Timnath Sixth Grader Wins Colorado State Spelling Bee

Kinard Middle School student Nikhil Ganta earns national stage after years of steady rise through Poudre School District competition

Timnath’s Nikhil Ganta, a sixth grader at Kinard Middle School, has done it again… only better, much better! For the fourth year in a row, he won the Poudre School District Spelling Bee on January 23rd. He then went on to win the Colorado State Spelling Bee on March 7th, earning his first trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee, May 26-28th in Washington, D.C.

Nikhil finished 13th at the state spelling bee as a first grader, when he qualified via written tests. He first won the PSD championship as a third grader and has moved up in the rankings every year since at the state competition. He was the runner-up in 2025, finishing behind only Vedanth Raju, now an Aurora eighth grader whom he beat this year in 20 rounds of head-to-head competition after all the other competitors had been eliminated in the previous 35 rounds. Nikhil won by correctly spelling ‘amaxophobia’—fear of riding in a vehicle.

Nikhil is the son of  Dr. Ashwin Ganta and Hima Maligireddy. He attributes his success in spelling to his mother, Hima, who helps him study for the competitions, often for four hours a day. His favorite subject in school is, of course, spelling, and he hopes to become a lawyer someday. When not studying words and their meanings, Nikhil enjoys reading—especially about history—and relaxes playing cricket, skiing, and traveling with his parents.

Tales from Timnath is proud of Nikhil Ganta and wishes him good luck at the National Spelling Bee!

Phil Goldstein is in his 7th year writing Tales from Timnath for North Forty News. Phil is a 16-year Timnath resident who is finally using his West Virginia University journalism degree after getting sidetracked 53 years ago. The views expressed herein are Phil’s only. Contact him with comments on the column at NFNTimnath@gmail.com

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