There are now two new ways to spell the word "winner": A-n-d-r-e-a R-i-c-h-a-r-d and A-n-n-a B-e-r-n-h-a-r-d-t.

Richard, 13, a Simle Middle School eighth grader, was named the Burleigh County spelling bee winner in about 40 minutes and six rounds after correctly spelling the word "collaborator" at Mandan High School on Saturday.

Bernhardt, 12, a New Salem seventh-grader, won the Morton County spelling bee in about 35 minutes and seven rounds by spelling the word "psyche" correctly.

Bernhardt thinks the win may be the best thing that's ever happened in her life.

"It's pretty far up there," she said Saturday evening.

Last year, she was knocked out in the first round of oral competition. But this year she came back for more, albeit nervously, waking up Saturday morning with a really upset stomach, she said. But with a lot of spell drills behind her.

It still wasn't a cake walk. The word in one round, "uncouth,"she'd never heard of but guessed correctly.

She planned to take one day's rest from studying, and then start again for the state meet.

The two first-place winners, along with the second place winners - Nick Gellerman, 13, an eighth-grade home school in Burleigh County, and Genna Boehm, 13, a seventh grade Mandan Junior High student - will participate in the state spelling bee March 28 at Bismarck's Ramokota Hotel.

Richard said she made sure she put on what she normally wears every day, her "Jesus" bracelet.

"I thought it would be a good idea to wear it today," she said.

She said her sisters are quite the athletes. Now, she has this.

"She's more artsy, likes the arts, plays violin," said Richard's mom, Christy Richard, 46, of Bismarck.

"It's just nice when they get a little honor, a little recognition," she said.

Richard said quite a few of the words in the Saturday bee she had studied. Her winning word, "collaborator," she hadn't, but had studied collaboration, so spelled if off of what she knew.

And the studying has just begun. She was already at work the same day, Saturday - working and playing on one of her bee prizes, an electronic Webster's dictionary, which has a hangman feature.

Karen Kautzmann, county spelling bee coordinator and Burleigh and Morton superintendent of schools, said she considers herself a good speller.

But not that good.

"Idon't think I would have been the winner," she said.

(Reach reporter Virginia Grantier at 250-8254 or virginia.grantier@;bismarcktribune.com.)