NATIONAL SPELLING BEE 2007: ROUND FOUR

Paul Lindseth got the O. He got the U. He got the B and the L. And he got the I. But he didn't get the first E in oubliette--and, after that, there was no turning back for The Big Apple's best hope in this year's tournament.

And Asbury Park's Robert Hale (pictured)? Something tells me he'll never start erinaceous with an A again.

But oh, that Prateek Kohli! Representing Long Island Jewish World, he dispatched diocesan to earn himself a spot in tomorrow's rounds.

And you can be sure Samir Patel will be there, too--sunglo took care of that.

So who else is still in the competition? One of the remaining spellers is Maithreyi Gopalakrishnan, representing the Daily Camera of Boulder, Colorado. So far she's spelled gesture, tyrannical, and salinelle. Here the eighth grader qualifies for the National Spelling Bee--for the fourth consecutive year.



Source (6:47)

NATIONAL SPELLING BEE 2007: THE THIRD ROUND

Local champ Paul Linseth (pictured) remains in the running with expurgate. So do Robert Hale of Asbury Park and Prateek Kohli of Rockville Center with thrombocyte and convivial, respectively.

But there's Samir Patel of Fort Worth, fending off trumpery as if it were so much gossamer frippery.

For liveblogging coverage, try A List of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago.