MITCHELL, S.D. (South Dakota News Watch) – A 5th grade student from Challenge Center Elementary School in Sioux Falls won the 2026 South Dakota State Spelling Bee Saturday in the 19th round.
Oscar Quezada, 11, claimed the state championship and will move on to the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington in May after correctly spelling “arrearage.”
For the second year, South Dakota News Watch and Dakota Wesleyan University sponsored the competition, which was held at DWU. Financial support for Black Hills area students also came from the Independent Insurance Agents of Rapid City.
Oscar was eliminated in the first round at last year’s state bee when a baby cried and he lost his concentration.
“Instead of spelling ‘flipperling,’ I spelled ‘flippering,'” he recalled Saturday. “I was like, I’m probably going to come back next year because I’ve gotten first place in my school bee twice in a row, last year and this year.”
His advice to other spellers: “Basically, just practice. If somebody’s in the spelling bee, just practice as hard as possible. It’ll, it’ll definitely pay off.”
Pleroma Otang, 11, a 6th grader from Brandon Valley Intermedia School, took second place and Ashika Gupta, 13, an 8th grader from Dakota Valley Upper Elementary Middle School took 3rd place.
Schools that qualified students to compete at the state bee:
Brandon: Brandon Valley Intermediate School; Robert Bennis Elementary School
Brookings: George S. Mickelson Middle School
Clear Lake: Deuel School
Estelline: Estelline Junior High; Sharon F. Delzer Elementary School
Florence Middle School
Garretson School
Madison Elementary School
Milbank Middle School
Mitchell: Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary School
North Sioux City: Dakota Valley Upper Elementary Middle School
Parkston Elementary School
Piedmont Valley Elementary School
Platte-Geddes Elementary School
Rapid City: Saint Elizabeth Seton Central School; Saint Thomas More Middle School
Scotland Middle Senior High School
Sioux Falls: Challenge Center Elementary School; Cornerstone School; Good Shepherd Lutheran School
Spearfish: Black Hills Christian Academy
Sturgis Elementary School
Vermillion Middle School; Vermillion Elementary School
Waverly South Shore School
Yankton: Sacred Heart Middle School
