Finalists from The Woodlands and Katy advance to National Spelling Bee

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- There's a new spelling bee champ in town!

Shourav Dasari, an eighth grader at McCullough Junior High in Conroe ISD, was crowned the winner of this year's Houston Public Media Spelling Bee.

Dasari defeated Raksheet Kota, an eighth grader at Beckendorff Junior High in Katy.

Dasari and Kota competed in nine rounds, knocking out other students from 42 counties across Texas.

Both Dasari and Kota now move on to an all-expense paid trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington DC.

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