Rachael Cundey and Nicholas Poulos are competing in the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

Over the next two days, the best spellers will engage in word combat at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. You can watch the competition today and tomorrow on ESPN on television or online. The nail-biting finals air from 8 p.m. -10 p.m. Georgia’s two competing champions are Rachel Cundey and Nicholas Poulos. Here are some facts about them:

Rachael Cundey: Rachael is an old hat at the nationals. This is her fifth consecutive trip to D.C. She has been in the contest since 2009. Last year, she tied for 10th place. Her favorite book is Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. She won the state contest by correctly spelling “obedientiary.” Math and science are Rachael’s other passions and she plans to participate in teams on those subjects when she attends Lakeside High School this fall. This is her last appearance in the bee. Look out for a video profile of her on ESPN.

Nicholas Poulos:  He attends Wesleyan School at Peachtree Corners. He won on the word “fibrinogen.” Poulos is a busy young man. In addition to the Spelling Bee, he is competing in the Georgia State Geographic Bee, the National History Bee, and the National Science Bowl. He also plays soccer and will perform in the lead role in his school’s production of the “Secret Garden.” Nicholas also has a photographic memory.

Good luck to Rachael and Nicholas. We're rooting for you!

Teachers, during the final days of the school year, you can drum up excitement for spelling with these suggestions from the Scripps.

Some Facts About the Spelling Bee:

  • 281 spellers from the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Department of Defense Dependents Schools in Europe; as well as the Bahamas, Canada, China, Ghana, Jamaica, Japan and South Korea are competing against each other.

  • The youngest speller is Tara Singh, of Louisville, Kentucky at age 8.
  • The spellers' favorite words include conquistador, flibbertigibbet, humuhumunukunukuapuaa, physiognomy, weissnichtwo and gobbledegook.

What happens to champion spellers after they retire? Check out this where are they now article. Also here is a look at last year's winners and standouts.