Fourteen-year-old Shray Parekh of Rancho Cucamonga is the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee champion after setting a new competition record in the bee’s lightning-round finale.
The Day Creek Intermediate School eighth grader correctly spelled 32 words in 90 seconds, surpassing the previous record of 29 words set in 2024 and securing the national title.
“I just tried to spell as many as I could,” Shray said after the competition.
Shray traveled to Washington, D.C., with his parents to compete in the prestigious spelling contest, where he advanced through multiple rounds before reaching the final showdown against the last remaining competitor.
His father, Gaurav Parekh, said he never doubted his son’s chances.
“I had full confidence in him and his preparation that it will take him through,” he said.
His mother, Khyati Parekh, admitted watching the final round was nerve-racking.
“My heart was in my stomach, I think,” she said.
As the competition narrowed to two finalists, school officials back home remained confident in Shray’s abilities.
“He seems calm at times, but you can tell he’s excited about the competition,” said Ted Alejandre, superintendent of the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools.
In the decisive lightning round, competitors raced against the clock to correctly spell as many words as possible. When the final scores were announced, Shray had correctly spelled 32 words, while runner-up Isran correctly spelled 25.
The performance earned Shray the national championship and a place in spelling bee history.
“All of us are so proud and excited for him, his family, certainly all his classmates there at Day Creek Intermediate, because Shray represents the best of the best in San Bernardino County,” Alejandre said.
Despite his remarkable achievement, Shray said his journey into competitive spelling began for a surprisingly simple reason.
Before entering spelling bees, he already loved reading. But what initially caught his attention was hearing about the rewards for advancing in the competition.
“My teacher just showed us the hotel we got to go to if we made it to nationals,” Shray said. “It looked really cool and fun, so I just did it.”
That decision ultimately led him to the national stage, where he became the first speller to achieve a record-breaking 32-word performance and claim the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee championship.