P-e-r-s-e-v-e-r-a-n-c-e wins for a spelling contestant

Her voice breaking with emotion, Paige Pipkin -- a 13-year-old from El Paso, Texas, who was last year's runner-up -- correctly spelled "sarcophagus" to win the 54th National Spelling Bee. Paige defeated Jason Johnson, 12, of Stevensville, Mich., who misspelled the word "philippic" -- an oration or harangue. Paige spelled it correctly, then spelled sarcophagus to ice her championship.

Miss Pipkin tripped last year on "glitch," but returned this year to try again. On her way to winning, she confidently spelled "dolcissimo," "tarm ac," and "captious."