Brendan Pawlicki, speller 310, is out.
He misspelled "nuchal," of, relating to or lying in the region of the back part of the neck.
The Michigan seventh grader was a top speller for three years. He tied for 34th place last year and 35th place in 2017.
Brendan said he felt prepared for the finals because his local bee went off list, and he won. It's the first time any word in the dictionary was a possibility for him.
"I held my composure," he said.
What's exciting about spelling?
"Hearing a word you've never heard before and getting it right, it's a great feeling." he said. "All the pressure that's on you, it all goes away."
When he's not spelling, Brendan likes to relax by playing basketball and reading adventure and mystery books.
"I'm really excited," he said. "I'm kind of nervous. I hope I make it far."
Pranathi Jammula, speller 343 and a Texas eighth grader from Texas, also misspelled and is out. She tied for 25th place last year.
Pranathi misspelled "postil," a marginal note : comment; specifically : an explanatory marginal note in the Bible.
