earned her finals spot by correctly spelling the word “Chelicerata.
- Three other North Carolina spellers tied for 10th place after elimination in round nine.
A Wake County student has earned a spot in Thursday’s nationally televised finals of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Kushi Gottimukkala, 13, a seventh-grade student at Carnage Magnet Middle School in Raleigh, was among nine spellers who qualified for the finals after Wednesday’s grueling quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. Three other North Carolinians also made it to the semifinals and tied for 10th place, narrowly missing a chance to be in Thursday night’s prime-time finals.
Gottimukkala went on to finish in 4th-place on Thursday night’s prime time televised finals. The Morrisville teen won a $10,000 prize.
Gottimukkala almost became the first speller from North Carolina to win the national title since 1970. In 2024, Ananya Rao Prassanna of Davis Drive Middle School in Cary finished in third place.
4 NC spellers advanced to semifinals
This year, 247 spellers from across the world, including eight from North Carolina, qualified for the national competition.
It’s the second time Gottimukkala has made it to the nationals. Last year, she tied for 41st place.
On Wednesday, Gottimukkala advanced by correctly spelling words such as “dereism” and “mizpah” and knowing that “hinterlands” are regions that are remote from cities and towns.
Gottimukkala earned her spot in the finals by correctly spelling “Chelicerata.”
By late Wednesday afternoon, four North Carolinians were among 24 spellers left in the semifinals. These three spellers were eliminated in the ninth round to earn a tie for 10th place:
- Phaneendra Bulusu, 14, an eighth-grader at Harris Road Middle School in Concord.
- Harini Jayakumar, 13, an eighth-grader at The Brawley School in Mooresville.
- Sach Akella, 12, a seventh-grader at Mills Park Middle School in Cary.
This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 7:36 PM with the headline "Meet the NC student who competed in 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee finals."
