Meet the students representing central NC at the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee
WASHINGTON (WTVD) -- The best young spellers from North Carolina are competing at the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee this week.
The three-day competition began Tuesday and concludes Thursday night.
There are eight bee competitors from North Carolina and six of them are from the Triangle area.
Eight competitors: Kushi Gottimukkala, Phaneendra Bulusu, Harini Jayakumar, Sach Akella, Sophie Sung, Angelika Johnson, David Grooms and Jacob Winfield.
Meet the competitors from the Triangle area
Kushi Gottimukkala Gottimukkala, 13, is a seventh-grader at Carnage G&T Magnet Middle School in Raleigh. She competed in last year's spelling bee, where she tied for 41st place.
Sach Akella, 12, is a seventh-grader at Mills Park Middle School in Cary. Sach competed in last year's bee, tying for 41st place.
Sophie Sung Sung, 11, is in fifth grade and homeschooled. Sophie lives in Durham with her four siblings - each of whom also has a name beginning in "S."
Angelika Johnson, 11, is a sixth-grader at Seventy-First Classical Middle School in Fayetteville. Angelika says she's a self-taught artist who loves to illustrate in her free time.
Jacob Winfield Winfield, 13, is an eighth-grader at Innovation Academy in Johnston County. Jacob says he loves traveling and exploring science museums as well as problem-solving - escape rooms are a favorite activity of his.
David Grooms, 12, is no longer in the competition after failing to advance on Tuesday. The sixth grader attends Lafayette Elementary School in Harnett County. He loves to read mystery and action books as well as the Bible, as he is deeply committed to his Christian faith.
Spelling Bee History
The first bee was held in 1925, when the Louisville Courier-Journal invited other newspapers to host spelling bees and send their champions to Washington. After a long run at a convention center in suburban Maryland, the bee returns to the nation's capital this year at Constitution Hall, a few blocks from the White House.
