The place named “Molokai” is one Conor Keightley-Reinhardt will probably not forget as it tripped him up in the fourth round of the 2024 Scripps National Spelling be on Wednesday, May 29.

The Crisfield Academy and High School eighth grader inserted a “c” instead of a “k” to spell the name of the island in central Hawaii that was once home to a leper colony.

Before that he was successful spelling “yagi” (a highly directional and selective shortwave antenna) and on Tuesday knew a mortician manages funeral arrangements and correctly spelled the thick sauce known as “rouille.”

The Crisfield contestant tied for 60^th out of the 245 spellers ages 8-15 and was among the 180 first-time national finalists. There were also 65 returning spellers all competing for a top cash prize of $52,500.

He made his way to National Harbor after winning in March the Maryland Eastern Shore Regional Spelling Bee at UMES where there were 54 challengers.

Conor was the first Somerset County Public Schools student since 2018 to take part in the national competition. That year James “Jake” Gordy, a seventh grader at Somerset Intermediate School was a contestant.

At his school where his English teacher is Traci Young, Conor plays the clarinet, participates in marching band and was selected to perform at All Shore Band 2024. After graduation, he plans to enlist in the United States Marine Corps.

Interested in world history and folklore, as well as military strategy and tactics, his hobbies include shooting, carpentry and reading, and he has recently taken up blacksmithing.

He was a winner of the “What Freedom Means to Me” essay contest hosted by the American Legion Auxiliary, and for three years was the North Dakota Daughters of the American Revolution American History Essay Contest winner.

His essay on freedom is published this week in the Crisfield-Somerset County Times.

To see Conor’s contestant page go to https://spellingbee.com/speller-summary/99 and to watch online go to the home page https://spellingbee.com/?utm_campaign=snsb_2024&utm_medium=search&utm_source=google&utm_version=twonightevent&utm_content=search&gad_source=1 and click the live link box.