Miss Boone County 2018 is declared

By Anne Eickstadt

ANNE EICKSTADT PHOTO Belvidere Daily Republican
2018 Miss Boone County Katrina Danielle Graham is crowned by 2017 Queen Lauren Michelle Clemens and 2017 Little Miss Boone County Ella Ingrid Kjellstrom.

Editor

Katrina Danielle Graham became the new Boone County Queen on Tuesday, Aug. 7.

The day began foggy and the rain hit during the afternoon. Visitors to the Boone County Fair began to speculate if the queen contest would remain at the Grandstand or would be moved to the Community Building Complex.

The weather cleared before 5 p.m. and, in the end, the contest remained at the Grandstand although seating on the track was removed and everyone perched in the stands. As the contest approached, the weather continued to be unpredictable, spitting a bit of rain, then spreading a bit of mist, back to spitting rain, then stopping altogether for a time before starting over.

Families began to gather early to get good seats. Past Queens and Little Miss winners chose seats for themselves and visiting past and current royalty from Winnebago and surrounding counties. With five Queen contestants and 19 eligible Little Miss contestants (originally 20, one of the girls won a title from elsewhere and was no longer eligible for the Boone County Little Miss contest), the crowd continued to grow and move as some went to purchase food and others shifted seats as friends and family arrived and the weather made the edges of the seating area a bit tricky.

The theme this year was “At the Hop” with ‘50s music playing and the girls hopping and bopping on stage. The official rules for the Miss Illinois contest are followed because Miss Boone County will go on to compete for the State title and perhaps on to become Miss America, as Judy Ford once did.

The Little Miss contestants introduced themselves, crossed the stage to twirl and twirl again, and returned to their designated place to continue waving at the crowd. The Queen contestants also introduced themselves then went on to the swimsuit, business attire, and formal gown competitions. They answered questions and lined up for the judges.

After careful and lengthy deliberation, the judges chose Katrina Danielle Graham as Miss Boone County 2018 with Kayla Elizabeth Konieczki as the First Runner-Up. Kayla was also declared Miss Congeniality. Rachel Mayers was awarded Miss Interview, and Yordanos Lee Gardener, or “Yoyo,” was declared Miss Photogenic and awarded the title “Go for the Gold.”

Katrina Danielle Graham is the…

For complete article, pick up the Aug. 12 BDR.