Southwest Middle School seventh-grader Bryn Perrins holds the trophy she won at the Douglas County Spelling Bee on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016, at Southwest Middle School.

After winning the Douglas County Spelling Bee in the 10th round, Bryn Perrins listened in the wings of the Southwest Middle School auditorium, spelling the words given two contestants engaged in a prolonged competition for runner-up.

“I knew most of them,” Bryn said of the words Chehalis Jones of South Middle School and Ayla Nguyen of Corpus Christi Catholic School were asked to spell in their 13-round battle for second place.

She was comfortable with spelling the words from her hourlong study sessions as she prepped for the bee in recent weeks, Bryn said. The work paid off at the bee, which started with 25 contestants from Douglas County elementary and middle schools, when she correctly spelled lilac in a championship round after three spellers misspelled words in the ninth round.

The seventh-grader said she also had the home-microphone advantage in the competition held in the school she attended.

“I think it made me more comfortable,” she said. “I’ve spelled in here a few times before.”

Bryn continued a family tradition. Her brother, Ethan, won the Douglas County Spelling Bee two years ago and later won the Scripps regional bee, which is the same as state, to advance to the national finals in Washington, D.C. Accompanying her brother on that trip provided Bryn motivation to study hard for the bee.

“I had a really great time there,” she said. “I want to go back.”

Ayla said she had a tough challenger in the runner-up competition. She and Chehalis spelled 10-straight words correctly before both girls missed in the 21st round. Ayla prevailed two rounds later after both correctly spelled words in the 22nd round.

With her second-place finish, Ayla will join Bryn at the regional competition March 5 in Topeka. The seventh-grader said she would continue her hourlong evening study sessions with the goal of winning a trip to the national finals.

The Journal-World has sponsored the Douglas County Spelling Bee since 2009.