Hopkins County Dairy Festival Queen Coronation Pageant C

• Sedona McCollum, Contestant 1 Sedona McCollom will be a senior at Sulphur Springs High School, where she has been a member of the Blue Blazes drill team for two years and will serve as team captain next year. She danced at Sulphur Springs Centre for Dance for eight years, seven as a member of the SURGE competitive dance team, which should serve her well during the talent competition
• Aspen Mayhew, Contestant 4 Aspen Mayhew has been acting for 10 years, starting at Main Street Theatre, including serving as an interim director. At SSHS, much of her time has been spent on stage with fellow thespians, and this year was even named District Best Performer for her contribution to the school's One-Act Play performance. So, it's a natural fit for her to use those skills during the talent portion of the pageant.
• Zoe Reed, Contestant 7 Zoe Reed is very active at Como-Pickton High School, where she will be a senior in the fall. Her activities have included Future Farmers of America and has earned state FCCL recognition in the community serivce category for making tourniquets for her school. She's active in church, works and enjoys spending time with her younger sibling. She plans to sing during the talent portion of the HCDF pageant.
• Kolbi McCoy, Contestant 2 Kolbi McCoy has been very active at Sulphur Springs High School as part of the cheerleading squad, powerlifting team, as an officer and member of several civic clubs, and as head photographer for the yearbook. She has taken dance, gymanstics and voice lessions, all of which should translate well to the stage for the talent portion of the HCDF pageant.
• Libby Negrete, Contestant 5 Libby Negrete has been active in basketball, volleyball and playing clarinet in the band at Sulphur Springs High School, and even more active outside of school, helping at church and Bright Star Baseball, and has worked at local boutiques. She plans to demonstrate at the pageant skills which have allowed her compete and earn titles at state, national and world levels in archery.
• Coryn Young, Contestant 8 Coryn Young has trained for 15 years at Sulpur Srings centre for Dance, including being on the competition team for the past five years and earning individual and group recognitions. She plans to use those skills during the talent contest Saturday. Young also is on the track and field team, will be a varsity cheer captian her senior year, and received an MLK Social Service Award.
• Valerie Flecker, Contestant 3 Valerie Flecker is also very active in a wide array of activies at both inside of and outsie of Sulphur Springs High School as well as at home, but is very proud to be part of the history-making Lady Cats Soccer team, and to have earned CPR and floral certifications. Although she can often be found showing her livestock, she also performs piano solos as well.
• Alaina Johnson, Contestant 6 Alaina Johnson has remained among the top ranking students in her class while being very involved in extracurricular activities at and outside of school. She will be varsity cheer captain her senior year. She has been very involved in FFA, including floral design, horse juding, entomology and veterinary medicine classes. She even takes her horse to a local nursing home for equine therapy, and finds time to volunteer at church and model some.
• Bryana Ruiz, Contestant 9 Bryana Ruiz has been active in athletics and extracurricular activities, including being a varsity Lady Cat soccer team member all four years of high school, and playing softball for seven years. She danced with Sulphur Springs Centre of Dance, and sang in the Select Choir. She's involved in Women's Guild at church and plans to demostrate her love for mariachi music during the talent contest

The 2024 Hopkins County Dairy Festival Pageant will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, June 15, in SSHS Auditorium at Hopkins County Regional Civic Center, 1200 Connally St. Tickets are still available from any contestant for $10 or at the door for $15.

From Staff Reports

The Hopkins County Dairy Festival will culminate Saturday, June 15 with the Queen's Coronation Pageant. This year, nine girls vie for the crown, bragging rights as well as $4,000 in schcolarships.

In order to participate, each contestant must be finishing her junior year at a Hopkins County high school or accredited homeschool program and must have a passing grade point average. Each girl was tasked with selling a certain number of tickets, decorating and riding on a float in the annual parade (held last weekend), helping crew the Hot Air Balloon Rally and Glow, competing along with their parents in a cow milking contest, and will participate in several days worth of rehearsals, the compete in the pageant.

Each contestant is subject to a judges interview before the Saturday start of the pageant, and must perform a talent in the Saturday night.

The top four girls and one who wins the talent contest will each receive a Dairy Festival Scholarship. The 2024 Dairy Festival Queen will be awarded a $1,250 scholalrship to use upon completion of high school in the coming school year. The first runner-up will receive a $1,000 scholarship to apply toward her post-secondary education. The second runner- up will benefit from a $750 scholarship, and the third-runner up a $500 scholarship. The contestant judged 'most talented' will receive a $500 scholarship.

Tickets are still available from any of the nine contestants for $10 each or may be purchased for $15 at the door at SSHS Auditorium at Hopkins County Regional Civic Center.

2024 Queen candidates are as follows: