Ocean Bay Middle student Henry Hein headed to Scripps National Spelling Bee

Henry Hein took home the gold at his first-ever spelling bee Tuesday night.

Hein, of Ocean Bay Middle School, was the only speller left after 21 rounds and two hours at the 28th annual The Sun News Regional Spelling Bee.

He went back and forth with Brandon Tregde, of Christian Academy of Myrtle Beach, for several rounds before spelling two words correctly back-to-back.

His winning word? Exteroceptor – a sensory receptor that receives external stimuli.

“I was so excited, I was so nervous,” Hein said. “It was all just a flash.”

The eighth-grader celebrated his victory with a fist pump and exclamation to the applause of more than 100 spectators. His father, Kyaw Hein, said he was nervous for his son during the last few rounds.

“The final words were very tough,” he said.

Hein was one of 51 elementary, intermediate and middle school students across Horry and Georgetown counties who participated in this year’s regional bee. He advances to represent the area in the annual Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

The national bee will be held May 22-27. All food and lodging expenses for Hein and a chaperone will be paid by The Sun News and The Sun News Educational Foundation.

Hein prepared for his victory by memorizing every word ever associated with spelling bees and practiced with his parents every night.

“It was more of a family effort,” he said.

The judges went through their 300-word list after about an hour and a half, so they moved on to another 300-word list that the contestants had never seen. That’s when Hein started to worry.

He misspelled two words, but so did runner-up Tregde. The two “dings” that signified an incorrect word only added to Hein’s nerves.

“The dings came, and I thought that was it,” he said.

In addition to the Washington trip, he receives Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, the Samuel Louis Sugarman Award, a one-year subscription to Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Premium, Valerie’s Spelling Bee Supplement from Hexco Academic and a trophy from The Sun News.

Gracie Benton, last year’s winner, misspelled battalion in the 12th round with five spellers left.

Several past officials returned to the bee this year, including Tom Jones – with the Grand Strand Optimist Club – who celebrated his 19th year as the second judge. Wanda Chandler-Flowers, assistant to the pronouncer, was in her 16th year; Claire Adare, judge three, and Corinne Merril, rounds keeper, were in their seventh year at the bee. Diana Zipko, rounds recorder, marked her 10th year and Brett Mahaffey, instructional coach at St. James High, served his second year as alternate judge.

This story was originally published March 8, 2016 at 9:18 PM with the headline "Ocean Bay Middle student Henry Hein headed to Scripps National Spelling Bee."