Shiv Mehrotra-Varma had a strong ally helping him prepare — Ananya Vinay, the 2017 national champion. Shiv, a fifth-grader at Fugman Elementary School in Fresno, California, lives next door to his friend, and she helped him prepare for this competition. He won by spelling "einkorn." He said it was an unexpected victory, and he plans to try his best in D.C.

Photo credit: Eric Paul Zamora, The Fresno Bee