HILLIARD, OH (WCMH) – While most middle school kids are getting ready for summer, Hilliard Heritage Middle School 8th Grader Lipika Narisetti has been busy competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC.
The 14-year-old made it to the top 16 in her second attempt at the top 10, but missed the word “pesante” in the sixth round that aired on ESPN.
She made it to the final 12 last year.
Narisetti correctly spelled ‘gryllus’ in an earlier round to cheers from hundreds of her classmates watching in the school cafeteria.
“Its really nice to see my classmates who are usually excited about sport and stuff, it’s nice to see them rally around me and be interested in the spelling bee,” she said.
Merriam-Webster defines ‘Gryllus’ as: a genus (the type of the family Gryllidae) of crickets once construed as including all known crickets.
“It’s just so exciting and to see her do so well,” said Mary Ann Best, Narisetti’s language arts teacher.What others are clicking on:
