VIDEO: A Little Pomp and Circumstance

Merrimack High School's Class of 2012 is leaving a legacy behind that will be hard to match.

On Saturday morning, the outgoing seniors participated in the annual commencement ceremony, celebrating their achievements and that list is no small deal.

This is the class, said Principal Ken Johnson, that put the school on the map. As juniors the class' scores on standardized tests broke records when the results showed a 25 percent upswing in scores.

It's the class that swept spirit week during their high school careers, winning the friendly competition between grade levels each year.

It's the class that led the way as the school dunked its way to a boys basketball state championship, netted a girls lacrosse state championship just last week and is preparing for a title baseball game against Concord on June 16.

"They set the academic bar, quite frankly they set the athletic bar and for that matter the spirit bar, too," Johnson said following to two-hour commencement ceremony. "I've been here 10 years and I was just saying this is the best, the brightest, most gifted and talented class that has walked these hallways.

The 345 students are setting off in different directions, taking them to a range of schools from Boston University to Virginia Tech, Harvard to New York University.

During his speech to the class and their families, friends and the community, Johnson spoke of the importance these students have on the future in the global community.

"I can assure you, they've just begun," Johnson said.