2 North Texas students qualify to compete in Scripps National Spelling Bee in D.C.

A middle school student from Coppell and an elementary school student from Plano will represent North and East Texas this summer in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.

Twenty-seven students from 20 different Texas counties in the area competed Saturday in downtown Dallas for two spots at the national spelling bee that will happen from May 28 to June 2. The Dallas Sports Commission held its 65th annual Golden Chick Dallas Regional Spelling Bee at Booker T. Washington High School as the qualifier.

Sriya Gomatam, a seventh grader from Coppell Middle School, and Faizan Zaki, a fifth grader from Skaggs Elementary School in Plano, outlasted their opponents, making it to the final word of the competition.

Gomatam’s last word was “chartaceous” and Zaki’s last word was “cereza.” Both students spelled their words correctly and were named co-champions of the regional tournament, said Dandy Killeen, a spokesman for the sports commission.

In a Facebook post Saturday, Skaggs Elementary School officials applauded Zaki for qualifying for the national championship.

“He was flawless at the regionals today,” the post read.

Each qualifying student and one guardian will get to travel to Washington D.C. for an all-expenses-paid trip for the national championship, Killeen said. Flights will be provided by Southwest Airlines.

Students who competed at the regional competition, all of whom were in or below eighth grade, won their individual school and county spelling bees, according to the sports commission.