After 38 rounds of nonstop spelling, Alexandria Ciurlino, an eighth-grader at St. Vincent de Paul Regional School in Mays Landing, New Jersey, won the South Jersey Regional Spelling Bee for the second year in a row. She defended her title with the winning word, “lipsync.” She said the national finals are stressful, but “the key is to not let it get to you and just have fun.”

Photo credit: Lauren Carroll, Press of Atlantic City