WASHINGTON — The Howard County sixth grader competing in the final rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee made it into the top 15 spellers before stumbling in the eighth round on the word “tules.” [related_gallery align=”right”]Saketh Sundar, 11, who attends Mayfield Woods Middle School in Elkridge, Maryland, was the only D.C.-area local to advance to the final rounds of the annual spelling bee. The word tules describes land dominated by bulrushes or cattails. Overall, nearly 300 spellers — including 11 D.C.-area word whizzes — took part in the competition. Earlier the competition, Sundar, had successfully spelled such stumpers as “dacrocyst” and “definiendum” and “singultus.” His school tweeted Thursday night: “We’re so, so proud of Saketh … we know he’ll be back”

We’re so, so proud of Saketh … we know he’ll be back! #teammayfield https://t.co/HJFFY8mgoI

— Mayfield Woods MS (@hcpss_mwms) June 2, 2017

Sundar competed in the 2016 spelling bee. The 2017 spelling bee champion is 12-year-old Ananya Vinay of Fresno, California, who correctly spelled “marocain” — a dress fabric made from silk or rayon — in the 36th round. It’s the first time a solo winner has been declared since 2013 after a series of back-to-back ties in recent years. Along with bragging rights, Vinay takes home $40,000 cash, an engraved trophy, a $2,500 savings bond, $400 worth of reference works and appearances on “LIVE with Kelly and Ryan” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” The last (and only) time a local won the bee was in 1984, when 13-year-old Daniel Greenblatt, from Sterling, Virginia, took home the trophy with “luge.”