She was one of seven Otumoetai College Year 10 students to compete in the regional event.
The night was nothing short of entertaining and kept competitors on the edge of their seats. Two difficult rounds saw five students from the college knocked out of the running.
Lake and classmate Annabel King hung in there to make it to the final 10 but it was Lake who carried the school name to victory.
English teacher Julie Secker said the students had been practising since April and Lake's classmates were ecstatic to see the competitors whittled down to one of their own.
"There were some hard rounds with really challenging words ... I'm immensely pleased with the students," Secker said.
Competitions like these needed to be kept alive, she said, as "no matter what you do, you will be judged on your spelling ... rightly or wrongly".
She said some students really enjoyed spelling and it was important there was something available to help all interests flourish.
She was not the only one who was impressed. New Zealand Spelling Bee judge Rachel D'Cruz said year-on-year, the bravery and skill students brought to the competition was commendable.
"It's really nice to have a competition not focused on physical prowess," she said.
She said the students were not just good at spelling but had skills in a range of areas, they just happened to be able to spell.
Lake will be one of 200 of the finalists who will compete for the Champion Speller Trophy and $5000 towards their studies.
Her national final game plan?
"Probably still read a lot of books ... so nothing that different," she said.
The finals will be held in Wellington - not by coincidence, the home of the Beehive - on November 2.
Regional final winning words
Atrophy
Megan Lake, Otumoetai College
Acolyte
Zoe Penny, Fraser High School
Acrostic
Janet Guo, Hillcrest High School
Winning words from previous years, national competition
2018 - frankincense
2017 - pusillanimous
2016 - ostensible
2015 - meritocracy
2014 - eugenics
2013 - perestroika
2012 - longitudinal
2011 - conceited
2010 - chrysanthemum
2009 - iterative
2008 - flotilla
2007 - vendetta
2006 - obstreperous
2005 - contiguous