Boston will be well-represented in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May by Roxbury’s Sapna Malhotra, who won the city bee Saturday by correctly spelling “Senecio,” a type of plant in the daisy family.

“Congratulations to all of our students who worked hard and made Boston proud at this year’s Bee,” Mayor Michelle Wu said. “The City of Boston is honored to celebrate you. Congratulations to Sapna for this accomplishment and all of Boston will cheer you on as you represent our city in the national spelling bee in Washington D.C.”

Malhotra bested 23 others at the bee held at Rabb Hall at the Boston Public Library’s Copley Branch on Saturday. All 24 of them in turn were truly remarkable spellers who stood out of the 3,000 strong contingent of competitors across the Boston Centers for Youth & Families’ Citywide Bee.

In addition to the chance of being the second Bostonian to win the Scripps Bee — the last and only one was in 1939 — the John Eliot K-9 school 8th grader received the Samuel Louis Sugarman Award, a 2025 U.S. Mint Proof Set donated by Mr. Jay Sugarmann in honor of his father, a one-year subscription to Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online, a one-year subscription to Encyclopedia Britannica Online Premium, and a trophy.

The runners-up were 13-year-old Ruslana Roshchin from Jamaica Plain, who took home second-place honors, and Haylee Chen, 11, of Brighton, who finished third. They each took home a $125 Amazon gift card and a trophy.

“The dedication and skill displayed by our spellers today were truly inspiring, and we’re immensely proud of each participant,” said Marta E. Rivera, Commissioner of BCYF. “We’re deeply grateful to the Boston Bruins Foundation for their ongoing partnership in bringing this enriching experience to our city’s youth. We extend our sincere thanks to Yusufi Vali, Sebastian Stockman, and Kate Hennigan for their invaluable time and support as judges. We’ll be enthusiastically cheering on Sapna as she represents Boston at the National Bee.”

Mark Bryant, an 8th grader at Boston College High School, reacts after misspelling a word during Saturday’s Boston spelling bee. (Photo by Paul Connors/Boston Herald)

Trinit Mayers, a 6th grader at East Brook Charter school, ponders the spelling of a word Saturday at the Boston spelling bee. (Photo by Paul Connors/Boston Herald)

Jrex Apurado, a 5th grader at Edison K-9 school, ponders the spelling of a word Saturday at the Boston spelling bee. (Photo by Paul Connors/Boston Herald)