Senior Julia Douglas won first place in the 2nd Annual “Poetry Out Loud” competition at George Mason High School today, and will now advance to the state championships in Richmond.

Douglas was declared the winner among 12 contestants by a team of eight judges at the event. She recited “Kissing Stieglitz Good-Bye” by Stern and “The Fire Fetched Down” by Bradley. Tied for runners-up were senior Rebecca Ward and sophomore Claire Constance.

The event was attended by most of the GMHS student body in the school’s auditorium and included performances by the GMHS jazz band. “Poetry Out Loud” is a project supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation in partnership with state and federal education agencies aimed at encouraging the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and performance.

Launched in 2006, last year over 200,000 students competed and a national champion was crowned last April. This year, the nation finals will be held in Washington, D.C. on April 27.