Edmond Native Rohan Rajeev Places 2nd In Scripps National Spelling Bee

<p>Edmond native Rohan Rajeev placed First Runner-Up in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Thursday.&nbsp;</p>

Friday, June 2nd 2017, 8:55 am

By: News 9


Edmond native Rohan Rajeev placed First Runner-Up in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Thursday. 

Rohan, 14, is an incoming freshman at Oklahoma Christian School. He is a local spelling bee vet, competing from the age of 8.

Rohan was 1 of 15 spellers to be named a contest finalist. 

In the final round, Rohan and Ananya Vinay,12, went toe-to-toe for nearly an hour. The students battled it out for 21 of the 25 possible championship rounds. The tense competition was entertainment at its best. 

Rohan was an impressive competitor, stunning viewers as he whizzed through words like cheiropompholyx and durchkomponiert.  He was composed and tactical throughout the competition. 

It was nerve-racking but I was confident. Praying really reassured me and it really helped, Rohan said.

In the end Rohan misspelled the word "marram," a Scandinavian-derived word for beach grass.

As First Runner-Up he will receive a $30,000 prize and told reporters he’ll "probably save it for college."

Ananya Vinay, 12 from Fresno California was declared the champion of the national contest. The winning word was “marocain,” defined as a dress fabric made of silk or rayon. Ananya took home $40,000, a $2,500 savings bond and other prizes.

The spelling bee featured 291 students, ages 6-15. This year was the first competition since 2013 resulting with a single winner.

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