North Salisbury Elementary

Wicomico County school spelling bee champions selected through competition at the school level will now compete in the 2026 Maryland Eastern Shore Regional Spelling Bee at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne on Saturday, March 7. The winner of the regional bee will be the area’s representative at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in late May.

The Maryland Eastern Shore Regional Spelling Bee will take place in the Ella Fitzgerald Center for Performing Arts at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 7. It is open to the public. Classmates, teachers, administrators, families and other supporters are invited to attend. Ample parking is available in the parking lots adjacent to the Fitzgerald PAC. Bee participants should arrive by 8:45 a.m. to check in and be relaxed and ready by bee time. Spectators should plan to be in their seats by 9:45 a.m.

UMES sponsors and hosts the regional bee, which will involve students in grades 4-8 from public schools and other schools on the Lower Shore. Students from Wicomico County Public Schools have won many of the Maryland Eastern Shore Regional Spelling Bees, and have enjoyed competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee with their peers from around the country. Last year’s Regional Spelling Bee champion, Megan Barrientos of Wicomico Middle, finished as a semifinalist in the national bee. Megan, now in 8^th Grade, is one of Wicomico Middle’s two school champions who will compete in the regional bee this year.

Congratulations to each school’s two 2026 school spelling bee champions who qualified to compete in the Regional Spelling Bee, and good luck to all of these excellent spellers in the March 7 Maryland Eastern Shore Regional Spelling Bee! Here are the spelling bee champions for each Wicomico school.

2026 School Spelling Bee Champions

Delmar Elementary: Camden Bernhardt (4^th), 1^st Place; Alexandra Bankard (4^th), runner-up

East Salisbury Elementary: Skye Stanley (5^th), 1^st Place; Onedy Garcia-Matias (4^th), runner-up

Fruitland Intermediate: Velgrade Villa (4^th), 1^st Place; Scarlett Maras (5^th) runner-up

Glen Avenue Elementary: Katlynn Long (5^th), 1^st Place; Francisco Pierre (5^th), runner-up

North Salisbury Elementary: Bruce Jean Louis (5^th), 1^st Place; Jazz Johnson (4^th), runner-up

Northwestern Elementary: Lillie Ann Gorman-Webb (4^th), 1^st Place; Nolan Sanders (5^th), runner-up

Pemberton Elementary: Michael Muriuki (4^th), 1^st Place; Fedemica Deshommes (5^th), runner-up

Pinehurst Elementary: Catalina Brown (4^th), champion; Emily Barry (5^th), runner-up

Prince Street Elementary: Keira Hearn (5^th) 1^st Place, Madeline Skibicki (5^th), 2^nd Place

Westside Intermediate: Eleanor White (4^th), 1^st Place; Benaiah Kissel (4^th) runner-up

Pittsville Elementary and Middle: Ethan Paau (6^th), champion; Courtney Tull (6^th), runner-up

Bennett Middle: Lyric Graham (8^th), 1^st Place; Ellis Katz (7^th), 2^nd Place

Mardela Middle: Sean Tensley (8^th), 1^st Place; Elijah Sterling (6^th), 2^nd Place

Salisbury Middle: Cypress Hales (7^th) and Ishanth Kandagatla (8^th), school champions

Wicomico Middle: Owen Olaye (6^th) and Megan Barrientos (8^th), school champions