Dallas-area kids are tops at National Spelling Bee
The Dallas area has long been a hotbed of spelling talent.
The end of the biggest Scripps National Spelling Bee in history came abruptly, and it wasn’t the conclusion that many expected. Naysa Modi, a poised and charismatic fourtime participant whose long spelling career seemed to be building toward triumph, sat next to a newcomer whom she had already beaten this year at the county level back in Texas.
But 12-year-old Naysa blinked immediately, mixing up the single and double “s” in the German-derived word “bewusstseinslage” — a state of consciousness or a feeling devoid of sensory components — and 14-year-old Karthik Nemmani seized an opportunity that he wouldn’t have had before this year.
“I didn’t really think I’d be able to do it,” the soft-spoken winner said. “I had confidence that I could do it, but I honestly didn’t realistically think it could happen.”
Karthik’s victory Thursday night put the spotlight back onto the story of this bee week — the new wildcard program that Scripps launched to give a chance to spellers like him, who have to compete against some of the nation’s best spellers at the local level. The field was expanded to 515 spellers to accommodate the wild cards — there had never been more than 300 competitors previously — and four of the 16 prime-time finalists got in through the new program.
When only three spellers remained, all were from the Dallas area, which has long been a hotbed of spelling talent.
Karthik is from McKinney — his family moved there specifically so he could go to a school that takes part in the Scripps program. Naysa is from Frisco, less than 15 miles to the west. And thirdplace finisher Abhijay Kodali lives in Flower Mound, 40 more miles west.
Naysa knocked off Abhijay in the Dallas regional bee after topping Karthik in their county bee. The region is one of a few that sponsors two spellers for a trip to nationals. The wild cards had to pay their own way — a $750 entry fee, plus the costs of travel to Washington and lodging.
“I don’t care,” said Karthik’s father, Krishna Nemmani. “I know his caliber.”
Like many top spellers, Karthik was a precocious preschooler — he arranged block letters to spell “horse” at age 3 and won his first spelling bee at 4½, his dad said.
Two Austin seventh-graders also made it to Thursday’s final rounds. Pranathi Jammula, a student at Kealing Middle School, fell in Round 6, and Pranav Nandakumar, a student at the Magellan International School, made it to Round 7.
All southbound lanes of Interstate 35 at Ben White Boulevard in South Austin were closed briefly Friday afternoon after a collision that injured four people, authorities said.
Police, Austin fire crews and Austin-Travis County EMS medics responded around 2:45 p.m. to a three-vehicle collision in which five people were involved.
Medics said they took one man described as in his 30s, a man in his 40s and two women in their 60s to St. David’s South Austin Medical Center with injuries that were not expected to be life-threatening.
A cyclist was seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle Friday afternoon in South Austin, according to Austin-Travis County EMS officials.
Medics responded to the crash on Mary and South First streets at 12:05 p.m., EMS said.
Medics took a man described as in his 20s to Dell Seton Medical Center with serious injuries that are not expected to be life-threatening.
A $3,000 reward has been offered for information about four thieves who wore red shoes during the robbery of an East Austin gun store earlier this week.
The four robbers, who are described as in their teens or early 20s, arrived at Action Pawn Gun Store, 7740 Ed Bluestein Blvd., in a stolen red Jeep just before 11:10 a.m. on Wednesday, according to Austin police and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives.
They held employees at gunpoint and smashed glass display cases before taking two handguns, jewelry and cash, the ATF said in a statement.
ATF, Capital Area Crime Stoppers, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation on Friday announced a reward up to a $3,000 for information leading to the identification and/or arrest of the robbers.
Anyone with any information about the incident can:
■ Call Austin Police at 512974-5092.
■ Call CrimeStoppers at 512-472-8477.
■ Submit information anonymously through the mobile ReportIt app, available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store.
The Williamson County sheriff ’s office is asking the public to help find a 14-yearold boy who was last seen Thursday afternoon in Jollyville.
Tom Emile Voirin was last seen at 6:45 p.m. in the area around Rattan Creek Park wearing a blue shirt and gray shorts.
Anyone who knows his whereabouts should call authorities at 512-943–1300.