(CNN) — Snigdha Nandipati, 14, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday night by properly spelling “guetapens,” which means an ambush, snare or trap.
“This is a miracle,” the eighth-grader from San Diego, California, told ESPN, which aired the contest. Asked what it had taken for her to reach the pinnacle of spelling prowess, she said, “A lot.”
In last year’s spelling bee, she tied for 27th place.
Nandipati’s victory came moments after her final challenger, Stuti Mishra, also 14 and from Orlando, Florida, stumbled over the spelling of “schwarmerei,” which means excessive, unbridled enthusiasm or attachment.
By the CNN Wire Staff
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