Bank of America Stadium transformed into a stage for scholarship this weekend as the Carolina Panthers hosted a regional spelling bee.
The two-day competition brought together 110 top students from grades three through eight. In total, 58 school districts from across North and South Carolina were represented, with Charlotte-area students dominating the field.
The competition serves as the official regional pathway to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. The top four finishers from North Carolina and the South Carolina champion and runner-up advance to nationals on May 26.
In South Carolina, two classmates from Oakridge Middle School in Clover — part of the greater Charlotte region — rose to the top. Manha Shaik captured first place, while Salonee Biraber secured second. They outspelled 50 other top competitors statewide to earn national berths.
On the North Carolina side, Charlotte-area students again stood out. Phaneendra Bulusu from Harris Road Middle School in Concord qualified for Washington. Harini Jayakumar from The Brawley School in Mooresville also secured a national spot.
Two students from Wake County Public School District placed among the top competitors. Sach Akella of Mills Park Middle School and Kushi Gottimukkala of Carnage Magnet Middle School advanced deep into the finals.
The Carolina Panthers Regional Spelling Bee is open to public, charter, private, and homeschool students up to eighth grade within sponsored counties. Public school districts must first hold district-level bees, while charter and homeschool champions qualify through Scripps’ Online Testing Platform.
In North Carolina, each public school district sends one champion to regionals, with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Wake County receiving additional seats. In South Carolina, the top five students from each district advance to the regional stage.
While 58 districts participated, the strongest finishes came from schools in and around Charlotte. For families across the region, the results highlight the academic strength emerging from local classrooms and reinforce the area’s growing presence on the national stage.
