FEBRUARY 19, 2026 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kevin Christian, APR, CPRC, Director of Public Relations
352.671.7734 w ◊ 352.840.3265 c
[email protected]
“OBOE” STRIKES WINNING NOTE FOR
MARION COUNTY SPELLING BEE CHAMPION
2026 Marion County Spelling Bee Champion Elias Javelona, Interim Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Danielle Brewer, and Runner Up Sophia Gonzalez
MARION COUNTY – Fifteen students battled it out Tuesday evening to become the champion of Marion County’s 25th Annual Spelling Bee.
After nine rounds, the winning word was “oboe,” correctly spelled by Howard Middle School eighth grader Elias Javelona, who already qualified online to compete in the regional spelling bee next month. He also competed in Washington, D.C. last year at the Scripps National Spelling Bee and hopes to do the same this May.
This year’s runner up is Sophia Gonzalez, an eighth grader from Blessed Trinity Catholic School.
Marion County has a second student who qualified online and can also compete at the regional level — Allyson Werkheiser, an eighth grader at Fort McCoy School.
For 25 years, MCPS has partnered with the Women’s Club of Ocala to make the Marion County Spelling Bee possible.
This year’s competition was recorded live and will be available on the MCPS YouTube Channel (@MarionCountyK12) starting April 1. The delayed showing maintains the integrity of the Scripps National Spelling Bee’s word list.
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