MONMOUTH, Ill. — Monmouth College students were joined by over 127,000 students from all 50 states and nine foreign countries as they participated in the National Latin Exam earlier this semester.

Marty Pickens, a senior from Elgin, and Matt Katsenes, a freshman from Frankfort, both earned gold medals by achieving summa cum laude scores on the Latin IV exam.

Jessica Hull, a freshman from Danville, earned a silver medal for her maxima cum laude score at the Latin I level. Achieving magna cum laude scores were sophomores John Taylor of Kewanee and Kim Darby of Galesburg and freshmen Meghan Toohill of Heyworth and Shannon Meller of Palatine.

Brian Walgren, a junior from Batavia, had a cum laude score on the Latin III test, and Zach Pedigo, a junior from Galesburg, earned that ranking on the Latin I exam.

Participation in the exam has increased each year since its inception in 1978, when approximately 6,000 students enrolled. Exams are given for Latin I through Latin VI. Students in each level answer 40 questions: 20 on Latin grammar; 15 on mythology, Roman life, history, geography and derivatives; and five based on reading a passage in Latin. The time limit for the exam is 40 minutes.

The National Latin Exam is offered each year during the second week in March. Monmouth College is one of only five colleges to administer the exam to its students.