By: Adalyn Xiao

On May 30, a 7th grader from Tampa, Florida became the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion. 12-year-old Bruhat Soma crushed a lightning tiebreaker round by spelling 29 words correctly in only 90 seconds. The winning word was “abseil,” a word used in the sport of mountaineering.

Bruhat’s coach is 16-year-old speller Sam Evans. “I’m very happy that I could use my experience to help him, but at the end of the day, it’s all about his hard work and dedication. I’m so happy for him,” Evans said.

This year marks Bruhats 3rd time competing in the bee. In 2022, he tied for 163rd place, and last year he came in 74th. He told NPR that he felt “excited” about winning. “I’ve been working really hard, so I just put a lot of time into spelling,” he said. “I’m really happy that I won. Like, I really can’t describe it. I’m still shaking.”

Bruhat’s prize was more than $50,000, reference materials, and a trophy. Adam Symson, the president and CEO of The E.W. Scripps Company, handed the trophy to him. Mr. Symson said, “Bruhat impressed with his display of knowledge and composure.”