A total of 10 young women will compete Saturday for the titles of 2023 Miss Montgomery County Queen and 2023 Miss Montgomery County Princess. There are five contestants in each of the two divisions.
Contestants seeking the princess title are Kylee Reeves, Ava Schultz, Brooklyn Kerns, Kelsey Thompson and Peri McClaskey.
Contestants vying for the queen title are Halle Elliott, Sydney Neideffer, Elizabeth Cain, Kennady Sanders and Abby Sayler.
The annual contest will take place at 8 p.m. Saturday in the 4-H building at the fairgrounds. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $3 per person. Children age five and younger admitted free.
The newly-crowned queen, princess and members of their court will reign over the Montgomery County 4-H Fair, which runs July 14-20.
Queen Contestants
• Halle Elliott is the daughter of Krista Servies. She graduated from Crawfordsville High School and will attend Purdue University. She has been a 4-H member for 10 years. Her projects include goats, cattle, swine, photography and Jr. Leaders. Her extra-curricular activities include volleyball, gymnastics, softball and track. Her special awards and recognitions include Rising Star of Indiana, mental attitude (volleyball), all-conference teams, all-area teams, 2023 Journal Review Gymnast of the Year; and 4-H grand champion awards.
• Sydney Neideffer is the daughter of Randy and Julie Neideffer. She will be a senior at North Montgomery High School. She has been a 4-H member for nine years. Her projects include sewing, Fashion Revue, crafts, photography and aerospace. Her extra-curricular activities include senior class president, Key Club Bulletin editor, National Honor Society, Earth & Environmental club, Scuba club and Woodland Heights youth group member. Her special awards and recognition includes 2018 Sewing Guild award, 2020 Advanced Construction award, second team all-conference in tennis (2023), academic letter including honor roll (2023); and awarded a 2023 Rising Star of Indiana.
• Elizabeth Cain is the daughter of Jess and Melissa Cain. She graduated from North Montgomery High School and will be a college freshman. She has been a 4-H member for 10 years. Her projects include goats, swine and photography. Her extra-curricular activities include volleyball, swimming, track, student council, National Honor Society, Key Club and National Technical Honors Society. Her special awards and recognitions are class president, National Honor Society president, academic all-conference, academic letter, volleyball and swimming academic all-state and certified nursing assistant license.
• Kennady Sanders is the daughter of Josh and Melissa Patton. She will be a senior at North Montgomery High School. She has been a 4-H member for nine years. Her projects include photography, sheep, pigs and beef. Her extra-curricular activities include soccer and National Honor Society. Her special awards and recognitions include academic, NHS and academic all-conference (varsity soccer).
• Abby Sayler is the daughter of Tim and Jenny Sayler. She will be a senior at Southmont High School. She has been a 4-H member for nine years. Her projects include sheep and photography. Her extra-curricular activities include dance, show choir and musicals. Her special awards and recognitions include show choir dance captain, 10-year award for dance (2019) and scholarship chairman for National Honor Society.
Princess Contestants
• Kylee Reeves is the daughter of David and Amy Reeves. She will be a junior at Southmont High School. She has been a 4-H member for eight years. Her projects include sheep, scrapbooking, sewing, Fashion Revue, home environment and Jr. Leaders. At school, she is a member of the cross country and track teams, show choir, FFA, National Honor Society and theater. Her special awards and recognitions include Southmont FFA Star Chapter Degree, high honor roll and outstanding performer in show choir.
• Ava Schultz is the daughter of Jaret and Anna Schultz. She is home schooled and will be a junior this fall. She has been a 4-H member for eight years. Her projects include fine arts drawing, yesteryear, photography and collectibles. Her extra-curricular activities include being a vocalist, CACHE home school group student council president and preaching/speaking. Her special awards and recognitions include superior with invitation and merit award recipient for short sermon and superior with invitation and top three award recipient for female vocal solo at Assemblies of God Indiana District Fine Arts (2023).
• Brooklyn Kerns is the daughter of Dan and Carrie Kerns. She will be a junior at North Montgomery High School. She has been a 4-H member for eight years. Her projects include cats, arts and crafts, sports and reading for fun. Her extra-curricular activities include Sugar Creek Swim Club, student council, Key Club and National Honor Society. Her special awards and recognition include North Montgomery Swim Team mental attitude award; 2022 North Montgomery Swim Team rookie of the year award; 2022 and 2023 second team all-conference; and Journal Review all-area team.
• Kelsey Thompson is the daughter of Shawn and Nicole Thompson. She will be a junior at Southmont High School. She has been a 4-H member for eight years. Her projects include swine, sheep, goats, photography, crops, floriculture, needle craft, Jr. Leaders and Montgomery County 4-H Junior Livestock Board. Her extra-curricular activities include FFA, golf, track and musical theater. Her special awards and recognitions include National Honor Society, top 20 in her class academically, Southmont FFA chapter president, member of the state winning soils and floriculture teams, member of the third place FFA National Land Judging team, third overall soloist at the Northrup Choir Invitational, 2023 MVP in girls track for field events, 2022 first team all-conference girls golf and 2022 Senior Hampshire Showman at the Indiana State Fair.
• Peri McClaskey is the daughter of Eric and Julie McClaskey. She will be a junior at Western Boone High School. She has been a 4-H member for eight years. Her projects include swine, goats and foods. Her extra-curricular activities include basketball, tennis, student athletic trainer, FCA and pep club leader. Her special awards and recognitions include junior varsity basketball team captain and top 20 in her class.
