"Gooood morning," speller 169, Darian Douglas said again, just before 1:30 p.m.
This time, Dr. Bailly told him is was the afternoon.
"How are you?" he asked the Jamaica seventh grader.
"I'm ready for my word," Damian replied.
He was. He spelled "schlieren" correctly, then broke into a smile.
It means small masses or streaks that differ in mineral composition from the main body of an igneous rock.
Cal Alexander, speller 194, didn't fare as well. The Louisiana eighth grader misspelled "lomatine," having lateral membranous flaps.
Cal tied for 42nd place last year and 41st in 2017.
