An Ocala middle school student claimed the title of Marion County 2025 Spelling Bee Champion this week.
Ava Mai, an eighth grade student at Liberty Middle School, claimed the top prize at the 23rd annual Marion County Spelling Bee on Tuesday, February 18.
According to a statement from Marion County Public Schools, Mai was one of 22 middle school students from 11 schools across the district who competed in the event, which was held at the Browne Greaton Cole Auditorium within the Marion Technical Institute in Ocala.
Over the evening, students participated in 11 rounds of the competition, with the single-elimination field dwindling quickly.
Mai spelled “derivative” as the championship word to earn the title. For her victory, she earned a ribbon and cash prize provided by the Women’s Club of Ocala, which is the Bee’s long-time sponsor.
Elias Javelona of Howard Middle School earned second place at the competition. Javelona also took home a ribbon and cash prize for his efforts.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which takes place in Washington, D.C. in May.
Students from 11 different Marion County middle schools participated in Tuesday’s competition, including Belleview, Blessed Trinity, Dunnellon, Fort King, Fort McCoy, Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks, Howard, Lake Weir, Liberty, North Marion, and Osceola.
While the event was recorded live for the MCPS YouTube channel, it will not be available for viewing until April 1 to maintain the integrity of the Scripps National Spelling Bee’s word list.
School-based spelling bee winners also participated in the regional online spelling bee for a chance to advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee this summer, according to MCPS.