From left, the winners of The Marietta Times Regional Spelling Bee: Daniel Handschumacher, third; Maddie Davisson, fifth; Aadhya Adhikari, first; Aadhar Adhikari, second; Jonah Corcoran, fourth. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

The final round of the 2026 Marietta Times Regional Spelling Bee featured a family face-off, as Veritas Classical Academy fifth-grader Aadhya Adhikari defended her title against her younger brother, third-grader Aadhar Adhikari, who finished as runner-up in his first appearance.

“That was really fun,” said Aadhya, who advances to the Scripps National Spelling Bee for the second year in a row.

Their father, Suman Adhikari, said watching both children excel has been rewarding.

“It’s a wonderful feeling,” he said. “Although I would like to take the credit, it’s theirs.”

Aadhya and Aadhar were among the students representing approximately 15 schools from Washington and Monroe counties in Ohio and parts of West Virginia in the regional event Friday evening at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players Theatre. It has been hosted for decades through a partnership between The Marietta Times and the national bee.

From left, Veritas Classical Academy fifth-grader Aadhya Adhikari competes with her brother, third-grader Aadhar Adhikari, for first place at The Marietta Times Regional Spelling Bee Friday at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players Theatre. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

Aadhya Adhikari said the victory felt “really exciting” and noted she plans to adjust her preparation for the national competition.

“This year, I’ll probably study roots and suffixes instead of just studying words,” she said.

Their mother, Pushpa Uprety, said preparation for the competition involved months of consistent study, including daily practice and quizzing sessions.

“She practiced all 4,000 words several times,” Uprety said. “They both used to quiz each other … they pretty much worked very, very hard for this.”

Teachers also highlighted the growing enthusiasm among students. Sarah McKay, a teacher at Veritas, said participation at her school continues to build each year.

Volunteer George Wells prepares spellers with a few rules for The Marietta Times Regional Spelling Bee on Friday at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players Theatre. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

“Every year, the kids take on more of a personal responsibility,” she said, noting that younger students have also been inspired to participate after seeing older students succeed.

Christina Myer, executive editor of The Marietta Times, said the newspaper’s connection to the Scripps National Spelling Bee spans decades.

“It is always encouraging to me to see the number of students who are interested in participating in an event like this,” Myer said. “We reach four counties and give those students an opportunity to compete on a national level, and for us to be able to bring that to these areas is certainly a source of pride for us.”

Myer also credited community sponsors for helping sustain the event, including grand prize sponsor Peoples Bank.

Gwen Sour can be reached at gsour@newsandsentinel.com.

Warren Middle School fifth-grader Maddie Davisson asks for the definition of a word from Paige Fleming, the pronouncer, during The Marietta Times Regional Spelling Bee on Friday. (Photo by Gwen Sour)