OXON HILL, Md. (AP) - An eighth grader from Delaware made it to the semifinals of the National Spelling Bee but was eliminated on the word "rufosity."
Lily Allingham of Wilmington participated in her second national spelling bee this week. The 14-year-old was one of 281 children from eight countries who competed. Lily, the only speller from Delaware, was one of only 46 to advance to Thursday's semifinals.
Lily was off by one letter when she was asked to spell "rufosity," which means a color between yellowish pink to moderate orange. She added a "c" after the "s."
Two boys were crowned champions Thursday night, the first time in more than half a century the contest has ended in a tie. The winners were Sriram Hathwar of New York and Ansun Sujoe of Texas.
