Two students from Central Middle School (CMS) will compete in the 2026 North Dakota State Spelling Bee, which will take place on Monday, March 23 at the Bismarck Event Center, located at 315 S. 5th Street in Bismarck.
As winners of the Ramsey County Spelling Bee held last month, CMS 6th grader Jude Asleson, who won first place, and CMS 8th grader Jaxen Parisien, the runner-up, will now compete in the state competition. Ninety-nine students from across North Dakota, representing 51 of the state’s 53 counties, will compete in this one-day event. Including spellers, family members, volunteers, teachers, school administrators, and spectators, more than 250 people are expected to attend.
According to Spelling Bee State Director Miranda Streifel, “We are thrilled to welcome 99 of North Dakota’s top spellers to the State Spelling Bee. This year’s competitors range from fourth through eighth grade, with 26 spellers returning for at least their second appearance at the State Bee. All of these spellers have demonstrated incredible dedication, hard work, and perseverance to reach this level of competition. We are proud to provide this opportunity for students across the state and look forward to an exciting competition.”
The competition will begin in the morning with a written test consisting of 50 spelling words and 20 vocabulary questions. Once the tests are scored, the top 25 spellers, along with any additional students tied for 25th place, will advance to the afternoon’s oral spelldown. The oral competition will continue until a state champion is crowned.
The North Dakota State Spelling Bee champion will receive an expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in “Bee Week” and compete in the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee during the week of Memorial Day. The grand prize includes airfare, hotel accommodations, and travel expenses for the champion and a chaperone.
Prizes will be awarded to the first, second, third, and fourth-place finishers. In addition to the trip to Washington, D.C., the Scripps National Spelling Bee provides the champion with a one-year subscription to Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online, News-O-Matic, and Brittanica Online Premium.
The program administrator and host of the event is the North Dakota Association of County Superintendents (NDACS), the official regional partner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
This year’s event is primarily sponsored by the North Dakota Newspaper Association Education Foundation. Additional sponsors include:
• Magic City Lions Club (Minot)
• Minot Junior Golf Association
• Thundering Saints (Valley City)
• Bison Booster Club (Milnor)
• American Legion Post #29 (Watford City)
• Finley Improvement Association
• Aggie Foundation
• Fraternal Order of Eagles (Watford City)
• Schwandt Goodman Post 9050 (Enderlin)
• Center Community Club
• Upham American Legion Earl Nermoe Post #269
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