WASHINGTON — “Yes!” Morgan Brown allowed herself a moment of exuberant self-congratulation after correctly spelling the word “brininess” in front of the crowd and cameras Thursday at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Morgan, a 12-year-old at North Platte Junior High School, otherwise remained coolheaded in the face of the hypercompetitive spectacle and media circus the spelling bee has become.

“I’d like to win, but I’m not too aggressive, I’m not supercompetitive,” the seventh-grader said before the competition, the 81st since the bee began in 1925. The St. Joseph News-Press sponsored her trip to the national bee.

Her calmness seemed to come to her aid as Morgan’s fellow spellers fumbled on such daunting words as “onomasticon,” “pileum” and “incisiform.”

Though she spelled her word correctly, the Dearborn, Mo., girl was not among the 90 of 288 spellers who advanced to the quarterfinal round of the bee Thursday. Advancement was primarily based on a computerized test of 25 scored words contestants took earlier in the week.

Each speller, though, was given a chance to spell orally on stage in a setting recognizable to those who have seen the bee on ESPN or in the movie “Spellbound.”

“I really wasn’t nervous,” Morgan said of her moment in the spotlight. She was a little disappointed she wouldn’t go on in the competition but was grateful for the opportunity to come to Washington and take part in the prestigious event.

“Just competing is my dream come true,” Morgan said.

At one point, it seemed she wouldn’t even make it this far. After winning the regional spelling bee in March, Morgan was disqualified by Scripps, who said her school wasn’t properly registered. Bee officials changed their minds, though, after catching considerable flack for the decision, including a phone call from U.S. Rep. Sam Graves, Northwest Missouri’s congressman.

The bee will continue today at the Grand Hyatt hotel, as the field is further narrowed and spellers are eliminated until only one remains. The finals will be broadcast live during prime time tonight on ABC.

Morgan was looking forward to being able to relax and watch the rest of the competition as a spectator rather than a participant, along with her parents, brother and grandmother.

She will try again to reach the national competition next year, her final year of eligibility. In the meantime, Morgan will continue to scour the dictionary for new favorite words. Her current favorite? Antidisestablishmentarianism.