Two rows worth of family and friends burst into cheers. His dad sent a message to his grandma in Missouri on a cell phone. And the moment Cory Klingsporn won the county championship of the Ventura County Star Spelling Bee, he stood frozen in place, eyes closed, mouth open.

The 13-year-old Oxnard home-schooler who wears glasses spelled the eye disease "retinopathy" to win the county bee Monday night. He's a computer enthusiast who loves crossword puzzles and wants someday to conduct baroque opera. Now, he's won prizes that include a new dictionary, a $500 savings account and plane tickets to the bright spotlight of the 81st annual Scripps National Spelling Bee May 29-30 in the nation's capital.

"It's very overwhelming," said Cory, who is with Community Home Education Program and finished third in last year's county finals. "I don't know what to do. I've finally done this."

This year, more than 160 local schools participated in the bee, sponsored by The Star, County Schools Federal Credit Union and the county Office of Education. E.W. Scripps is the parent company of The Star.

The championship brought 15 of the county's best spellers to a raised stage at California State University Channel Islands in Camarillo and enough brain-twisting words to cause a migraine.

The kids sailed through "diphthong," "sassafras" and "bildungsroman" for several rounds until judges finally moved to words outside the study guide.

Then the spellers fell one by one. In round 11, two of the three remaining spellers missed words. Cory spelled "fiduciary" and "retinopathy" to win.

Angela Francisco and Cody Phillips battled several more rounds over the alternate spot. Angela, a seventh-grader from Frank Intermediate School in Oxnard, spelled "rasgado" to win the alternate spot. Cody, a seventh-grader at Trinity Pacific Christian School in Thousand Oaks, was third.

Other spellers competing were: Johannah Farner, Matilija Junior High School, Ojai; Sabrina Goodnature, Anacapa Middle School, Ventura; Michelle Pablo, St. Paul's Parish Day School, Ventura; Bobby Mummery, Rose Avenue School, Oxnard; Christopher Ferreria, Mary Law Private School, Oxnard; Liliana Martinez, St. Sebastian School, Santa Paula; Porschia Adler, Carden School of Camarillo; Kaylie Bengston, Chaparral Middle School, Moorpark; Sanjay Siddhanti, Sycamore Canyon School, Newbury Park; Suraj Palaparty, Walnut Elementary School, Newbury Park; Venetha Sankar, Madera School, Simi Valley; and Lilly Cottrell, Park View School, Simi Valley.