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National Spelling Bee has eight-way tie that includes Alabama student

Eight spellers were better than the dictionary.

They were better than anything the Scripps National Spelling Bee could throw at them.

And they all ended up with a hand on the trophy.

In the most extraordinary ending in the 94-year history of the competition, the bee ended in an eight-way tie on Thursday night.

The eight co-champions spelled the final 47 words correctly, going through five consecutive perfect rounds.

Each will get the full winner’s prize of $50,000 in cash.

They are: Rishik Gandhasri, Erin Howard, Saketh Sundar, Shruthika Padhy, Sohum Sukhatankar, Abhijay Kodali, Christopher Serrao and Rohan Raja.

Erin Howard is a 14-year-old Alabama native who has competed in the Scripps Spelling Bee in the past.

The words that Erin spelled during the evening session of the competition: tophet, tinaja, pallone, meerschaum, jindyworobak, zamacueca, godet, Komondor, tulisan, calembour, deixis.

Howard is an eighth grader at Gap Middle School in Huntsville.
(Associated Press, copyright 2018)

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