Despite clearing his first hurdle of the day by correctly spelling "tatterdemalion," Rao was then eliminated after wrongfully substituting one vowel for another in the word "venenate."
![aditya rao]()
Aditya Rao, an eighth-grader from Lopatcong Township Middle School, takes part today in the semifinals at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.Express-Times Photo | ANDREW GEORGE "Venenate."
That's the word that finally stumped
Aditya Rao -- an eighth-grader from
Lopatcong Township Middle School -- in today's semifinal round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Though admittedly "a little disappointed," Aditya said that walking away as a semifinalist from a competition that spanned the country isn't such a bad feeling in itself.
"I feel happy and accomplished," Aditya said afterwards.
When prompted with the word, Aditya asked for its definition and usage. Unfortunately, he said, that little bit of information wasn't enough to give away its proper spelling.
"None of the information was really helpful," Aditya said.
The preliminary rounds of competition began Wednesday morning with 281 spellers. From the field, 42 spellers made it to today's semifinals broadcast live on ESPN2.
Though listed as representing Pennsylvania, where sponsor the Express-Times, is based, Aditya was the only speller from New Jersey to make it to the semifinal round.
Aditya was the first regional champion in the newspaper's 27-year sponsorship to reach the semifinal round, said Jennifer Kelly, circulation director and coordinator of the regional competition.
The final round tonight was to feature the remaining 12 spellers and be broadcast live on ESPN, beginning at 8 o'clock.
The bee is held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Md., part of the National Harbor complex just outside of Washington, D.C.
Despite coming up short near the nation's capital, Aditya said he knows a warm reception awaits him back at his school.
"I think they'll be proud of me," Aditya said of his classmates.
Shailashree Nanjundiah, Aditya's mother, said that she was receiving phone calls and messages all day from supporters back home, letting her know that they were cheering her son on.
"I am very proud of him that he came this far," Nanjundiah said.
Though it was just his first appearance, Aditya will be unable to participate in next year's bee because he will be graduating from the eighth grade this year. According to bee rules, those graduating from the eighth grade before Feb. 1 of the contest's year are ruled ineligible.
He said that he seriously began to train for the competition about eight or nine months ago.
Aditya's father, Mohan Sowlay, said that he's proud of the initiative his son took to achieve his goal, which was to at least reach the semifinals.
Sowlay said he's watched his son work diligently to cram the proper spellings of roughly 15,000 words into his head over the last several months.
"I was really proud of his accomplishment," Sowlay said. "We are very proud."
***
SEMIFINAL WORDS
Lopatcong Township Middle School eighth-grader Aditya Rao got one right and one wrong in the semifinal round today of the 2013 Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee. Here's what they mean:
- Tatterdemalion is a person dressed in ragged clothing.
- Venenate is the condition or process of being poisoned especially by a venom of animal origin.
Source:
Merriam-Webster
View full sizeAditya Rao, an eighth-grader from Lopatcong Township Middle School, takes part today in the semifinals at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.