PINEDALE — Three Pinedale Middle School students were selected as winners in the annual Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Essay Contest. Aylen Mills, Paxton Loveday and Naomi Gaffney will be recognized for their essays, with Mills moving on to compete against the other Wyoming chapters for a chance in the Regional and National competitions.

The winners were selected at each grade level by the Davey Jackson Wyoming Chapter and received medals and monetary awards.

Students were prompted to imagine they were an 1897 Philadelphia Times reporter, with the assignment of writing an article about the first-ever performance of John Phillip Sousa’s new march, “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” This song would become the national march of the United States on Dec. 11, 1987. The students-turned-reporters documenting history were tasked with conveying in their essays the story behind the song and providing insight into Sousa’s life and the audience’s reaction to the song’s first performance.

Students in fifth grade were required to write between 300 and 600 words, while students in sixth through eighth grade had to write between 600 and 1,000 words. They were required to cite all sources used in their research.

Judging was based on historical accuracy, adherence to the topic, organization of material, interest, originality, spelling and grammar.