NATIONAL SPELLING BEE: ROUND SIX

New York's Prateek Kohli continued to gobble up the competition with saimin.

Connecticut's Joseph Henares (pictured) stayed sharp with schiavone.

California's Evan O'Dorney leapt ahead with corinne.

And Samir Patel? His appeal failed, so he is O-U-T. But still fighting for Texas is Amy Chyao, who so far has reckoned with Kentuckian, mollycoddle, élan, drepanocytosis, and pschent.

Who will win out of the current field of 15? The thrilling conclusion will be broadcast live tonight from 8-10 pm on--fittingly--ABC!

NATIONAL SPELLING BEE: ROUND FIVE

Maithreyi Gopalakrishnan of Colorado? Decamped after being done in by castrensian. Back to the barre for her! And purported favorite Samir Patel? Unhinged by clevis, which he spelled C-L-E-V-I-C-E. He left to a standing ovation but...an appeal might give him another chance.

Prateek Kohli (pictured)? He nailed onychomycosis, thereby qualifying for Round Six--as far as he got last year. Prateek's story this year is very moving.

The only other Round Sixer representing the tri-state area is Joseph Henares of New Haven, Connecticut. He enters Round Six having spelled recommended, sieve, kiddush, and furfuraceous without flaking out.

Joseph and Prateek are now among 33 spelling survivors including Evan O'Dorney of Walnut Creek, California.

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.

VOICELESS: KRISTEN LOMBARDI

I learned from Gawker that journalist Kristen Lombardi was "let go" from The Village Voice last Friday. As I noted in January, Lombardi was active in covering health issues of Ground Zero workers. I wish her well in whatever she does next.

BONUS FOR GOOD SPELLING In other Gawker news, the snarksite's Alex Balk points out that a recent New York Observer letter mispells Joe Conason's name. I could devote an entire item to Balk's mispelling of Lombardi's first name as K-r-i-s-t-i-n, but why bother with such petty matters when there's a National Spelling Bee to cover?

So far New Yorkers Adrian Acevedo and Paul Lindseth are still in the running, having spelled condemn and dutifully, respectively. [DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS DEPARTMENT: Adrian is actually out, felled by the written portion.] Also in the game: Long Island returnee Prateek Kohli (Martian) and the Lone Star State's veteran competitor Samir Patel (décor).

Last year's coverage can be found via this post.