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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- An eighth grader from Horseheads is headed home from the Scripps National Spelling Bee after tripping up on a word you or I have probably never heard of.

Sruti Akula misspelling the word "gimbaled" in the fifth round of the Bee in Washington, D.C. She says she had actually studied the word, but was tripped up by the definition.

Sruti attends Corning's Alternate School of Math and Science. She was one of nearly 300 to make it to the competition in D.C. And even though she didn't win, she says she's glad for the experience.

"The spelling bee is definitely a great thing because I've learned so many words, so many roots, that I don't think I would have learned if it weren't for the spelling bee," she said.

While Sruti will be too old to compete next year, she says she'll still keep up her spelling skills.