(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

This little man shooting a look at the camera is Donovan Jordan, D.C.’s representative at the National Spelling Bee, which wrapped up last night at National Harbor. Jordan didn’t take home top honors — that prize went to 14-year-old Sukanya Roy of South Abington Township, Pa. after she correctly spelled “cymotrichous” — but he certainly did his city proud: Jordan was one of the unfortunate spellers who were eliminated before the semifinal round without actually misspelling a word. (The Bee uses a bonus point system in earlier rounds to speed things along for the television cameras.)

Jordan, who is a sixth-grader at Howard University Middle School for Math and Science and was sponsored by the Washington Informer, had beaten 2,000 other D.C. kids to earn his spot at nationals and studied at least four hours a day to prepare — it paid off, as he correctly spelled “schadenfreude” and “decorticate” under the bright lights.

Since he’s in sixth grade, Donovan can come back to the competition next year.