Sylvie Lamontagne, speller 30, heaved a deep sigh as she stepped to the mic. The Colorado eighth grader spelled "shubunkin" correctly to stay in the competition.
"It doesn't get any less difficult the second time," said Sylvie, who tied for ninth place last year. "I was the first one to miss in the finals last year. I'm hoping not to miss the first word tonight, at least."
