Christian had lost the Temple Telegram Bell County Spelling Bee the year before after trading blows with the first-place winner, Ajay Narayanan, for a full hour. They knew the words so well the judges had to bring out the high school word list for the first time in seven years.

“I worked really hard and it feels very good when you work hard and you win,” Christian said after his win this year at the Mary Alice Marshall Performing Arts Center at Temple College. “Last year I knew when I got second I could work a little harder and memorize more.”

Christian is a seventh-grader, and has one more year of eligibility for a repeat performance.

This year he traded words with William Linz, an eighth-grader from Saint Mary’s Catholic School. William said the competition was very stressful and he had been preparing since January for his last Bell County Spelling Bee.

Christian spelled “fracas” and “frenetic” to take first place and the $100 grand prize.

This year’s top 10 hung tough, taking about an hour to whittle their number down to five. It looked for a while as if there would be a repeat of last year’s first- and second-place duel between Christian and Ajay, but the word “brazier” sent Ajay off the stage after making it to the top five.

Vanessa O’Donnell, a home schooled member of the Bell County Christian Home Educators Association, took third place and the $25 prize. She and her sister practiced 50 words a day for the last three months. This was her last year and she said it was really great to have done so well.

Afterwards the proud parents beamed at their champions.

“I’m very proud, he’s tried very hard,” said Rolando Perez. “He was waiting a long time for a second chance. He got second last year and he was a little more nervous this year than last year. He did well, he did very well.”

After the bee Sarah Linz was feeling relieved and very proud of her son.

This may have been the last year Melinda O’Donnell will watch her daughter Vanessa up on stage, but she has two more daughters waiting in the wings.

“I was very nervous,” Mrs. O’Donnell said. “Of course, every mom says that probably.”