Placer County Spelling Bee Champions Announced
Mar 31, 2026 10:18AM ● By Placer County Office of Education News Release
Returning champion Ryan Sekera once again delivered an outstanding performance, successfully defending his title at the 2026 Placer County Spelling Bee. Photo courtesy of PCOE
ROCKLIN, CA (MPG) - Placer County students took center stage at the 2026 Spelling Bee, delivering an inspiring display of academic excellence and determination. Representing schools from across the region, participants showcased their commitment to mastering language through months of preparation, impressing judges and audiences alike with their precision and perseverance throughout the competition.
“The Spelling Bee is a celebration of Placer County's literacy goals in action, highlighting the strong reading and language skills of our students,” said Placer County Superintendent of Schools Gayle Garbolino-Mojica. “We are proud to recognize each participant for their dedication and to celebrate the educators and families who support a lifelong love of learning.”
Returning champion Ryan Sekera once again delivered an outstanding performance, successfully defending his title at the 2026 Placer County Spelling Bee. After previously earning both the county and California State Elementary Spelling Bee championships in 2025, Ryan continued to demonstrate exceptional skill, focus and a strong foundation in literacy, securing the top spot for a second consecutive year.
Elementary Spelling Bee (Grades 4-6)
Left to right: Derek Chiu, Placer County Office of Education Deputy Superintendent Phillip Williams, Ryan Sekera, River McCreery, Milo Garcia, Placer County Board of Education member Kelli Gnile (Area 5). Photo courtesy of PCOE
Ryan Sekera, Eureka Union School District, was named Champion of the elementary bracket with winning word meringue. River McCreery, Eureka Union School District, was the first runner up. Milo Garcia, Roseville City School District was the second runner up and Derek Chiu, Eureka Union School District was the third runner up.
Junior High Spelling Bee (Grades 7-8)
Left to right: Placer County Office of Education Deputy Superintendent Phillip Williams, Daphne Elliott, Michael Park, Priya Sekera, Stephanie Auron, Placer County Board of Education member Kelli Gnile (Area 5). Photo courtesy of PCOE
Michael Park, Rocklin Unified School District was named Champion in the Junior High bracket with winning word caterwaul. Priya Sekera, Eureka Union School District, was the first runner up.Stephanie Auron, Rocklin Unified School District was the second runner up. Daphne Elliott, Roseville City School District, was the third runner up.
Only 250 students in grades four through eight qualified in their local school districts to take the official written spelling test earlier this year. The top 10 scorers from each grade level were invited to compete in the annual oral competition at the Placer County Office of Education on March 18.
Both winners, Ryan Sekera and Michael Park, will represent Placer County at the California State Spelling Bee competition on April 25 at the Great Wolf Lodge in Manteca.
About Placer County Office of Education
Nestled in the Sierra Foothills, Placer County Office of Education (PCOE) serves nearly 75,000 students in sixteen individual school districts across Placer County. In order to serve the students of Placer County, PCOE provides an array of programs and services to meet student needs. This task is accomplished by providing high-quality specialized programs for students; recruiting, retaining and developing highly qualified staff; and monitoring fiscal accountability and expenditures of our tax dollars. For more information, visit www.placercoe.org.
ROCKLIN, CA (MPG) - Placer County students took center stage at the 2026 Spelling Bee, delivering an inspiring display of academic excellence and determination. Representing schools from across the region, participants showcased their commitment to mastering language through months of preparation, impressing judges and audiences alike with their precision and perseverance throughout the competition.
“The Spelling Bee is a celebration of Placer County's literacy goals in action, highlighting the strong reading and language skills of our students,” said Placer County Superintendent of Schools Gayle Garbolino-Mojica. “We are proud to recognize each participant for their dedication and to celebrate the educators and families who support a lifelong love of learning.”
Returning champion Ryan Sekera once again delivered an outstanding performance, successfully defending his title at the 2026 Placer County Spelling Bee. After previously earning both the county and California State Elementary Spelling Bee championships in 2025, Ryan continued to demonstrate exceptional skill, focus and a strong foundation in literacy, securing the top spot for a second consecutive year.
Elementary Spelling Bee (Grades 4-6)
Left to right: Derek Chiu, Placer County Office of Education Deputy Superintendent Phillip Williams, Ryan Sekera, River McCreery, Milo Garcia, Placer County Board of Education member Kelli Gnile (Area 5). Photo courtesy of PCOEJunior High Spelling Bee (Grades 7-8)
Left to right: Placer County Office of Education Deputy Superintendent Phillip Williams, Daphne Elliott, Michael Park, Priya Sekera, Stephanie Auron, Placer County Board of Education member Kelli Gnile (Area 5). Photo courtesy of PCOEOnly 250 students in grades four through eight qualified in their local school districts to take the official written spelling test earlier this year. The top 10 scorers from each grade level were invited to compete in the annual oral competition at the Placer County Office of Education on March 18.
Both winners, Ryan Sekera and Michael Park, will represent Placer County at the California State Spelling Bee competition on April 25 at the Great Wolf Lodge in Manteca.
About Placer County Office of Education
Nestled in the Sierra Foothills, Placer County Office of Education (PCOE) serves nearly 75,000 students in sixteen individual school districts across Placer County. In order to serve the students of Placer County, PCOE provides an array of programs and services to meet student needs. This task is accomplished by providing high-quality specialized programs for students; recruiting, retaining and developing highly qualified staff; and monitoring fiscal accountability and expenditures of our tax dollars. For more information, visit www.placercoe.org.
