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The 75th Scripps National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C., on May 29–30, 2002, sponsored by the E.W. Scripps Company.
| 75th Scripps National Spelling Bee | |
|---|---|
| Date | May 29–30, 2002 |
| Location | Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C. |
| Winner | Pratyush Buddiga |
| Age | 13 |
| Residence | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| Sponsor | Rocky Mountain News |
| Sponsor location | Denver, Colorado |
| Winning word | prospicience |
| No. of contestants | 250 |
| Pronouncer | Alex Cameron (last year) |
| Preceded by | 74th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
| Followed by | 76th Scripps National Spelling Bee |
250 contestants participated in the competition. Thirteen-year-old Pratyush Buddiga, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, won the competition in the 11th round by correctly spelling the word "prospicience".[1][2] Steven Matthew Nalley of Starkville, Mississippi placed second.[2]
This was the first year that a written test was used as a part of the competition, in order to keep the competition to two days. A three-day format was used for the first time the prior year. After making it through a first round of oral spelling on day one (where 75 spellers fell out), spellers had to take a 25-word written test which was considered round two.[3] Ninety spellers made it to the second and final day of the bee.[4][5]
The first place prize was $12,000 (and additional non-cash prizes), and $6,000 for second place.[2]
This was the last year in which Alex Cameron served as pronouncer, a role he had for over 20 years, since the 1981 bee. After Cameron's death in 2003, Jacques Bailly became chief pronouncer.[6]
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