PHOENIX — Three 14-year-olds from Arizona are heading to Washington, D.C., to compete against 244 of the nation's top spellers for the prestigious Scripps Cup.
Koen Harvey, Esha Marupudi, and Smriti Parajuli earned their spots at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, held at DAR Constitution Hall, after stellar performances at Arizona's state competition.
Here is a look at the three spellers representing Arizona:
Koen Harvey
Hailing from Window Rock, Koen is a student at Tsaile Elementary School.
When he isn't studying the dictionary, Koen loves playing basketball and PC games, with a particular favorite being Geometry Dash.
Esha Marupudi
Esha, a student at BASIS Chandler, is no stranger to the national stage.
After reaching the finals of the 2025 Scripps Spelling Bee, Esha secured her return trip by winning the 2026 Arizona Spelling Bee.
Outside of spelling, Esha is a creative spirit who enjoys playing the piano, composing her own music, and world-building through Lego and fantasy novels.
Her favorite subjects are biology and history, and she dreams of visiting France to explore its castles, tour its museums, and enjoy the local cuisine.
Smriti Parajuli
Smriti, a student at Centennial Middle School in Yuma, has been spelling competitively since winning her fifth-grade classroom bee.
Though this will be her first and final appearance at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Smriti brings a strong record of academic excellence and leadership, having recently run for student council vice president.
In her free time, Smriti enjoys diving into a good book, traveling to new places, and spending quality time with family and friends.
She hopes to one day visit New York City to catch a performance on Broadway.
How to watch
Don't miss all of the spelling bee action!
The preliminaries and quarterfinals will air on Scripps Sports May 26-27, followed by the semifinals and finals on ION from May 27-28.
For more on the TV broadcast schedule, click here.
