BALTIMORE -- When the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee went to a lightning round-style tiebreaker on Thursday night, 12-year-old Bruhat Soma said he felt nervous. His heart started pounding before the “spell-off” began.

But the seventh-grade student from Tampa didn’t look rattled when he stepped up to start spelling. Soma reeled off 29 of 30 correctly spelled words during the allotted 90 seconds -- nine more than runner-up Faizan Zaki of Allen, Texas -- to win the competition.

Soma, who attends Turner/Bartels K-8 School in Tampa, was sponsored by the Rays Baseball Foundation and Rowdies Soccer Fund. The Rays were the first Major League team to partner with the Scripps National Spelling Bee to become a regional partner for the program, and Soma was one of three winners at the regional spelling bee held at Tropicana Field on Feb. 10.

“When I heard that I got 29 correct, I was really happy because I knew that there was a good chance that I had won,” Soma said Saturday on a video call. “I was really happy because I won. It was like a dream come true. I've been working really hard for the past year.”

That might be an understatement.

Participating in the Spelling Bee for the third time after tying for 163rd place in 2022 and 74th last year, Soma was determined to win this time.

Soma said he studied 10 hours a day on weekends and six hours a day during the week. He prepared using a website called SpellPundit, and the way he practiced carried over into the Spelling Bee, as he appeared to be quickly typing each word as he spelled. His father quizzed him on the words he missed while also preparing him for a potential spell-off.

“I was really into it. I really wanted to win after losing last year in the quarterfinals,” Soma said. “I knew I had to try harder this year.”

Scripps said Soma’s championship word was “abseil”, defined as “descent in mountaineering by means of a rope looped over a projection above.” In a statement, president and CEO of The E.W. Scripps Company Adam Symson said, “Bruhat impressed with his display of knowledge and composure.” He is the second consecutive Spelling Bee winner from the Tampa Bay area, as Largo’s Dev Shah was last year’s champion.

After his euphoric triumph at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, Soma had a whirlwind of a day on Friday. He handled a bunch of interview requests in the morning, including one with Good Morning America, then toured the White House in the afternoon before an evening party with all the contestants.

“Yesterday was pretty fun,” he said, smiling.

Rays radio broadcaster Neil Solondz served as the official pronouncer at the regional event, which was judged by Bally Sports Sun reporter Tricia Whitaker and local children’s book author Davon Miller.

“You could tell right away that he was an impressive kid. He separated himself pretty early,” Solondz said. “You can understand, based on the way he handled himself at the regionals, that he had a chance to do very well in D.C. When you put in 10 hours a day, I guess you've earned everything you get.”

Soma will be back at Tropicana Field as a national champion, as the Rays are inviting him to throw out a ceremonial first pitch at a future game.

“That will be fun,” Soma said.