Root For These Massachusetts Spelling Bee Kids

The Scripps National Spelling Bee has returned for 2023 and there are a pair of Massachusetts spelling bee kids to root for.

The Boston Globe reports that Tanoshi Inomata of Boston, a ten-year-old fourth-grader at Winship Elementary School in Brighton, and Adarsh Venkannagari of Lynn, a 9-year-old fourth-grader at Paul P. Gates Elementary School in Acton, are participating in the contest this year. The spellers are sponsored, too. Tanoshi is sponsored by the Boston Centers for Youth & Families. Adarsh is sponsored by The Daily Item of Lynn. They're just two of the 231 spellers competing for top honors this year. You can "Meet the Spellers" here.

Once upon a time, the Scripps National Spelling Bee was just The National Spelling Bee. It was founded in 1925, combining a number of regional spelling bees, and organized by the Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky. The first-ever winner, 11-year-old Frank Neuhauser, won by correctly spelling "gladiolus." The Bee is open to all students, so long as they meet the following criteria: they haven't yet finished 8th grade, they're not yet 15, and they have not previously won a previous National Spelling Bee.

As of Wednesday afternoon, May 31, Ardash is the lone Massachusetts representative. Tanoshi was eliminated yesterday in the second round of the competition. The Quarterfinals take place from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. on May 31, with the Semifinals following from 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. The Finals take place on Thursday, June 1 from 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. The action airs on ION, and you can find out how to watch here.

So great work, Tanoshi, on making it to the second round! And good luck, Ardash, as you make your way into and hopefully through the Quarterfinals! After a spring of devastating losses by the Bruins and--just days ago--the Celtics, it would be nice to have a win! Hopefully they won't ask you to spell this.