Unity High grad crowned Miss Champaign County 2024

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URBANA — Tears of joy — and a little sadness — were shed Sunday at the 2024 Champaign County Fair Queen Pageant as new queens were crowned and 2023 royalty said their goodbyes.

In her first pageant appearance ever, Unity High grad Olivia Shike was crowned Miss Champaign County. She said she looks forward to spending time with her fellow winner, Little Miss Macey Huls.

“Her older sisters and me have been able to go on different Champaign County livestock judging teams together, so we’ve actually spent a lot of time together,” Shike said. “I was definitely cheering for all the girls, but I’m so excited to get to do this with her.”

A farm girl at heart, Shike says you’re more likely to find her out at the barn in sweatpants and dirty T-shirts than anywhere in an evening dress.

Still, she has wanted to compete to be Miss Champaign County for many years and is looking forward to stepping out of her comfort zone.

“I definitely am excited to do this little more refined side of me as well,” she said. “I just could not be more excited. I’ve enjoyed livestock my whole life, so getting to do little things like handing out ribbons to the livestock shows and getting to wave to people in the grandstands.”

Since she thinks of herself as “just an ag girl,” Shike wasn’t sure what she was getting into with the pageant.

“I definitely expected it to be a lot of being super perfect, all these tiaras, being gorgeous,” Shike said. “How can I really separate myself?”

Over the course of preparing for the big day, she said that she learned that things like agriculture do have a big association with the pageant; multiple on-stage interview questions even specifically addressed farming.

Former royalty, like 2023 Miss Katie Landers and Little Miss Makenzie Huls, as well as all of the people who made the pageant happen, also offered support and advice.

“I’ve already received tips that help as I go forward to show people that I love ag, but I also really love people and there’s so many different facets to me as well,” Shike said.

Whether she’s showing pigs, horses and sheep at the fair, running cross country — to clear her head and “keep getting to eat all the wonderful foods I love” — or fulfilling her duties as queen, Shike hopes people will be willing to get to know her.

“Don’t be afraid to come and find me at the county fair. I’d love to have a conversation,” she said.