NEWBURG, Md. – Knees were bouncing with anxious jitters and hearts were racing as students waited for their turn to approach the microphone in the middle of Piccowaxen Middle School’s gym Wednesday evening for the 48th annual Charles County Spelling Bee.
The top spellers from eight Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) middle schools were represented by a team of no more than three students. Students from county private schools and a home school co-op also participated.
In the end, the Final 4 spellers were seventh graders returning 2025 Spelling Bee champion Aruuke Rayeva of Archbishop Neale School (ANS), Sebastian Miciano of Milton M. Somers Middle School, Ava Warburton of Southern Maryland Christian Academy (SMCA) and eighth grader Ethan Atanga of Matthew Henson Middle School.
Atanga clenched the number one spot in this year’s competition. With this being his first year doing the Spelling Bee his confidence was even higher when he took home first place. “It feels great,” he said. “I was confident the whole time. I just had to give it my all.”
“I thank everyone who has helped me and my coaches who have helped me to be great off the court as well,” Atanga said.
“I am incredibly proud of Ethan. It’s just the beginning of what he can accomplish,” Claudia Bellony-Atanga, his mom, said. “I know he will represent his school [and county] well.”
Atanga will represent Charles County in the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee. The competition takes place in late May near Washington, D.C.
At the local level, ANS, coached by Laura Schreyer, took home a plaque for earning the most points in the March 4 competition with Atanga receiving a $1,000 check from Bee sponsor Educational Systems Federal Credit Union and a trophy for being the top speller. The remaining finalists — Miciano, Rayeva and Warburton — each received a trophy. The Charles County Spelling Bee is sponsored by CCPS, the credit union and SMECO.
Students compete in school-level spelling bees to advance to the county contest. The team members and coaches for each school that competed are listed below.
- Theodore G. Davis Middle School — Caesar Keith, Avery Samuel and Taryn Stills. Coached by Delishia Davis.
- Glymont Middle School — Montez Fiore, Evan Story and Ariah Washington. Coached by Shannon Elder.
- John Hanson Middle School — Jordan Lewis and Victor Sagastume Diaz. Coached by Kimberle Johnson.
- Matthew Henson Middle School — Atanga, Skylar Cureton and Ryan Ordonez. Coached by Debby Holder.
- Mattawoman Middle School — Kalu Girum, Owen Kanhonou and Anshu Shrestha. Coached by Chris Rubenstahl.
- Piccowaxen Middle School — Charlotte Fenton, Olivia Hays and William Pouring. Coached by Amber Sullivan.
- Milton M. Somers Middle School –– Jan Margaux Magauay, Miciano and Myka Rizor. Coached by Valerie Amend.
- Benjamin Stoddert Middle School — Aidan Brock, Toni Cannon and Caleb Curry. Coached by Taylor Covington.
- ANS — Rayeva, Eben Schlereth and George Shipley IV. Coached by Schreyer.
- Grace Lutheran School — Braxton Armour, Marlie Charles and Dilan Sinclair. Coached by Susaye Smith-Weir.
- Neighborhood Creative Arts Center Homeschool Co-op — Chloe Mobley and Eze Onodugo. Coached by Georgia Bonney.
- Southern Maryland Christian Academy — Maya Carter, Oliva Namyst and Warburton. Coached by Lanaya Ramsey.
- St. Peter’s School — Duke Costello, Elizabeth James and Julianna Pinola. Coached by Coach Amanda Cordova-Ross.
About CCPS
Charles County Public Schools provides 27,904 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 39 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.
The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Mike Blanchard, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.
CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).