There’s a new kid on the spelling block.
Nikhil Ganta, a sixth-grader at Fort Collins’ Kinard Core Knowledge Middle School, burst onto the scene as the winner of the 86th annual at the University of Denver on Saturday.
The clever 12-year-old won the competition after 55 rounds with the word “amaxophobia” — a fear of being in or riding in a vehicle.
“I was happy knowing that the hours of work you put in finally paid off,” Nikhil said in an interview Monday.
Nikhil’s win scored him a spot in the near Washington, D.C., this May. He’ll be joined by Derek Li, a seventh-grader at Boulder’s Summit Middle School, in representing Colorado in the national competition.
The Boulder Valley School District conducts its own regional spelling bee, which Derek won over the weekend by nailing “caveola,” a flask-shaped invagination of a cell’s plasma membrane that is involved in endocytosis.
Nikhil’s mother, Hima Maligireddy, said she noticed her son had an aptitude for words and language from the time he was young. He started competing in the state spelling bee in first grade. Even at that young age, he placed 13th, she said.
She realized her wordy boy had an aptitude for the bee.
Over the years, she helped tutor Nikhil, who said he enjoys reading the dictionary for fun and writing nonfiction. Each year, Nikhil inched closer to winning the annual state bee, but when he entered middle school this year, he locked in.
“I knew I only had three years left, and it’s middle school, too, so it’s a wake-up call,” Nikhil said. “You only have three years left, so make them count.”
Students age out of the national spelling bee after eighth grade.
This year, Nikhil requested a spelling tutor and devoted hours each day to studying word etymologies, languages of origin and specific word sets.
“I like exploring the whole dictionary,” Nikhil said. “It teaches you new words and levels up your writing.”
The state spelling bee was a solid training ground for Nikhil’s first time heading to the nationals. The last 20 or so rounds were a sparring match between him and runner-up Vedanth Raju, who won the state bee last year and made it to the 10th round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Saturday’s state bee stretched on for about four hours.
Nikhil designated his coveted Onitsuka Tiger sneakers as his lucky competition shoes.
“I don’t get nervous that much,” Nikhil said. “Just excited knowing how hard you worked and that you’re finally there on the stage.”
When the 12-year-old isn’t reading the dictionary, he can be found playing cricket, reading mystery novels, skiing and competing in math olympiads, too.
Maligireddy encouraged families to check out their local spelling bees, even if it’s more for fun than competition.
“It’s not about being the winner. It opens up areas in their knowledge that they would never encounter,” Maligireddy said. “It’s through the spelling bee that my son learned about Greek architecture or French foods or classical drama — things kids their age do not normally encounter. It opens up their eyes for new areas to explore.”
