Georgia middle schooler who finished third at last year's Scripps Spelling Bee is back in the finals

Sarv Dharavane, a sixth-grader at Peachtree Middle School in Dunwoody, has advanced to the finals of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee, where he will compete against just eight other spellers Thursday night at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. 

Sarv enters the finals as the top returning finisher from last year's competition, where he finished third as an 11-year-old fifth-grader. This year, he not only made it back to the finals, but he also posted a perfect score on the written test along the way, advancing out of a field of 247 spellers from across the country.

It is his third consecutive appearance at the national competition. Earlier this year, Sarv won his third straight Georgia Association of Educators State Spelling Bee title, correctly spelling the word "simal," an East Indian silk-cotton tree that yields a fiber inferior to kapok, to claim the top prize after 22 rounds of spelling and vocabulary.

"I am extremely happy. More like ecstatic. I'm completely in nirvana," Sarv said after winning the state competition in March. "I've come a long, long, LONG way to get here. I could have only done this because of every single person who has helped me along the way, including my principal and family."

The winner of the national competition takes home more than $52,500 in cash and prizes, including a custom trophy and commemorative medal. Second place receives $25,000, and third place wins $15,000.

In a post on social media, the DeKalb County School District said it is proud of the focus, preparation, and perseverance Sarv has shown in returning to the finals for another remarkable run.

The finals begin at 8 p.m. ET and will air live on ION.