In the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday, sixth-grader Aliyah Alpert from Prescott, Arizona, tied for ninth. The eleven-year-old girl was one of the youngest finalists to make it to the final stretch of the competition before she was eliminated when she tripped on the spelling of the term “ajivika.” This is a phrase that is used to define a member of a nontheistic religious group that was formed by a contemporary of Buddha.
Before she was removed, Alpert had mastered the spelling of difficult terms like “nuciform,” “trevally,” and “croupous.
In the end, a 14-year-old San Antonio girl, Harini Logan, won the tournament.
Alpert was the lone representative from Arizona to make it this far in the competition. As a Yavapai County representative for the fourth time, Alpert competed in the state-level competition for the third time this year.
