On the word "nightingale," eighth-grader Parker Ramey won the Hall County Spelling Bee for a fourth time.

"I don't believe anyone has ever won the district bee this many times," proud father and Chicopee Woods Elementary School Principal Hank Ramey said.

It will be his last year to earn the title, though; students cannot compete after eighth grade.

Twenty-nine students started in the competition, which began at about 9:30 a.m. Friday in The Oaks conference room of Lanier Charter Career Academy. But by the fifth round, only four were left standing.

Runner-up Andrew Hathcock, 12, was stymied by the word "physique" but said he wasn't upset.

"There's no hard feelings at all," Hathcock said. "We're best friends."

Hathcock said he met Ramey at the county spelling bee last year and they became fast friends. Both attend Da Vinci Academy and are involved in activities such as the academic team.

"It was their goal to both make it to the top two," Hank Ramey said.

Most made it through the first round after facing words such as "bombastic" and "zoology."

By round three, the number had shrunk to 14.

One of the youngest in the competition, fourth-place winner Megan Stephens, 9, made it to the final four before the word "irony" threw her. She misheard the announcer and instead spelled the word "ironing."

The audience gave her roaring applause as she left the stage.

"She's a natural speller; she's been spelling well since first grade," mom Jody Stephens said.

Applause also went to Lanier Elementary School student and third-place winner, Anthony Owusu-Ansah, who tripped up a few rounds later.

Hathcock and Ramey jockeyed back and forth for nearly 15 minutes.

Under the Georgia Department of Education guidelines, Ramey had to spell his opponent's misspelled word and an additional word to be crowned the winner.

After the bee, Ramey said it was a pretty nerve-racking experience.

"Everyone is really nervous, especially me because I have a title to defend," he said. "But when we get into the rounds it becomes more relaxed."

Ramey said he got his spelling skills and vocabulary from his parents.

The whole family helped to coach him. If they found an unusual word throughout the day, they'd see if Ramey could spell it.

"It was a good challenge for Parker," Hank Ramey said.

Ramey said he hopes to go far in the upcoming spelling competitions, a regional bee next month followed by the State Spelling Bee Championship. In the last two years, he has placed seventh and fifth at the state level spelling bee.