A familiar face is the 2008 Herald Bulletin Spelling Bee winner.

Austin Hoke, 14, Greenfield, captured his fourth regional spelling bee victory by correctly spelling “hibachi,” a Japanese cooking grill, during the contest Tuesday night. By besting 27 competitors, Austin’s earned the right to go to Washington, D.C., and represent the area in the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee.

“I’ve just been studying,” said Austin, an eighth-grader at Mount Vernon Middle School. “I think I have a photographic memory. I just see (the words) in my head.”

Austin cemented the victory after 14-year-old Meghan Christie misspelled “pochismo,” or “an English word or expression borrowed into Spanish,” according to Dictionary.com. He then correctly spelled “hibachi.”

Earlier spellers fell out of the bee after tripping up on words like “macramé,” “panglossian,” “ambivalent” and “empanada.” About 150 people gathered in the Anderson City Building auditorium to watch the bee.

Herald Bulletin Publisher Mike Casuscelli served as the bee’s emcee. Managing Editor Scott Underwood and Assistant Managing Editor Steve Dick were judges. Ball State University Telecommunications Professor Nancy Carlson was the event’s pronouncer, and the bee was directed by Judi Litsey, the newspaper’s Newspapers in Education coordinator.

It was Austin’s fifth appearance at the regional spelling bee. Last year, he finished second. Despite having competed several times previously, he admitted to being a little queasy.

“I was kind of nervous,” Austin said. “(I’ve) been here before, but being up here (on stage) with the lights. ...”

Austin will compete in the 2008 national spelling held May 29-30. Since he’s going back to the nation’s capital, he has some landmarks he wants to see again.

“Probably the White House and the Capital Building,” he said.

With his first-place finish, he received a trip for two to Washington, $500 in spending cash, $100 savings bond and a one-year subscription to Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

It’s the last time Austin can take part in the spelling bee. Children above the eighth grade are ineligible. He said his favorite subject was algebra, and he hoped to be an anesthesiologist when he gets older.

Austin’s parents, Roger and Diana Hoke, said he was a determined student who tackles his homework shortly after the school day is over.

“He’s studious,” Roger said. “He gets his homework done. He does have a lot of discipline.”