Paulding Middle Schooler Scores As GA Spelling Bee Finalist

DALLAS, GA — A Paulding County middle-school student finished in the top 10 among 20 finalists in Georgia’s 2021 State Spelling Bee, held Friday online and via Zoom.

Riley Linde of Carl Scoggins Sr. Middle School in Dallas tied for eighth place. The word that finally got her was “barbie,” in this case a primarily Australian term for barbecue.

Winner Ananya Augustine of McDonough outlasted runner-up Long Nguyen of Lawrenceville to spell her next two words — “lucernal” and “chartaceous” — to finish in the top position. Augustine had been a runner-up herself in 2020.

The 20 Georgia finalists who participated ranged from 9 to 14 years old and were from all parts of the state. All took a 30-minute timed test Friday morning that consisted of 25 vocabulary and 25 spelling questions. The duel between the top two contestants took place via Zoom.

“As we look forward to the national bee, we know both Ananya and Long will put forth their best effort and we will be cheering them on all the way,” said Georgia Association of Educators President Lisa Morgan.

Both Augustine and Nguyen will take part in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which will also be virtual until it is whittled down to 10 to 12 students. The finalists will then travel to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, for in-person competition on July 8.

Visit the Scripps National Spelling Bee website for more information.