An eighth-grade student from Southern California, Benjamin Reinhardt, faced elimination from the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday after misspelling the word “lochage,” a rare military term from ancient Greece.
The 14-year-old, who attends Maranatha Christian School in 4S Ranch, incorrectly spelled the word with a “K” rather than the correct “H.” Reports indicate that this mishap cost him his place in the competition.
According to the Merriam-Webster University Dictionary, “lochage” refers to the commander of a locus, a small unit in the ancient Greek army consisting of around 100 to 200 men.
In that round, 24 spellers were eliminated, reducing the total competitors from 54 to 30. As a result, Benjamin ended up tied for 31st place.
Students from the San Diego area had surmounted numerous challenging spelling and vocabulary tests to reach this point in the competition.
Before the quarterfinals, all contestants completed a 30-question test on spelling and vocabulary, with at least 13 points needed to move forward. This round saw participation drop from 167 to 95 contestants.
During the quarterfinals held at Constitution Hall, Benjamin showcased his skills by correctly spelling “vanplate” and answering a vocabulary question correctly. He identified “germophilia” as describing someone with a meticulous nature.
He also spelled “Wesleyanism,” a term related to Arminian Methodism as taught by John Wesley, which advanced him to the semifinals.
Earlier, Benjamin qualified for the national tournament by winning the San Diego County Scripps Regional Spelling Bee in March. He clinched the regional title by spelling “kenosis” correctly in the 23rd round, a term that refers to Jesus Christ’s relinquishing of divine attributes when becoming human.
As this was his only opportunity to participate in the national bee—eligibility is limited to eighth graders and younger—his journey has concluded. Nevertheless, festivities persist as Maranatha Christian School celebrates its Year 8 promotion this Thursday.
