Two metro Atlanta students compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee

It was the “bicitaxi” – a bicycle taxi, like a rickshaw involving a bicycle – that caught him. He put a “y” in there. Understandable but incorrect.

“I actually didn’t really mind going out,” Baber told the Associated Press. “Win or lose, to be here, it’s a really big accomplishment.”

Indeed! And tied for 60th place isn’t too bad.

Sarv Dharavane, 10, from Austin Elementary School in Dunwoody, also represented Georgia. And lasted longer too.

He discovered some rather strange offerings like “motherumbung” (a type of Australian shrub) and “mormorando” (a descriptor of murmuring-type music). In other rounds, he defined slightly less obscure words.

The sixth round brought “stagnation”. It is a type of cell formation in a plant. And a perplexed one.

He opted for “stalice”. He finished tied for 23rd place.

A valiant effort. And he still has a few years left to try to reach the top of the mountain.

Thursday’s finals begin at 8 p.m. You can watch them on a channel called ION.

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