Shruthika entered the primetime finals as one of 15 remaining contestants in the competition.
Cherry Hill sixth grader Shruthika Padhy is hoping to become the top speller in the United States today as she competes in the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.
Shruthika qualified for the finals after making her way through the preliminary rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday. She kicked off the finals earlier on Thursday by spelling the words causerie, sylloge, genipap and bodhran correctly.
9:13 p.m. — Shruthika correctly spelled facies. Eleven spellers remain in the competition
9:43 p.m. — Shruthika is eliminated from the spelling bee after spelling the word “quintain” incorrect. Shruthika finishes tied for seventh place. She improves on her 22nd place finish in 2016.
