Zaner-Bloser’s 32nd Annual National Handwriting Contest has come to a close and a student from Sacred Heart Academy in Winchester took home the top prize for her grade.

A winner is named for each grade, Kindergarten through 8th grade, and Daisy Almaraz was the selection for 7th grade.

Each grade’s Grand National Champion received a $500 check and trophy.

Each entry has the students write the sentence, “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” and answer why handwriting helps them as a reader and writer.

The writing contest is the longest running and best known competition of its kind, drawing close to 80,000 participants each year.

The competition seeks to show the value of studying manuscript and cursive by pointing out cognitive benefits of writing by hand.

Writing by hand has shown to engage the brain more than typing which enables better recollection.

Learning to write also helps younger children recognize letters more quickly.