Way to go: Melville student Max-Anthony Nunez

Max-Anthony Nunez, a sixth-grader at St. Pius V School in Melville, has been named 2010 grand national champion among sixth-graders of the 19th annual National Handwriting Contest sponsored by Zaner-Bloser, an Ohio-based publisher of educational materials.

One student each in grades 1-8 was chosen from nearly 300,000 entries nationwide.

"I was speechless," Max-Anthony, 11, said of finishing first in his grade. "Every year teachers tell us to work on handwriting. When I go for a job one day, the boss will see how I write."

To improve his handwriting, Max-Anthony's parents encouraged him last year to redo his homework up to five times if it wasn't neat enough, according to his brother Paul.

The contest required kids to write their names, copy a passage and explain why handwriting is important, Max-Anthony said. Entries were judged on size, shape, slant and spacing.

"He didn't write neatly last year," said St. Pius handwriting teacher Sister Marie Therese. "It's a tough discipline to be neat when you don't feel like it. He disciplined himself to be neat."

For winning, Max-Anthony received $1,000 and a $1,000 gift certificate for his school. He also won a trip for a St. Pius teacher to Washington, D.C.