Spoiler: 2 Top Michigan Spellers Advance in National Bee

Neil S Brahmbhatt, an eighth-grader at Central Middle School in Plymouth, thinks about a word in the preliminary round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. (Photo by Mark Bowen / Scripps National Spelling Bee used with permission)

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Two Michigan spellers advanced to the semifinals of this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee during preliminary competition Wednesday.

The two-day competition of the nation’s best spellers wraps up Thursday with the semi-final elimination round from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., and the championship round from 8-10 p.m. Both rounds will be broadcast on ESPN, and replays of Wednesday’s rounds are available there, too.

So here’s the spoiler alert:

The teens who made it past the preliminary round are Nathaniel Britton, an eighth grader at Shelby Junior High School; and Lily Mears, an eighth-grader at Kent Intermediate School in Grand Rapids.

The other nine Michigan spellers who made it to the National Spelling Bee are:

• Neil S. Brahmbhatt, an eighth-grader at Central Middle School in Plymouth
• Zander T. Worm, a sixth-grader at Washington Middle School in Calumet
• Srinithi Kanakam, a sixth-grader at Paragon Charter School in Jackson
• John N. Ciurla, a seventh-grader at Imlay Middle School in Imlay City
• Hailey Jeanne Hogenson, a seventh grader at Mason County Central Middle School in Scottville
• Neha Middela, an eighth-grader at Detroit Country Day School in Beverly Hills
• Delaney Rae Knoll, a sixth-grader at E.F. Rittmueller Middle School in Frankenmuth
• Brandon Kenneth Kirkendall, a seventh-grader at Brandywine Middle/Senior High School in Niles
• Sophia Kate Thompson, an eighth-grader at Charlevoix Middle/High School in Charlevoix

Do you think you can out-spell these kids? Take the test.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee, the nation’s largest and longest-running educational promotion, is administered by the nonprofit E.W. Scripps Company to help students improve their spelling, increase their