Insane word California spelling bee hero got wrong after incredible run to the national championships
A Southern California eighth-grader, Benjamin Reinhard, had a remarkable journey at the Scripps National Spelling Bee but was eliminated in the seventh round. He misspelled the word 'lochage,' a rare ancient Greek term, which ended his competition. Despite this setback, Benjamin's achievements in the bee were notable, having qualified by winning the regional spelling bee earlier this year.
- ▪Benjamin Reinhard, a 14-year-old student, was eliminated after misspelling 'lochage' in the seventh round.
- ▪He advanced to the semifinals by correctly spelling challenging words and answering vocabulary questions.
- ▪Benjamin originally qualified by winning the San Diego County Scripps Regional Spelling Bee in March.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Metro Insane word California spelling bee hero got wrong after incredible run to the national championships By Nina Joudeh Published May 31, 2026, 7:25 p.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The California Post on Google A Southern California eighth-grader’s impressive run at the Scripps National Spelling Bee came to an end Thursday when the word “lochage,” a rare ancient Greek military term, knocked him out of the competition’s seventh round. Benjamin Reinhard, a 14-year-old student at Maranatha Christian School in 4S Ranch, narrowly missed the mark by spelling the word with a “K” instead of an “H,” according to KPBS. 5 Benjamin Reinhard’s impressive run at the Scripps National Spelling Bee came to an end Thursday after misspelling a rare ancient Greek word.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at California Post.
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