PRINCESS ANNE — For the second time in six years a Somerset County Public Schools student is the winner of the Maryland Eastern Shore Regional Spelling Bee.

Crisfield Academy and High School eighth grader Conor Keightley-Reinhardt clinched a spot at the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee by correctly spelling “phlebotomy” in the final round, retiring the last of the 54 other participants in grades 3-8.

When it was down to Conor and Stephen Decatur Middle School seventh grader Ilya Karcheuski words bounced back and forth like a tense tennis match, with Ilya now the 2024 runner-up.

Before spelling each word, the contestants approached the microphone and stated their names. The dry, repetitive introduction of “I’m Conor” at one point elicited giggles from the audience at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Ella Fitzgerald Center because he had repeated it so frequently.

Traci Young, the eighth grade English teacher at CAHS and Conor’s spelling coach called it a “Proud coach moment” on her Facebook page when announcing his win. He is not only a Principal’s Honor Roll student but a clarinet player in the eighth grade band.

The last SCPS winner to go the national event was James “Jake” Gordy of Princess Anne when he was a seventh grader at Somerset Intermediate School. In 2017 when he was a sixth grader Jake was the regional event’s second runner-up.

Today it’s more than a spelling bee as contestants who make it into the third round must also determine which of two definitions given to them is correct. It’s an option that Scripps has included in the Bee competition to ensure that contestants not only memorize correct spelling but also understand the meaning of often-complex words they are given.

In addition to representing the Lower Eastern Shore as regional winner, Conor will receive:

• A one-year membership to Britannica Online Premium;
• A one-year subscription to the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Online Dictionary;
• The Samuel Louis Sugarman Award, 2024 U.S. Mint Proof Set;
• A one-year subscription to Epic Family;
• Eight Love, 1-on-1 online coding classes and a one-year home subscription to Tynker;
• A custom-made Champion’s medallion; and
• An all-expenses-paid trip to the 2024 Scripps National Spelling Bee and a six-night stay at the Gaylord National Resort at National Harbor.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee takes place with the preliminaries on May 28 and concludes with the finals on May 30.

The judges on Saturday were:

• Dr. Urban Wiggins, Vice Provost for Decision Science and Visualization at UMES;
• Diamond Nwaeze, 4-H STEM Youth Development Educator at UMES-Extension; and
• Dr. Amy Hagenrater-Gooding, Professor of English and Modern Languages at UMES.

Dr. Kate Black, Associate Professor in the Department of Business, Management and Accounting was the Bee’s announcer.  Dr. Kadeem Turnbull, Director of Alumni Relations and Special Events served as the emcee.

UMES has been the regional sponsor since 2013 and it’s been held each year except in 2021.