This year's national spelling bee ended in a first-ever three-way tie

Three finalists at this year's National Spelling Bee correctly spelled every word the judges could throw at them, and for the first time in the competition's 97-year history, officials declared an unprecedentedunprecedentednever having happened before three-way tie.

The bee's official word list ran out after the judges worked through every championship-level word approved for this year's contest. Rather than invent new ones on the spot, organizers decided the fairest outcome was to let all three keep the trophy.

Backstage, the three thirteen-year-olds hugged instead of shaking hands. "I didn't want to spell against my friends anymore," said Mateo, one of the winners, who has competed in the bee for four years running.

Judges said the decision to end the bee in a tie was unanimousunanimousagreed on by absolutely everyone — every judge on the panel agreed within minutes, something that almost never happens after a competition that intense.

Organizers say they'll expand next year's word list so a repeat tie is less likely, though after three near-misses in the last five years, they admit the bee has become harder to predict than ever.