After two years of near misses, Moody Middle School eighth grader Taran Shivkumar captured the 2026 Henrico County Public Schools Divisionwide Spelling Bee at J.R. Tucker High School on Feb. 5.

The annual competition brings together spelling champions from each HCPS elementary and middle school. Shivkumar, who finished second in 2024, received the trophy from Kristi Kinsella, Henrico School Board’s Brookland District representative, and Lesley Hughes, HCPS’ chief learning officer. 

“I was actually really, really confident today because I knew that I practiced. And with that practice, I started to get better and better, which helped me finally win,” Shivkumar said as his mother and younger sister congratulated him. 

Shivkumar needed 29 rounds to secure the win, including a 16-round, one-on-one showdown with Short Pump Middle School sixth grader Raelene Saldanha, who took runner-up honors. Words in the final rounds included novemdecillion, candelabrum, execrable and oviparous. Shivkumar clinched victory with a correct spelling of tachycardia. 

“I really enjoyed her competitive nature, which is what makes competitions so enjoyable, the fact that contestants try their best,” Shivkumar said of Saldanha. 

Shivkumar will represent Henrico Schools at the Richmond Raceway Regional Spelling Bee and hopes to advance to the Scripps National Spelling Bee, held the week of Memorial Day and televised on ESPN. 

“It’s like a game show, and that’s the most entertaining and magical part about it,” he said.