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October 26, 2023

CMSW 7th grader takes on winning district spelling bee for 3rd time

Spelling+bee+winner+Smrithi+Upadhyayula+%28left%29+and+runner+up+Yutika+Ineni+%28right%29+participated+in+the+CISD+spelling+bee+on+Jan.+7.%0APhoto+courtesy+Tamerah+Ringo%2C+CISD+Director+of+Communications+and+Public+Relations
Spelling bee winner Smrithi Upadhyayula (left) and runner up Yutika Ineni (right) participated in the CISD spelling bee on Jan. 7. Photo courtesy Tamerah Ringo, CISD Director of Communications and Public Relations

By Pranathi Chitta
Staff Writer
@prannydacheetah

Call it a three-peat for Coppell Middle School West seventh grader Smrithi Upadhyayula.

On Jan. 7 the Coppell Independent School District held its annual spelling bee. This third-time consecutive district winner was Upadhyayula, with CMS West eighth grader Yutika Ineni as a runner-up.

“This was the most competitive district bee I have participated in so far,” Upadhyayula said.

The district spelling bee took about 43 rounds and there were several additional tie-breaker rounds in order to determine the second and third places.

“It was extremely competitive,” Ineni said. “All of the competitors were serious about the spelling bee and every one of them wanted to win.”

Both competitors did not know what to expect since the competition was fierce.

“Smrithi definitely had some stiff competition this year,” CISD Language and Literacy Director Heather Cato said. “I wasn’t sure who would win.”

Ineni felt the competitive spirit of the event.

“I love the thrill of the spelling bee; it’s so unpredictable. You don’t what word you’ll get or what will happen in the next few minutes,” Ineni said. “But knowing that I was competing against all those kids that have already won their school spelling bees scared me. But that’s what makes it so fun.”

Upadhyayula and Ineni have both been preparing for this spelling bee since November. For Ineni she has been practicing two to three hours on her Saturdays and Sundays.

Seventh grader Smrithi Upadhyayula won the CISD Spelling Bee on Jan. 7. Photo Courtesy Tamerah Ringo, CISD Director of Communications and Public Relations.
Seventh grader Smrithi Upadhyayula won the CISD Spelling Bee on Jan. 7. Photo Courtesy Tamerah Ringo, CISD Director of Communications and Public Relations.

“People are better prepared than last year,” Upadhyayula said. “I would say this was the most competitive district bee I have participated in so far.”

For Ineni, this will be her last time competing in the district spelling bee since she is an eighth grader, and she and her parents are proud of her outcome.

“We were astounded by Yutika’s performance,” Ineni’s mother Chandravathi said. “We always knew that she had the potential in her, and we are so, so proud of our daughter.”

Both Upadhyayula and Ineni will go onto the Dallas city spelling bee on Feb. 18, which will be held at the Dallas County Schools Technology and Training building. Although Upadhyayula has some experience at this level, this will be the first time for Ineni.

“The competition at district level was hard, so I know for sure that at city level, everyone will be a fierce competitor,” Ineni said. “It will definitely be different from what I’ve experienced before.”

Since Upadhyayula won the district spelling bee again this year, it will be her third time going on to the Dallas city Spelling Bee.

“My second year competing was harder than my first. There were many new, younger spellers who did a commendable job last year,” Upadhyayula said. “I’m expecting it to be harder this year because I know there are some serious spellers out there.”

Upadhyayula plans to prepare for the county bee by looking up words in the Webster’s Dictionary since it is the official source for the competition and she will continue what she loves to do– read books.

“I am confident that Smrithi will represent Coppell ISD well,” Cato said. “I would not be surprised at all if she won.”

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