Adriayn Barnhill correctly spelled the word muslin to place first in the 19th-annual Downeast North Carolina Regional Spelling Bee, held Saturday in Washington.

Barnhill, a seventh-grader from Kinston Charter Academy, was one of 32 student-spellers who took part in the event.

The 13-year-old victor advances to represent her region in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

Her prizes were an all-expense paid trip to the nationals with a chaperone, a Merriam-Webster Third New International Dictionary, a $100 Series EE U.S. savings bond, a one-year subscription to Encyclopedia Britannica Online, a $20 Amazon.com gift certificate, a $30 Wal-Mart gift card and a first-place trophy.

Asked to describe how she felt after the competition, a reticent Barnhill said, “Shocked.”

Her mother, Sharon Floyd, said her daughter studied hard ahead of the spelling bee.

“She definitely deserves it,” Floyd said of her daughter’s win.

Barnhill’s father, Dwayne Barnhill, beamed his approval.

“I’m happy,” the father said. “She brought me home a trophy for my birthday.

Dwayne Barnhill’s birthday is today.

Floyd said Barnhill’s whole family plans to make the trip to the nation’s capital, including the youth’s six sisters.

“We’re going to bring (the trophy) home to North Carolina,” the mother predicted.

In second place was Carson Creef, a fourth-grader at Nags Head Elementary School.

This was the 10 year old’s first spelling bee, beyond the one in which he took part before advancing to the regional showdown.

“I’m just a good speller by nature,” he said.

Creef won a dictionary, a one-year subscription to Encyclopedia Britannica Online, a $20 Amazon.com gift certificate, a $30 Wal-Mart gift card and a second-place trophy.

In third place was Luke Bradley, a fourth-grader at Brinson Memorial Elementary School.
Like Creef, this was Bradley’s first Downeast spelling bee.

“I’m just a naturally good speller,” the 10 year old said.

He also won a one-year subscription to Encyclopedia Britannica Online, a $30 Wal-Mart gift card and a third-place trophy.

The spelling bee was sponsored by PotashCorp-Aurora and the Washington Daily News.

The occasion took place at the Washington High School Performing Arts Center, and was emceed by Michelle Vaught, spokeswoman for Potash.

The pronouncer was Marvin Daugherty, chief meteorologist with WITN-TV.

The judges were Cornell McGill, a division administrator with the N.C. Division of Community Correction, Melissa Nanney, a public-affairs specialist, and Lou Firth, office manager/circulation manager with the Daily News.