CROFTON, Md. — Quint Karlsson, a student from Crofton Middle School, captured his third straight championship at the 38th annual Anne Arundel County Spelling Bee on March 7, 2026, outlasting 24 fellow competitors in a grueling contest held in Anne Arundel County.
The seventh-grader clinched the title in the 22nd round by correctly spelling “tortillon,” a word referring to a small pastry or cone-shaped treat. Arman Muhammad of Meade Middle School placed second, while Melina Tlemsani of Old Mill Middle School North took third. To seal the victory, Quint prevailed in a final spelloff against Arman after the regular rounds.
The event, organized by the Anne Arundel County Public Schools Office of Secondary Reading, English & Integrated Literacy, featured presenting sponsors Educational Systems Federal Credit Union and CareFirst, along with co-sponsors Development Facilitators, Inc., Horace Mann and M&T Bank.
This win secures Quint’s spot representing Anne Arundel County at the 101st Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., scheduled for May 2026. The national competition, a not-for-profit educational program run by The E.W. Scripps Company in partnership with local sponsors, draws top spellers from across the United States and beyond through community-level bees involving public, private, charter, parochial and homeschool participants.
Quint’s achievement builds on his prior successes, marking a consistent dominance in the county bee and highlighting the strength of local academic programs in preparing students for high-level challenges. His repeated qualification underscores the dedication required to master increasingly difficult vocabulary under pressure.
Twenty-five spellers competed, including:
Addam Alcantara, Monarch Global Academy; Cyril Belyna, Severn River Middle School; Giovanni Canup, Marley Middle School; Charlotte Conover, Magothy River Middle School; Aralyn Cooper, Northeast Middle School; Corey Couture, School of the Incarnation; Nadia Cross, Annapolis Middle School; Riley David, Brooklyn Park Middle School; Charlotte Dowling, Southern Middle School; Cooper Geismar, Indian Creek; Heather Helliwell, Central Middle School; Ellen Knee, Lindale Middle School; Waters Kurek, Severn School; Camille Lee, Chesapeake Science Point Middle School; Ruby Layode, Arundel Middle School; Bryan Lontsi, MacArthur Middle School; Chloe Pickett, Old Mill Middle School South; Luke Podrazik, Severna Park Middle School; Gloria Sewell, Wiley H. Bates Middle School; Devessa Shaw, St. Andrew’s United Methodist; Logan Turner, Chesapeake Bay Middle School; Annabelle Young, Corkran Middle School.
The county bee serves as a key qualifier for the national stage, where spellers face words drawn from diverse languages and fields. Quint’s hat-trick of titles positions him as a standout contender heading into the prestigious national event.