1 of 2 | Sukanya Roy, 14, an 8th grader in Wilkes-Barre, PA, (L) lifts the trophy, assisted by EW Scripps Company President and CEO Rich Boehne after winning the 2011 Scripps National Spelling Bee, June 2, 2011, in National Harbor, MD. Roy won by correctly spelling the word " cymotrichous ", meaning having wavy hair. UPI/Mike Theiler |
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After her victory, Sukanya appeared to be at a loss for words.
"It is kind of surreal," she said. "It's just amazing. It's hard to put into words."
Sukanya, who lives in South Abington, attends Abington Middle School in Newton Ransom, Pa. She represented the Times-Leader of Wilkes-Barre in the competition and made it to Washington for the national competition in 2009 and 2010.
There were 275 regional winners in Washington.
The National Spelling Bee was first held in 1925. "Spellbound," a 2002 film about the competition, was nominated for an Oscar in the best documentary category.