Largest Field of Spellers Since 2019 to Compete at Riverside County Spelling Bee on March 26

RIVERSIDE – Five returning spellers, including the 2025 champion, are among the 29 students from Riverside County public, charter, and private schools who will compete in the 48th Annual Riverside County Spelling Bee starting at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 26, at the Riverside County Office of Education Conference Center (4280 Brockton Avenue, Riverside, CA). The event is free and open to the public.

“We welcome all the champions from school and district level competitions to showcase their expertise, self-discipline, and poise at the 48th Annual Riverside County Spelling Bee,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez. “I look forward to seeing who will represent Riverside County at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May.”

A total of 29 students from grades 4 to 8 will compete for a spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Maryland from May 26 to May 28, 2026, at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. In 2025, Victoria Li, a 6th-grade student from the Philistine Rondo School of Discovery in the Corona-Norco Unified School District was named the Riverside County champion after 3.5 hours and 23 rounds of competition.

Spellers making a return visit to the Riverside County competition include:

• Ella Brock, Banning USD - Grade 6 (2025 participant)
• Parker Buchanan, Santa Rosa Academy - Grade 7 (2024 participant)
• Drew Castor, Desert Center USD – Grade 7 (2024 and 2025 participant)
• Esteban Castro, Hemet USD - Grade 7 (2024 participant)
• Victoria Li, Corona-Norco USD - Grade 7 (2025 participant)

Participants in the 48th Riverside County Spelling Bee include (*indicates alternates)

Alvord USD

Eslin Sines, Wells Middle School - Grade 8
*Alan Castaneda, Ysmael Villegas Middle School - Grade 8

Banning USD

Ella Brock, Nicolet Middle School - Grade 6 *Viviana Duran, Hemmerling Elementary School - Grade 5

Beaumont USD

Ezio Camerino, San Gorgonio Middle School - Grade 8
*Jamie Park, Mountain View Middle School - Grade 7

Chámmakilawish Pechanga School

Ajay Pico-Tinsley, Chámmakilawish Pechanga School - Grade 5

Coachella Valley USD

Jayleen Contreras, North Shore Elementary School - Grade 6
*Jasmine Lopez, Valley View Elementary School - Grade 6

Cornerstone Christian School

Celine Danan, Cornerstone Christian School - Grade 4
*Landon Carroll, Cornerstone Christian School - Grade 5

Corona-Norco USD

Victoria Li, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate School - Grade 7
*Vienna Zhou, El Cerrito Middle School - Grade 8

Desert Center USD

Drew Castor, Eagle Mountain School - Grade 8
*Aaliyah Mendoza - Eagle Mountain School - Grade 8

Desert Sands USD

Henry Russell, Palm Desert Charter Middle School - Grade 6

Hemet USD

Esteban Castro, Rancho Viejo Middle School - Grade 7
*Justice Turner, Dartmouth Middle School - Grade 8

Lake Elsinore USD

Adrian Garcia, Alberhill Elementary School - Grade 5
*Parysa Tavakkoli, Luiseno School - Grade 4

Menifee Union SD

Sree Peddinti, Evans Ranch Elementary School - Grade 5
*Ben Cota, Harvest Hill STEAM Academy - Grade 8

Mission Vista Academy

Clair Wallis, Mission Vista Academy - Grade 5

Moreno Valley USD

Ameiyah Mendoza, Butterfield Language Academy - Grade 8
*Caleb Huerta, Mountain View Middle School - Grade 7

Murrieta Valley USD

Alicia Chen, Dorothy McElhinney Middle School - Grade 6
*Ryan Koh, Warm Springs Middle School - Grade 6

Nuview Union SD

Logan Rivera, Valley View Elementary School - Grade 5

Palm Springs USD

Juniper Donovan, Nellie N. Coffman Middle School - Grade 8
*Marigold Donovan, Rancho Mirage Elementary School - Grade 4

Palm Valley School

Malayna Ristaino, Palm Valley School - Grade 5

Palo Verde USD

Jacob Schliekelman, Ruth Brown Elementary School - Grade 6

REACH Leadership STEAM Academy

Melaku Heikaus-Weaver, REACH Leadership STEAM Academy - Grade 6
*Thomas Schmidt, REACH Leadership STEAM Academy - Grade 5

Riverside USD

Senitha Weerakoon, John F. Kennedy Elementary School - Grade 6
*Jessi Kalapala, Mark Twain Elementary School - Grade 5

Romoland SD

Aaliyah Alexander, Granite Hills TK-8 School - Grade 7
*Edwin Wright, Mesa View Elementary School - Grade 4

Santa Rosa Academy

Parker Buchanan, Santa Rosa Academy - Grade 7
*Arianna Simmons, Santa Rosa Academy - Grade 8

Springs Charter Schools

Harper Lovato, River Springs Charter School - Grade 7
*Karissa Rose, River Springs Charter School - Grade 8

Temecula International Academy

Chloe Williams, Temecula International Academy - Grade 5
*Raven Moreno, Temecula International Academy - Grade 8

Temecula Valley USD

Riya Rakesh, Temecula Luiseno Elementary School - Grade 5
*Eric Vizcarra, Bella Vista Middle School - Grade 8

The Learning Center

Afia Rahman, The Learning Center - Grade 6
*Alina Aqil, The Learning Center - Grade 5

Val Verde USD

Jovi Lin, Vista Verde Middle School - Grade 8
*Carolina Lopez, March Middle School - Grade 8

Van Avery Prep

Haleya Vasquez, Van Avery Prep - Grade 8
*James Trujillo, Van Avery Prep - Grade 8