Local Spellers Shine Then Fall

Two local spellers, Layla Barrett and Ashvin Pinnamaraju, battled it out in the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee — Layla, a seasoned finalist making her last run, and Ashvin, a sixth grader with a flair for the dramatic and a dream of tennis glory. Layla’s favorite word? “Celestial” — fitting for her space-loving soul. Ashvin? He’s got a lung-busting favorite: pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. Layla fell during Tuesday’s prelims, but Ashvin’s still in the hunt. Quarterfinals Wednesday, semifinals Thursday — all eyes on who’ll take home the crown. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/cbb9f4080c2b5355