Liam Twight, 13, of Anderson is returning to Washington, D.C.

The Pacheco Elementary School student won the 12th annual Record Searchlight Regional Spelling Bee held Saturday, March 13, at Sequoia Middle School in Redding.

At the end, Liam correctly spelled the words "pulverized" and "derelict" in the event's 17th round to take the competition's top spot, defeating 32 other spellers from throughout Northern California including Shasta, Tehama, Siskiyou, Trinity, Modoc, Lassen, Humboldt, Glenn, Plumas, Butte and Del Norte counties.

"I knew it right away when I heard it," Liam said after his win.

In May, he'll travel to Washington, D.C., to compete in the 83rd annual Scripps National Spelling Bee.

It will be Liam's second trip in as many years.

Liam won last year's regional competition, but misspelled "guttiferous" in round three of the national competition.

Saturday's second-place finisher also was a repeat.

James McDaniels, 14, an eighth-grader at Westwood Charter School in Portola, came in second behind Liam on Saturday when James misspelled the word "commissary."

Last year, James tied for second place in the regional competition with Bethany Strom of Red Bluff.

"Second, second, second," James said to his parents, shaking his head in disappointment.

Next year, he will be too old to participate.

"I was right there," James said. "This was my goal. The only thing I wanted was to go to Washington."

Meanwhile, Liam said it "almost felt unfair" that he won over James.

"He got words I didn't even know," he said.

That's not to say he's not going to give up his chance to head back to Washington.

"All in all, I'm excited I get to visit more places in D.C. than we did last time," he said. "Of course, it's a vacation and everybody likes vacations."

Liam will get an expenses-paid trip to the national Spelling Bee courtesy of the California Lottery. He also earned a $500 savings bond courtesy of the lottery, $100 from the Record Searchlight and other prizes.