Merced City School District Students Emerge as Top Spellers of the 2024 Merced County Spelling Bee

The 2024 Merced County Spelling Bee concluded today, Dec. 11, with top spellers from Luther Burbank Elementary School and Hoover Middle School in the Merced City School District. Held at the Merced County Office of Education (MCOE) Downtown Center, and sponsored by Educational Employees Credit Union, the annual written competition saw more than 120 elementary and junior high spellers from schools across the county.

In the elementary portion of the competition, Zoe O’Donnel, a sixth grader from Luther Burbank Elementary School, earned first place with the word “malfeasance.” Marie Smith and Cielo Maldonado, both fifth graders from Juniper Elementary School, finished second and third, respectively. MCOE Director of Human Resources Stacy Shasky moderated the event.

In the junior high competition, Lawrence Ye, an eighth grader at Hoover Middle School, earned first place with the word “tenebrous.” Ye won the competition without misspelling a word.

Aanashra Afrooz, a seventh grader from Cruickshank Middle School, earned second place and Viraj Dheri, an eighth grader from McSwain Elementary, finished in third. MCOE Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Laura Andrews moderated the junior high event.

The first and second place spellers will advance to the California State Spelling Bee, held at Great Wolf Lodge in Manteca, this spring. If the first or second spellers are unable to attend, the third place speller will go in their place.