8 kids make history by becoming co-champions of the Scripps National Spelling Bee

The winners of the 2019 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

This was a Scripps National Spelling Bee for the history books.

On Thursday night in Maryland, eight competitors were named co-champions of the bee, the first time more than two contestants have won the event. Three hours into the finals, the kids were told there were only enough words left for three more rounds, and those who made it to the very end would share the title. After they spelled words like "erysipelas," "bougainvillea," and "aiguillette," the bee ended in an eight-way tie.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.