Cadet Carlton Griffin, an international affairs major at Northern Arizona University, was named Arizona's top Army ROTC cadet by the Arizona Territorial Chapter of the Association of the United States Army.

A member of NAU's award-winning Lumberjack Battalion, Griffin topped more than 400 cadets from Arizona State University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and the University of Arizona. He also ranks 14th out of over 4,000 cadets on the ROTC national order of merit list.

Among Griffin's achievements are a 3.97 GPA, a perfect score on his physical fitness test, and a top rating at the Leaders Development and Assessment Course, an intensive 33-day training program at Fort Lewis, Wash.

"In all aspects, Carl Griffin is an outstanding cadet and will make a superb infantry officer," said Lt. Col. John C Nelson, professor and chair of military science at NAU. "He is a true scholar-athlete and the epitome of what we look for in our nation's future leaders. We are extremely proud of what he has accomplished and the way in which he represents the university and the Lumberjack Battalion"

Griffin received an engraved ceremonial cavalry saber and a $100 award at the chapter's luncheon at the Phoenix Elks Lodge on February 22nd.

A 2005 graduate of Sinagua High School in Flagstaff, Griffin will serve as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army upon graduation and commissioning in May. He will be stationed in Vicenza, Italy, with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team.