NANAKULI — Two Highlands Intermediate School boys fought head-to-head for six rounds last night before Jordan Komoda prevailed in the Leeward District Spelling Bee. Aldric Ulep placed second.

Both advance to The Honolulu Advertiser's 21st Hawai'i State Spelling Bee on March 26.

The district bee at Nanakuli High & Intermediate began with 18 students from 11 schools. Ten spellers were eliminated in the first round, and by the start of Round 5 only Komoda and Ulep remained.

In Round 10 Ulep misspelled "vestibule." That opened the door for Komoda to spell "condiment" and "literate" to win.

"I'm just glad I didn't get 'vestibule,' " said Komoda, 12, a seventh-grader who is the son of Colette and Kyle Komoda.

Ulep, 13, an eighth-grader, is the son of Julie and Constante Ulep.

Komoda and Ulep are both coached by Ann Hansen and Nanette Lenfest.

The state champion will be sent to the Scripps National Spelling Bee May 31-June 1 in Washington, D.C.

Each Hawai'i state finalist will receive gifts from Sears, Island Heritage, Consolidated Theatres and Enjoy Snacks. Travel for Neighbor Island participants will be provided by Aloha Airlines.

The state Spelling Bee champion will win an all-expense-paid trip for two to Washington and a $100 U.S. Savings Bond from Jay Sugarman. Merriam-Webster is donating a Third New International Dictionary to the winner and a Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition, to the runner-up.

Other prize sponsors include Radio Shack, Dede and James Sutherland, the Hawai'i Court Reporters and Captioners Association, and Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.