Nevada student stays alive in National Spelling Bee

One of two Nevada representatives in the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee being held in Washington survived the first two of three rounds on Tuesday.

Priya Konduru, a 14-year-old eighth grader at Davidson Academy of Nevada and two-time Bee competitor, correctly spelled her first-round word — “Zanni” (proper name, a character type of commedia dell’arte) — and then provided the correct definition to her second-round word “zoolatry” (worship of animals).

However, Sophia Garcia, a 14-year-old eighth grader at Our Lady of Las Vegas, correctly spelled her first-round word — Huallaga (proper name, a river in north central Peru) — but then gave an incorrect definition of courteously or pleasantly to her second-round word of “ostensibly” (to all outward appearances).

Konduru and Garcia are sponsored by the Public Education Foundation.

The day’s third round concluded with a test of six spelling words/multiple-choice vocabulary questions for the 95 spellers who remained out of the 247 who started the three-day competition. The Bee’s quarterfinals and semifinals will be held Wednesday, with the semis live on Ion TV beginning at 5 p.m. PDT. The finals will be Thursday, also televised on Ion at 5 p.m. PDT.

The Bee is being held at Constitution Hall in Washington after being held since 2011 at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Oxon Hill, Maryland.