Abby Emmert, 2011 Miss Boone County, crowned Abby Everett as the new Miss Boone County Sunday evening, July 15.
“We were joking about that,” Emmert said after the pageant. “What if one Abby crowned the other?”
Everett was chosen from among nine contestants Sunday at the pageant, held at the Witham Pavilion at the Boone County 4-H Fairgrounds, to preside over the 2012 Boone County 4-H Fair and to represent Boone County in the state fair queen contest.
As the results were about to be read by Tom Dull, master of ceremonies, Everett was visibly emotional on stage. After the event was over, she said she was just so nervous and excited for all the girls she shared the stage with.
“This means a lot. It’s been a really great experience,” Everett said. “I wouldn’t change a thing; being with all these girls was awesome.”
Everett said 4-H means so much to her. Last year was her 10th year participating.
“I didn’t want it to be over, and now it’s not,” she said.
Everett, 19, graduated from Lebanon High School in 2011. She attends Purdue University, where she is on the dean’s list, and is studying general health sciences, pre-optometry. She is the daughter of Doug and Nanette Everett.
She was sponsored by the Perry Future Farmers 4-H Club and Perryanna Homemakers Plus. She was a 10-year member of the Perry Future Farmers, and she participated in the foods, sewing, fine arts, junior leaders, miscellaneous crafts, photography, and scrapbook projects. She won five grand champion awards.
Ila Scott was the first runner-up. Erika Staton, Grace Miller and Megan Spees were second, third and fourth runners-up, respectively. Miller was also chosen by her fellow contestants as Miss Congeniality.
Genesis Jones was given the Tri Kappa 4-H award for the most projects completed in her 4-H career — 153 projects, roughly 15 per year.
Dull encouraged all the contestants, saying that they are all winners for participating in this pageant.
“Just because you had the courage to stand on stage tonight, you will have a leg up the next time you’re on stage or in an interview,” he said. “You will have that much more poise and confidence because of this experience. I feel confident all of you will be successful in your future endeavors.”
In her farewell speech, Emmert thanked the fair board and council for always making the Boone County fair fun and exciting.
“I experienced the fair in a new way being queen,” she said. “I saw it all up close and experienced so many successes. 4-H gives opportunities unlike any other; it’s just what it does.”
Emmert spoke of the experience of watching the Miss Boone County pageant as a little girl.
“The queen wasn’t just beautiful, but she represented what you could become,” she said. “Being Miss Boone County was both a dream and an opportunity 4-H gave me. This year has been a truly memorable one.”
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