16 spellers. 16 rounds. 105 words.
In the end, Buddy Taylor Middle School 8th-grader Mitchell Spencer Edelstein had the stamina to survive the challenge and emerged as the Flagler Schools Spelling Bee Champion for the second consecutive year.
The championship word? S-t-a-m-i-n-a.
When did he know he won?
“Right when they gave me the word,” said Edelstein. “I knew it right away. I’ve been studying these words for the last few months. I woke up today and knew the Spelling Bee was tonight, and grabbed my word list and kept studying.”
Christ the King Lutheran School 5th-grader Teddy Totten was runner-up. The word “affluent” tripped him up.
Edelstein now moves on to the 79th Annual First Coast Regional Spelling Bee, which will be held in Jacksonville on March 31, 2023.
School/Grade Spelling Bee Champions
- Puthiheureka Men, Belle Terre Elementary School, 5th grade
- Alexander Belisnskiy, Buddy Taylor Middle School, 6th grade
- Savannah Brown, Buddy Taylor Middle School, 7th grade
- Mitchell Spencer Edelstein, Buddy Taylor Middle School, 8th grade
- Larry Covington, Bunnell Elementary School, 5th grade
- Theodore Totten, Christ the King Lutheran School, 5th grade
- Evren Kabir, Christ the King Lutheran School, 6th grade
- Sophia Zambrano, iFlagler, 6th grade
- Alexander Langer, Imagine School at Town Center, 5th grade
- Adylyn Kirks, Imagine School at Town Center, 6th grade
- Maya Rowicka, Imagine School at Town Center, 7th grade
- Kaitlynnan Libby, Imagine School at Town Center, 8th grade
- Alyssa Rogers, Indian Trails Middle School, 6th grade
- Jaeden Gorcheck, Indian Trails Middle School, 7th grade
- Rafaella Ribeiro, Indian Trails Middle School, 8th grade
- Sophia Campbell, Old Kings Elementary School, 5th grade
- Brighlynn Urbaez, Rymfire Elementary School, 5th grade
- Jasmine Soler, Wadsworth Elementary School, 5th grade
