Schultz Elementary School held its annual spelling bee competition Thursday afternoon, and after spelling 21 words correctly, fifth grader Himanshu Singh was named the champion.

Himanshu was one of 18 competitors in the spelling competition. Spelling bee coordinator and third grade teacher Dianna Wise said the school originally had more than 100 students compete in the spelling contest but whittled the number down to 18 before the formal competition.

Himanshu, along with his school mates, had to answer progressively more difficult words as the rounds went on. Himanshu claimed victory after the students made it to sixth grade words, and he correctly spelled “mantle.”

“(I feel) really happy,” Himanshu said. “Even though I didn’t practice every single day, I still won. That’s probably just because I’m really good at school.”

He said he had “a lot of fun” but was nervous during the competition.

“I was so scared,” Himanshu said. “Sometimes when I’m practicing, I’d mix up a letter like c and s because they sound the same. I was worried I was going to do that, but I ended up not doing that.”

He said that he didn’t know much about the spelling competition but was pushed to do it by his older sister, a Dempsey Middle School student.

“My sister kept being like, “Do it! Do it now!” Himanshu said.

Nicole Singh, Himanshu’s mother, said that his older sister helped him prepare, and he had been “a great speller and reader since he started school.”

“I’m so proud,” Nicole Singh said Thursday.

Himanshu said one of his classmates told him, “If you don’t win this, you owe me $500 bucks,” and jokingly wondered Thursday if he’d now be able to collect from that student for winning the competition.

Wise said she hopes the spelling bee gives students who participate more confidence in addition to new skills.

“Obviously, it’s a perk for them to be able to spell the words and practice,” Wise said. “(We want them to) have the experience of being able to go up in front of people and feel good about presenting themselves.”

Wise said she hopes students also learn to shake off mistakes because “there’s always next time.”

Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.