GT: 2017 Spelling Bee Draft - Finals start 8:30PM ESPN

[RaisingArizona]

There are 15 spellers continuing in the finals.

2017 Summary: Spellers Continuing in Finals June 1, 2017

27. Rohan Sachdev PAGE of Wake County, Raleigh, North Carolina
36. Erin Howard Adventure Travel, Birmingham, Alabama
75. Mira Dedhia Commonwealth Edison, Chicago, Illinois
114. Shrinidhi Gopal East Bay Times, Walnut Creek, California
143. Tejas Muthusamy Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond, Virginia
167. Sreeniketh Vogoti The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville, Florida
187. Saketh Sundar Howard County Library, Columbia, Maryland
191. Alice Liu St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Missouri
200. Raksheet Kota Houston Public Media, Houston, Texas
210. Naysa Modi The News-Star, Monroe, Louisiana
235. Rohan Rajeev The Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
254. Shourav Dasari Houston Public Media, Houston, Texas
259. Alex Iyer San Antonio Express-News, San Antonio, Texas
264. Ananya Vinay The Fresno Bee, Fresno, California
278. Shruthika Padhy Rosa International Middle School, Cherry Hill, New Jersey

[fatlever]

Definitely think we should stick to picking spellers. Half the fun has having a rooting interest in one or two. Maybe since they did 15, we can each select 2 people and then see what happens to the leftovers.

Thanks for posting the list ginoflop. Lets do some research on these kids.

I see my Smash Bro didn't make the finals. Shame.

[fatlever]

updated the OP with list of finalists.

[fatlever]

meet the finalists
http://spellingbee.com/meet-the-spellers/2017

search for their number, click their name, bio

[RaisingArizona]

Okay, I have 3 in mind. Do we just post our dib list for tonight's winner?

[fatlever]

Rohan Sachdev, Speller No. 27
Cary, North Carolina close button for the modal
picture of speller number 27, Rohan Sachdev
Sponsor: PAGE of Wake County
School: Carnage Magnet Middle School
Age: 14, 8th grade
Rohan is a very motivated tennis player, and he considers the sport his true passion. Rohan travels all over the United States to play in the southern and national-level tournaments. He plays every match with focus, grit and perseverance. He is the number one tennis player in the state of North Carolina for 8th graders. Rohan aspires to be like tennis icon Roger Federer, who is his role model. Rohan tied for 39th place in the 2015 Scripps National Spelling Bee, and his brother Rahul competed in 201

Erin Howard, Speller No. 36
Huntsville, Alabama close button for the modal
picture of speller number 36, Erin Howard
Sponsor: Adventure Travel
School: Mountain Gap P-8 School
Age: 12, 6th grade
Erin loves all kinds of art. She plays both the trombone and the piano, draws and sketches, and writes short stories. In addition, she reads books from several different genres voraciously, but her favorites are science fiction and fantasy. Erin and her friends enjoy playing Undertale, an adventure role-playing game, and listening (or rather, shout-singing along) to the soundtrack of Hamilton: An American Musical. She loves to watch Doctor Who, the longest-running sci-fi TV show ever, and her favorite Doctor is the 12th one. She would like to attend Harvard University and become a pediatrician. Erin tied for 22nd place in the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Mira Dedhia, Speller No. 75
Western Springs, Illinois close button for the modal
picture of speller number 75, Mira Dedhia
Sponsor: Commonwealth Edison
School: McClure Junior High School
Age: 13, 8th grade
Mira is excited to return to the Scripps National Spelling Bee this year! She loves spelling and participating in spelling bees. In addition to spelling, she has participated in extracurriculars such as math club and lacrosse. Her favorite subject is math. Mira has played piano for almost seven years, and she enjoys learning a variety of new songs, including classical as well as modern and pop music. She is currently learning some songs by Coldplay and John Legend. Mira competed in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2016, and her mother, Lekshmi Nair, competed in 1988, 1989 and 1990.

Shrinidhi Gopal, Speller No. 114
San Ramon, California close button for the modal
picture of speller number 114, Shrinidhi Gopal
Sponsor: East Bay Times
School: Gale Ranch Middle School
Age: 13, 8th grade
Shrinidhi loves spelling and geography and puts lot of effort into learning new words/facts every day. In her free time, she likes to read books such as the Kiki Strike series and classics such as Anne of Green Gables and The Swiss Family Robinson. Shrinidhi also enjoys playing the piano and practicing Carnatic vocal music. She eventually wants to pursue a career in medicine.

Tejas Muthusamy, Speller No. 143
Glen Allen, Virginia close button for the modal
picture of speller number 143, Tejas Muthusamy
Sponsor: Richmond Times-Dispatch
School: George H. Moody Middle School
Age: 14, 8th grade
Tejas loves learning about governments and cultures of various countries around the world. He aspires to use this knowledge to become a diplomat or a politician. Outside of politics and geography, Tejas enjoys studying English and history in school. Tejas also loves reading, and his favorite author is Ayn Rand due to her unique perspective. His favorite book is Animal Farm, and his favorite movie is Remember the Titans. Tejas has competed in the Scripps National Spelling Bee three times previously: in 2014 he tied for 8th place, in 2015 he tied for 7th place, and he tied for 22nd place in 2016.

Sreeniketh Vogoti, Speller No. 167
Saint Johns, Florida close button for the modal
picture of speller number 167, Sreeniketh Vogoti
Sponsor: The Florida Times-Union
School: Fruit Cove Middle School
Age: 14, 8th grade
Sreeniketh is fascinated with languages, and he is currently learning Spanish and Esperanto. In his spare time, Sreeniketh explores an assortment of topics, from philosophy to psychology, history to calculus. Tennis, chess and music are a few avocations he often finds himself indulging in for leisure. Sreeniketh plays the clarinet in his school band, and was selected for his county's honor band. Sreeniketh is enthusiastic about both math and science due to their logical, straightforward nature. He aspires to study at an Ivy League college such as Princeton University. Sreeniketh participated in the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee (tied for 7th).

Saketh Sundar, Speller No. 187
Elkridge, Maryland close button for the modal
picture of speller number 187, Saketh Sundar
Sponsor: Howard County Library
School: Mayfield Woods Middle School
Age: 11, 6th grade
Saketh has been good at math from a young age and attends an accelerated gifted and talented math program. This year Saketh received an award for high honors from the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University. Saketh plays the violin and is part of his school’s orchestra. He is part of the student government association at his school, and he is also involved in news team, film, coding and debate clubs. Saketh likes watching football, especially his favorite team, the Baltimore Ravens. Justin Tucker is his favorite player because he is very accurate. Saketh wants to be a gastroenterologist when he grows up because he wants to cure people with stomach disorders. Saketh participated in the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Alice Liu, Speller No. 191
Chesterfield, Missouri close button for the modal
picture of speller number 191, Alice Liu
Sponsor: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
School: Wild Horse Elementary School
Age: 10, 5th grade
Alice is rarely without a smile on her face. She not only enjoys spelling but also is talented with math. Alice was a state champion and represented Missouri at a national math contest in 2016, and she hopes to participate this year, too. During her free time, she likes to read, play basketball, dance and swim. Alice also loves to play piano and violin. When she gets the chance, she enjoys going on vacations, especially to beaches. She aspires to become a hematologist and help cure kids with leukemia and blood-related diseases.

[fatlever]

Okay, I have 3 in mind. Do we just post our dib list for tonight's winner?

Yeah, go ahead and pick at least two if you have them ready. Its a chaos draft.

[fatlever]

Raksheet Kota, Speller No. 200
Katy, Texas close button for the modal
picture of speller number 200, Raksheet Kota
Sponsor: Houston Public Media
School: Beckendorff Junior High School
Age: 14, 8th grade
Raksheet is deeply involved in many school activities, including Mathcounts, American Mathematics Competitions, Science Bowl and Science Olympiad. Raksheet and his twin sister, Rakshita, started a math and science club at their elementary school to prepare students for educational competitions. Some of his favorite movies are the Batman trilogy and the Mission: Impossible movies. He also enjoys playing tennis and video games.

Naysa Modi, Speller No. 210
Monroe, Louisiana close button for the modal
picture of speller number 210, Naysa Modi
Sponsor: The News-Star
School: River Oaks School
Age: 11, 6th grade
Naysa enjoys being in the limelight! She has performed stand-up comedy, shayaris (Hindi and Urdu poetry), dancing, and, of course, spelling. Naysa is also very physically active. She is a blue belt in tae kwon do, and is part of her school's track team. She has also been a voracious reader since kindergarten. By 2nd grade, Naysa had read many book series, including the entire Harry Potter Series. She is working to get accepted into Harvard University so she can study medical science there. Naysa dreams of becoming a brain surgeon and experimenting with switching human brains. She admires Emma Watson and gymnast Simone Biles for their dedication to their work. Naysa previously participated in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2015 (tied for 50th place) and 2016 (tied for 46th place).

Rohan Rajeev, Speller No. 235
Edmond, Oklahoma close button for the modal
picture of speller number 235, Rohan Rajeev
Sponsor: The Oklahoman
School: Oklahoma Christian School
Age: 14, 8th grade
Rohan wants to thank Jesus Christ for giving him this platform and opportunity. Rohan has been competing in spelling bees since the age of eight. Outside of spelling, he enjoys playing the piano, particularly pieces by Beethoven, and competing in chess tournaments. He also loves to play soccer at a local league. Watching soccer is one the many things Rohan enjoys doing in his free time, and Arsenal is his favorite soccer club. He also loves to watch NBA games, especially when his favorite team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, is playing. Rohan hopes to study neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University and become a neurologist.

Shourav Dasari, Speller No. 254
Spring, Texas close button for the modal
picture of speller number 254, Shourav Dasari
Sponsor: Houston Public Media
School: McCullough Junior High School
Age: 14, 8th grade
Shourav has been participating in spelling bees since he was in 2nd grade. He enjoys playing tennis in his free time, as well as watching football or basketball. His favorite basketball player is James Harden. Shourav enjoys playing the violin for his school's orchestra. He participated in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2016, where he tied for 11th place. Shourav's older sister, Shobha, competed in 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Alex Iyer, Speller No. 259
San Antonio, Texas close button for the modal
picture of speller number 259, Alex Iyer
Sponsor: San Antonio Express-News
School: Geneva School of Boerne
Age: 14, 8th grade
Alex loves music because it helps him to relax while studying. He considers himself a cinephile, and he loves movies. Alex is a black belt, and he plays tennis and the cello. He is the president of his school’s National Junior Honor Society. Alex earned third place in his school’s oratory competition for Martin Luther King’s Acceptance of Nobel Prize speech. He has enjoyed numerous travel adventures with his family, including journeying to the Dunn’s River Falls, ziplining in Jamaica, parasailing in Florida, and relaxing at the beach in Cozumel, Mexico. Alex tied for 22nd place in the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Ananya Vinay, Speller No. 264
Fresno, California close button for the modal
picture of speller number 264, Ananya Vinay
Sponsor: The Fresno Bee
School: Fugman Elementary School
Age: 12, 6th grade
Ananya is a natural speller and an avid reader. In her free time, she imagines stories that she has not written down yet. She loves watching movies and playing with her younger brother, although not necessarily in that order! She considers spelling a sport and actually does enjoy spelling words like "dghaisa," which is pronounced "dīsə." Her favorite sport is basketball, and she is a Golden State Warriors fan. Last year, Ananya volunteered for the Fresno Community Food Bank, and she and her friends organized a food drive for Thanksgiving. Ananya competed in the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Shruthika Padhy, Speller No. 278
Cherry Hill, New Jersey close button for the modal
picture of speller number 278, Shruthika Padhy
Sponsor: Rosa International Middle School
School: Rosa International Middle School
Age: 11, 6th grade
Shruthika is a voracious reader, and she also loves solving math problems. She is quite passionate about learning Indian classical music, and she sings in her school's chorus and plays the piano and flute. She is a member of her local swim team, runs cross country, and does track and field, as well as other sports in the summer. During her leisure, Shruthika likes to read books, listen to music, and watch basketball, football, and her favorite TV show, Shark Tank. Shruthika tied for 22nd place in the 2016 Scripps National Spelling Bee, and she hopes to improve her place this year.

[RaisingArizona]

My winning picks:
75. Mira Dedhia
191. Alice Liu
235. Rohan Rajeev

Go ahead and continue to pick for 2nd place, everyone.

[fatlever]

Raksheet Kota, Speller No. 200, apparently has a twin sister named ****

Would you rather be named Skeet or just a series of asterisks? Tough call.

[fatlever]

My winning picks:
75. Mira Dedhia
191. Alice Liu
235. Rohan Rajeev

Alice Liu, going with the youngster. Bold move.

Do you have an order preference? I'll give you the first two and save the 3rd for wildcard in case nobody jumps in last minute. Sound good?

[fatlever]

I'm calling dibs on Skeet as my 1st selection.

[RaisingArizona]

My winning picks:
75. Mira Dedhia
191. Alice Liu
235. Rohan Rajeev

Alice Liu, going with the youngster. Bold move.

Do you have an order preference? I'll give you the first two and save the 3rd for wildcard in case nobody jumps in last minute. Sound good?

No, just random guessing. I watched earlier and they seemed to be focused so we'll see.
Ok. I'll take Alice and Rohan as my lock. Mira can be a wildcard if nobody else shows up.

[fatlever]

My winning picks:
75. Mira Dedhia
191. Alice Liu
235. Rohan Rajeev

Alice Liu, going with the youngster. Bold move.

Do you have an order preference? I'll give you the first two and save the 3rd for wildcard in case nobody jumps in last minute. Sound good?

No, just random guessing. I watched earlier and they seemed to be focused so we'll see.
Ok. I'll take Alice and Rohan as my lock. Mira can be a wildcard if nobody else shows up.

Oh man, you've got a head start, already sizing up the competition by watching the earlier rounds.

Fun fact, there are two finalists named Rohan.

[fatlever]

OK for my 2nd pick, I'm taking the stand up comedian. You just know she's a trainwreck waiting to happen.

210. Naysa Modi The News-Star, Monroe, Louisiana

[fatlever]

by, the way, per the rules from last year, you have to find a way to use you speller's losing word at least once in a post during the next few days.

[bwgood77]

My winning picks:
75. Mira Dedhia
191. Alice Liu
235. Rohan Rajeev

Alice Liu, going with the youngster. Bold move.

Do you have an order preference? I'll give you the first two and save the 3rd for wildcard in case nobody jumps in last minute. Sound good?

No, just random guessing. I watched earlier and they seemed to be focused so we'll see.
Ok. I'll take Alice and Rohan as my lock. Mira can be a wildcard if nobody else shows up.

OK, lets each pick 2 and then if no one shows up by like to pick their two, we can each add a third. Hopefully at least 5 of us show up which would pick all the contestants if we each do 3.

[bwgood77]

by, the way, per the rules from last year, you have to find a way to use you speller's losing word at least once in a post during the next few days.

I like that.

[RaisingArizona]

Alice Liu, going with the youngster. Bold move.

Do you have an order preference? I'll give you the first two and save the 3rd for wildcard in case nobody jumps in last minute. Sound good?

No, just random guessing. I watched earlier and they seemed to be focused so we'll see.
Ok. I'll take Alice and Rohan as my lock. Mira can be a wildcard if nobody else shows up.

Oh man, you've got a head start, already sizing up the competition by watching the earlier rounds.

Fun fact, there are two finalists named Rohan.

haha I'll leave the NC finalists for you Hornet fans I'll take Rohan 235

[bwgood77]

OK, my two picks are:

Shourav Dasari (even though a Harden fan)



Tejas Muthusamy