Esha Marupudi, a 14-year-old eighth grader at BASIS Chandler, won the Arizona Spelling Bee on Saturday at Phoenix’s Madison Center for the Arts, successfully defending her title by correctly spelling “penicillate” in the final round.
Marupudi said she had never seen the winning word before but still managed to secure the Arizona championship and the opportunity to represent the state at the national level for the second time.
The competition featured 28 of Arizona’s top elementary and middle school spellers, who advanced through local and regional contests to reach the state finals on March 21. They were selected from more than 500,000 students who participated in spelling bees across the state.
Preliminary rounds took place in the morning, with finalists moving on to the afternoon championship rounds under Scripps National Spelling Bee rules.
MORE: Phoenix school for immigrants, a pillar for healing-centered approach, is closing
Marupudi and second-place finisher Smriti Parajuli, a 14-year-old from Yuma, will represent Arizona at the Scripps National Spelling Bee, set for May 26–28 in the Washington, D.C., area.
The top two finishers each received a trophy, an $800 cash prize, one-year subscriptions to academic services such as an online dictionary and fully paid travel and lodging for the national competition.
Marupudi won the Arizona Spelling Bee and went on to place eighth at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in 2025. For her, even if she didn’t win, the championship was about “meeting and making friends and just learning how to work for something,” Marupudi said.
‘I’m just going to focus on my word’
The bee lasted about six hours and stretched 20 rounds, with words growing increasingly difficult as the competition progressed.
Speaking with The Arizona Republic before and after the final rounds, Marupudi said her focus has remained straightforward.
“I’m just going to focus on my word,” she said. “I don’t have any control over anything else, just what I can do.”
“She is self-driven,” said her father, Sricharan Marupudi. “All I had to do was provide her the resources and environment to help her achieve her goals.”
Parajuli said she didn’t expect to advance as far as she did. “I had no idea this would happen,” she said.
“She did everything by herself,” said her mother, Binita Parajuli, standing next to her husband, Suman.
The room grew quiet between rounds, filled only with faint whispers as students carefully worked through each word, asking for definitions and origins before responding.
Words like “Guavina” and “teliospore” proved challenging enough to eliminate some contestants as the field narrowed.
At the microphone, each speller paused briefly to collect themselves before spelling — one letter at a time.
Families in the audience watched closely, their reactions reflecting the tension on stage. Some quietly left after their child was eliminated, while others stayed to see the competition continue.
Correct answers often prompted small, restrained gestures — a clenched fist or hands to the face — while eliminations were met with quiet departures, with some spellers holding back tears as they left the stage.
“It functions like any other sport. Students dedicate hours of time and effort, and they build skills that last well beyond the competition,” said Emily Ramirez-Lara, senior director of programs and partnerships for the Arizona Educational Foundation, and spelling coordinator for the event.
And the spelling goes on
One finalist’s family said the preparation spanned several months.
“She’s just in fifth grade, so we never expected to be here,” said Primal Vincent, father of Serah Primal, who finished in the first half of the competition.
“Each day, about two and a half hours she was dedicating to spelling,” her mother, Roshni Joy, said. “It’s her perseverance and confidence that got her here.”
Even after falling short of the top spots, the focus remained on what comes next.
“Just be there,” said Primal.
Full list of spellers in 2026 Arizona Spelling Bee
Here’s a full list of the 2026 Arizona Spelling Bee competitors.
Top Five competitors:
- Esha Marupudi, 8th Grade, BASIS Chandler — Maricopa Region 6 (1st Place)
- Smriti Parajuli, 8th Grade, Centennial Middle School, Crane Elementary School District — Yuma County (2nd Place)
- Sumukh Tirumalasetty, 5th Grade, Vijaya Shankar Scholars Academy — Pinal County (3rd Place)
- Marcelo Garcia Rojas, 5th Grade, Center for Educational Excellence — Maricopa Region 1 (4th Place)
- Bryant Banzhaf, 7th Grade, Marana Middle School, Marana Unified School District — Pima County (5th Place)
All other competitors:
- Ismail Aslam, 8th Grade, Kyrene Akimel A-al Middle School, Kyrene School District — Maricopa Region 1
- Samarth Bokkasa, 6th Grade, North Ranch Elementary School, Paradise Valley Unified School District — Maricopa Region 2
- Atharva Bomman, 4th Grade, Legacy Traditional School – NW Tucson, Legacy Traditional Schools — Pima County
- Jalen Carter, 7th Grade, Desert Mirage Elementary School, Pendergast Elementary School District — Maricopa Region 5
- Rebecca Caulkins, 8th Grade, Heritage Middle School, Chino Valley Unified School District — Yavapai County
- Jieyi Chang, 8th Grade, Arizona College Prep Middle School, Chandler Unified School District — Maricopa Region 6
- Carissa Kai-Yen Cheong, 8th Grade, Alhambra Traditional School, Alhambra Elementary School District — Maricopa Region 3
- Erin Ebers, 8th Grade, Mount Elden Middle School, Flagstaff Unified School District — Coconino County
- Onnie Estes, 8th Grade, Alpine Elementary School, Alpine Elementary School District — Apache County
- Isabella Felix, 8th Grade, Patagonia Elementary School, Patagonia Elementary School District #6 — Santa Cruz County
- Pedro Flores Ruiz, 7th Grade, Marc T. Atkinson Middle School Gifted Academy, Cartwright School District #83 — Maricopa Region 3
- Ivan Franco, 4th Grade, Salome Elementary School, Salome Consolidated Elementary School District #30 — La Paz County
- Delilah Glickler, 7th Grade, Calibre Academy Surprise — Maricopa Region 5
- Lindsey Haws, 8th Grade, White Cliffs Middle School, Kingman Unified School District #20 — Mohave County
- Colin Hughes, 6th Grade, Legacy Traditional School – Peoria — Maricopa Region 4
- Gavin Lauritzen, 6th Grade, Thatcher Elementary School, Thatcher Unified School District — Graham County
- Marcelina Olivarez, 8th Grade, High Desert Middle School, Globe Unified School District — Gila County
- Zayda Papiese, 6th Grade, Pomerene Elementary School, Pomerene School District — Cochise County
- Arielle Pineda, 6th Grade, Blue Ridge Elementary School, Blue Ridge Unified School District #32 — Navajo County
- Serah Primal, 5th Grade, Legacy Traditional School – Glendale — Maricopa Region 4
- Salman Rashid, 7th Grade, Combs Middle School, J.O. Combs Unified School District — Pinal County
- Ronito Romel, 7th Grade, Hillcrest Middle School, Deer Valley Unified School District — Maricopa Region 2
- Hayley Silva, 6th Grade, Fairbanks Middle School, Morenci School District — Greenlee County
Reporting by Rey Covarrubias Jr., Arizona Republic
