BANGOR – A piece of sea ice got in the way of a Hampden eighth-grader’s quest to be national spelling bee champ.

Nicholas Hahn-Miller, a Reeds Brook Middle School pupil who represented Maine in the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., was eliminated from the competition Wednesday after being tripped up by the word “glacon.”

The word is defined in the dictionary as “a piece of sea ice ranging in size from a small fragment to a floe of medium dimensions.”

Although upset initially, by late afternoon Nicholas had rallied, according to his mother, Sue Anne Hahn, though he still wasn’t ready to talk to the media.

Hahn said during a telephone interview Wednesday that about two-thirds of the 275 participants were eliminated that morning during the oral portion of the competition.

“There are a lot of disappointed kids in this hotel right now,” she said.

Nicholas had performed admirably during the written test, his mother said. He correctly spelled 19 out of 25 words including “lycanthropy,” a mental disorder in which one imagines oneself to be a wolf; “succussatory,” characterized by up-and-down vibrations of short amplitude; “nullipara,” a woman who has never borne a child; and “perciatelli,” a kind of pasta.

Some of the other spelling words on the written list were: “sprachgefuhl,” a feeling for language; “oeillade,” a glance of the eye; and “cembalo,” a harpsichord.

Nicholas’ father, Greg Miller, also attended the two-day competition which drew spellers from all over the world who ranged in age from 9 to 15. Competitors qualified by winning locally sponsored spelling bees in their home communities.

Last March, Nicholas won the Maine State Spelling Bee sponsored by the Bangor Daily News’ Newspapers in Education.

Hahn said Wednesday that she and her husband comforted the distraught boy by impressing upon him that it took great courage even to enter the competition.

Many adults wouldn’t have “taken the risk to put themselves in a situation like this, knowing that the odds of winning were very remote,” Hahn said.

Nicholas practiced 10 to 14 hours a week after winning the state bee, according to Hahn.

“You did great to get this far,” she told her son after he was eliminated in the second round.

Despite the disappointment, the experience overall has been “tremendous,” Hahn said.

Youngsters from throughout the world participated in the annual event, including some from Canada, Jamaica, New Zealand and the Bahamas. Reporters were everywhere and Nicholas, who is interested in photography, was fascinated by the cameras, his mother said.

Activities associated with the spelling bee included a pizza party and game night as well as a barbecue, but the youngsters also were encouraged to spend time exploring Washington.

The family visited the Museum of Natural History, the Museum of American History, and the Washington Monument. Before flying home Saturday night they plan to tour the National Air and Space Museum.

“Nicholas was tremendously excited just about the idea of coming to Washington, D.C.,” Hahn said, noting that he had visited briefly last year and had hoped to return.

Now that the pressure’s off, he can continue to make like a tourist, his mother said.