When Bruhat Soma lifted the ceramic Scripps National Spelling Bee Cup amid a storm of confetti to cheers from the crowd late Thursday night, he was shocked but also knew he had finally achieved his goal. He was the hero.

“I’m really happy that I won,” Bruhat said during a phone interview Friday morning. “It’s like a dream come true.”

The 12-year-old from Tampa, Florida, won a playoff round, only the second round to be held in the contest’s history. Bruhat produced 29 correctly spelled words in 90 seconds, including heautophany, nachschläge, and puszta.

Thursday night’s Bruhat Speedway won the Contest Cup, the Scripps Cup and a $50,000 grand prize. He far surpassed his competitor, Faizan Zaki, a sixth-grader from Dallas who correctly spelled 20 words, as well as the previous Bee record of 22 words correct in 2022, according to Bee officials.

This surprise came easily to Bruhat, who said he had prepared for this exact moment for six months. His father, Srinivas Soma, would make a daily list of 30 words to practice spelling in 90 seconds, which made him “kind of nervous, but I knew I was prepared” once the big moment arrived.

In addition to studying with his father, Bruhat said he used SpellPundit, a popular tool among top spellers, and the dictionary to prepare for Scripps. He also worked with a spelling coach and practiced his vocabulary by making his own list of words to study, focusing on his weak areas.

“I worked really hard,” he said.

The 12-year-old said that while some people studied with music, in the company of others or while eating snacks, he said he preferred to do it alone in a quiet environment.

“The quality of study is also important,” he said, noting that if someone studies for a long time but doesn’t have the concentration required to learn the words, “there’s really no benefit.”

Bruhat was eliminated last year in the first round of the quarterfinals, placing 74th. “I was very disappointed with my performance, and I knew I had to work harder,” he said in a recorded interview broadcast during the show.

Bruhat said on Friday morning that his failure to reach the finals last year prompted him to study more in preparation for this year’s competition.

“Instead of going down, I decided it would be a real motivation for me, so I wouldn’t get discouraged by failure,” he said.

Bruhat entered Thursday’s competition with a goal in mind and the confidence that he knows what he’s doing, because he’s worked for it.

“I feel like working for it is the hardest part,” he said. “But I was able to do it because I really wanted to get this trophy, and now I finally have it.”

The 12-year-old also competed in 2022, where he tied for 163rd.

The first word Bruhat said that night was habit, which means an individual’s “habitual disposition, pattern of behavior or procedure.” He steadily beat out words like Okvik, an Alaskan geographic name, and Hoofdorp, a Dutch word, as the competition progressed in intensity and difficulty. He remained standing on stage, rarely seemed nervous, and often thought of words by writing letters in the air.

After his win, Bruhat was joined on stage by his parents and two of his siblings, who expressed their pride and joy at his achievement.

In a recorded interview broadcast during the show, Bruhat – who is tall for his age – said he also enjoys basketball. His favorite player is LeBron James, according to his biography on the Scripps National Spelling Bee website. He also enjoys reading, ping-pong and badminton, and plays the drum in his middle school band.

During the competition, his forehead was marked with a vermilion tika, a Hindu symbol of strength and purity. Bruhat has memorized about 80 percent of the sacred Hindu text, the Bhagavad Gita, his parents said.

Now that he has won, Bruhat is unable to compete again for the Scripps Cup, which means he will be able to relax this summer, play basketball and perhaps go on vacation.

“I think I’m done,” he said.

But the future looks bright for the newest spelling bee champion. He said he hopes to become a doctor one day, but he is not sure what type.

“Maybe in high school, I’ll look at all the options and choose,” he said. But for now, he waits for summer.

Emily North, Maggie Astor And Emmett Lindner Contributed to reports.