She did it again!  For the second consecutive year Ashton Murphy, student at Grace Academy of Georgetown (Texas), was awarded top honors at the annual convention for the National Junior Classical League.  (For a story on Ashton's success in 2010, click here.)

The NJCL national convention meets annually at various universities around the U.S. for a week full of competitions and events pertaining to the study of the classics. This year the convention, attended by nearly 1,000 students from across the U.S., was held at the University of Eastern Kentucky.

For the second consecutive year Ashton was awarded the First Place Overall Sweepstakes Trophy for Individual Achievement (awarded to the individual who earns the highest number of point at the convention overall) and the Lillie B. Hamilton Trophy (awarded for earning the highest number of points in three separate categories).  These two tremendous trophies, the highest honors awarded at the convention, are earned through placing in the top five in the various events at convention.  Ashton outdid herself this year by earning 78 points more than at last year's convention. For a list of her individual achievements, click here.

Ashton has participated in area and state JCL events since her seventh grade year. This year Ashton made her fourth pilgrimage to the national JCL convention. Each year her goal has been to improve on the year before, challenging herself to pursue more competitions and excel at each one.
 
The NJCL is an organization of more than 50,000 members in the United States, Canada, and Australia. It is the largest classical organization in the world today. Its purpose is to promote the study of classics in secondary schools. The Latin Club of Grace Academy attends competitions on the area and state level.