A 14-year-old from New Orleans is the new champion of the Scripps National Spelling Bee!
Zaila Avant-garde became the first African American winner in the Bee's 96-year history by correctly spelling the word, “murraya,” a type of tropical tree from Asia and Australia.
She gets a 50-thousand dollar cash prize after outlasting more than 200 other spellers.
Spelling is just a side hobby for Zaila... though it's one she routinely practiced for 7 hours a day.
Her true love is basketball. She's a basketball prodigy who hopes to play some day in the WNBA.
And the Spelling Bee trophy isn't her only award, either. She holds three Guinness world records for dribbling multiple balls simultaneously.
Photo: Getty Images