2026 Jackson County Spelling Bee
The 2026 Jackson County Spelling Bee was held in Vanderbilt on Thursday, January 29.
Elementary schools Abrielle Betraun, 8, is the daughter of Nick and Ashley Betraun and is in third grade at Industrial Elementary West. She placed fifth in UIL ready writing, and enjoys tumbling at Full Force gymnastics.
Braxton Budd, 7, is the son of Nathan and Alyson Budd and is in second grade at Industrial Elementary East. He enjoys hunting, baseball, fishing, and playing games.
Jack Carbajal, 10, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Carbajal and is in fourth grade at Ganado Elementary. He is an honor roll student and enjoys football, gaming and playing with friends.
Kinslee Coots, 9, is the daughter of Marshall and Ashlee Coots and is in fourth grade at Edna Intermediate. She was the classroom spelling bee winner in 2024, an A honor roll student, Wrangler All-Star, and is enrolled in the GT program. Hicks is also placed fourth in UIL Spelling and second place in UIL ready writing.
She enjoys art, volleyball, tennis and dancing.
Daniel Garza, 11, is the son of Philip and Nicole Garza and is in fifth grade at Industrial Elementary West. He’s been the school champion from 2025 to 2023, and the county runner-up in 2025.
Garza enjoys reading, basketball, drawing, being involved in 4-H and performing in the Victoria Nutcracker.
Colin Hadley, 11, is the son of Johanna and Jeremy Hadley and is in the fifth grade at Ganado Elementary. He was the second grade spelling bee champion, an A+ honor roll student, and earned a black belt in karate, plus a gold medal four years in a row in UIL spelling.
Hadley enjoys football, baseball, basketball, baseball, and karate.
Bristol Harper, 10, is the son of Douglas and Erin Harper and is in fourth grade at Industrial Elementary East. He enjoys spending time with friends, and playing volleyball, basketball, drawing and science experiments.
Kyla Norman is the daughter of Tyrol and Kendra Norman, and is in fifth grade at Edna Intermediate. She is an honor roll student, a member of Texana Fellowship Youth Group, and plays Southern Swing volleyball and Upward basketball.
Norman enjoys sports, dance, reading, hanging out with friends and her grandma.
Whitley Lambright, 8, is the daughter of Thomas and Kristen Lambright and is in second grade at Industrial Elementary West. She has shown pigs at the Victoria Livestock Show for four years, and was named Little Miss Duchess at the Victoria Livestock Show in 2023.
Lambright enjoys reading, basketball, showing pigs and spending time with family.
Demi McCain, 9, is the daughter of Will and Kara McCain and is in third grade at Ganado Elementary. She competes in UIL ready writing, storytelling, spelling, and is a high honors student. She was Little Miss Jackson County, earned the President’s award, and was a Star Student Math in second grade.
McCain enjoys dance, cheer, softball and volleyball.
Joaquin Moreno,
7, is the son of Juan and Susi Moreno and is in second grade at Ganado Elementary. He is an A+ honor roll student and on the UIL chess puzzle team.
Moreno enjoys fishing, baseball and gaming.
Paige Price,
11, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs, Vincent Price and is in fifth grade at Industrial Elementary East.
She was the 2025, 2024, 2023 and 2022 spelling bee representative and school champion in 2024. Price has also been a UIL spelling participant from second to fifth grade.
She also enjoys volleyball, cheer, tumbling, basketball, club volleyball, 4-H shotgun, member and historian.
Anna Smith,
8, is the daughter of Dion and Kristina Smith and is in third grade at Edna Primary. She was the grade spelling bee champion for 2024 and 2025, an honor roll student, enrolled in the GT program, and performed in the Nutcracker.
Smith enjoys dance, crafts, music and theater.
Sophia Sobolev,
10, is the daughter of Dmitri Sobolev and Iryna Bieda and is in fourth grade at Industrial Elementary West. She has won first place in UIL spelling two years in a row and is a black belt candidate. Sobolev enjoys karate and playing Roblox.
Greta Tomas,
7, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Tomas and is in second grade at Edna Primary. She enjoys driving her jeep, playing outside, hunting, swimming,
painting and time with family.
Reid Vincik, 9, is the son of Thomas and Valerie Vincik and is in third grade at Industrial Elementary East. He was the IEE spelling bee representative in 2025, and is an A honor student, and placed third in UIL creative writing.
Vincik enjoys art, building with Legos, hunting and working cows.
Junior High
Wyatt Ducote, 12, is the son of Jacob and Dara Atkinson Ducote and is in the seventh grade at Industrial Junior High School. In fifth grade, he placed first in UIL chess at IEW.
Ducote enjoy s soccer, playing video games, reading and Lego building.
James Grantham,
11, is the son of Robert and Heather Graham and is in sixth grade at Industrial Junior High School.
He loves spelling, math, and has a vast knowledge of random and interesting facts.
Grantham enjoys surfing, fishing and playing video games.
Wyatt Green,
14, is
the son of Jeffrey and Emily Green and is in eighth grade at Edna Junior High. He is a regional band qualifier, NJHS community service chair, 4-H county council member, and reporter of his local club.
He enjoys reading, cooking, hunting and fishing.
Daya Larson, 12, is the daughter of Kevin Larson and is in seventh grade at Edna Junior High.
Danica Mathews,
11, is the daughter of Daniela Rayburn and is in sixth grade at Edna Junior High School. She won the county spelling bee in 2025 and was a regional participant for Edna Elementary.
Mathews placed third in One Act Play at Industrial and received a superior rating.
She enjoys theatre, volleyball, UIL, reading, dancing, gaming, and loves math and spelling.
Sebastian Orozco,
13, is the son of Christina and Andrew Orozco and is in eighth grade at Ganado Junior High. He was the county spelling bee champion in 2023, and the grade spelling spelling bee champion in 2024 and 2025.
Scarlettt Smith, 12, is the daughter of Greg and Catheran Smith and is in eighth grade at Industrial Junior High School. She has been the county spelling bee champion since 2020, IJHS champion since 2023, and IEE champion from 2020 to 2023.
Smith swims for the Victoria Texas Aquatic Club and competes in UIL academics. She’s also had three poems published with Creative Communications.
She enjoys archery, rifler, baking, horseback riding, reading, drawing and crocheting.
