Bruhat Soma easily clinched victory at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, spelling 29 words correctly in the tiebreaker to win by a significant margin. The 12-year-old seventh-grader from Tampa, Florida, had already won three consecutive bees before claiming the prestigious title. He expressed his delight over achieving his main goal of winning the Scripps Bee and walked away with a trophy and more than $50,000 in cash and prizes.
The bee began with only eight finalists, the lowest number since 2010, and the broadcast on Ion featured numerous extended commercial breaks that allowed spellers to interact with their supporters. The tiebreaker, known as a “spell-off,” was announced abruptly, with Bruhat and Faizan Zaki pitted against each other in a high stakes round. Bruhat’s performance during the tiebreaker was outstanding, leaving Faizan to flounder and making it impossible for him to catch up. In the end, Bruhat claimed victory after correctly spelling the word “abseil.”
Faizan Zaki, the runner-up, was emotional after the competition, especially following the tiebreaker that dashed his hopes of victory. While he had a strong showing in the regular competition, his performance fell short in the tiebreaker. The use of the tiebreaker was criticized by some, including Faizan’s coach, who felt it was unnecessary to inject additional drama through artificial means. Despite the controversy, Bruhat’s win was well-deserved.
Bruhat Soma had a winning streak leading up to the Scripps Bee, claiming victory in several other competitions before triumphing here. His only loss was months earlier in the WishWin senior spelling bee, where he stumbled on the word “Gloucester.” He attributed his winning streak to that loss and expressed his passion for basketball, a hobby he plans to focus on in the upcoming summer. His victory marked the continuation of Indian American dominance in spelling contests, with 29 of the last 35 champions being of Indian descent.
The competition was a triumph not just for Bruhat but also for his coach, 16-year-old Sam Evans, a former speller who tutored three of the top four finishers. Evans, who devoted considerable time to practicing the tiebreaker with Bruhat, applauded the hard work and dedication of the young speller. Bruhat’s victory highlighted the skill and perseverance that goes into achieving success at spelling bees, and the closeness of the competition illustrated the level of talent on display at the Scripps Bee.
