RONAN - "Monotonous. M-O-N-O-T-O-N-O-U-S. Monotonous." The three judges smiled and picked up the green "Correct" sign. And with that, Polson 8th grader Cody Baer nabbed first place at the 2010 Lake County Spelling Bee, the winner out of 50 kids from around the valley during the March 11 event at the Ronan Performing Arts Center.

"I was apprehensive," Baer said about the competition. He didn't spell apprehensive, but no one in the auditorium would doubt that he could.

Baer's win over the fifth through eighth graders that competed from Polson, Charlo, Ronan, Valley View, Arlee, St. Ignatius, Dayton, Mission Valley Christian Academy and a few homeschoolers earned him a berth in the state tournament in Billings on March 27. If he wins there, Baer will represent the state of Montana at the national spelling bee in Washington, D.C. Second place, and Baer's alternate if he can't make the state bee, was Ronan 8th grader Gabriel Azure; third place went to Charlo 8th grader Timber Munson.

The Bee progressed quickly as tough words like "rotisserie" and "latitudinarian" felled the contestants; after two rounds, only eight spellers remained.

Some came up to the microphone, clearly stumped by the word but still giving it a good old middle school try. And none left the stage with their heads hanging low, despite the ding of the bell and the "Incorrect" sign hoisted by the judges. Pressure was there to be had: Parents looking on from the audience at the youngsters trying to spell tough words while standing under the hot, bright lights of the Ronan Performing Arts Center.

After seven rounds, the field had been whittled down to two with the trip to Billings on the line. The competition went back and forth from there. During a few rounds, both got their respective words incorrect; in others, they both got them correct. In Round 11, Baer went first and spelled his word correctly. Azure followed, but missed his word. To win, Baer needed to spell bruin correctly; he missed it, and the competition continued. In the 14th round, Baer capitalized on a miss by Azure, spelling two words correctly, including the winner "monotonous," to take the Lake County Spelling Bee title.

"I was feeling kind of nervous," Baer said of his 14-round bout. "I guessed on how to spell ‘palatable'."

The top three placers received trophies, ribbons and of course, a brand new Merriam-Webster dictionary. Baer is confident about the next step, but admitted he'll probably take a few looks through his new dictionary before March 27.

"I'm pretty sure I'm ready to go, but I'll do my best to get ready," he said.

His proud parents met him by the stage after his victory, beaming and giving hearty congratulations to their son, who had participated in the Bee in fifth grade but had not placed.

"He started [reading] young with ‘Hooked on Phonics'," father Monte said. "He was excited to learn to read because of the computer, playing computer games, so he was really motivated." Added his mother Tammi: "He was an avid reader."

For a 13-year-old, it's clear Baer is well read and smart. He is articulate and humble, excited to get the opportunity to continue doing something he considers a hobby. But for someone who so enjoys the intricacies of the English alphabet, Baer is not immune to being at a loss for words.

"I don't know how to explain it," he said about winning. "It was unspeakable."