Miss Mundelein winners crowned

Three young women became royalty this week when they were crowned winners of the Miss Mundelein pageants.

The pageants are part of the Mundelein Community Days festival.

Brigitte Lyman, 19, Kimberly Barr, 12, and Kyra Ryba, 8, were crowned Miss, Junior Miss and Little Miss Mundelein, respectively.

The pageants, which occurred on Monday through Wednesday in the Mundelein High School Auditorium, have been going on for more than 30 years, according to Betty Hurmis, the pageants director.

“Really, for Mundelein, for our pageants, it’s less about beauty and more about girls that are poised young ladies,” Hurmis said. “These ladies are able to speak in front of a bunch of people, and most importantly they represent the village of Mundelein. They’re positive role models for the young ladies in Mundelein.

Lyman, who is a sophomore at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, had the choice of $500 or a $1,000 scholarship as a prize. Barr, who is a seventh grader at Carl Sandburg Middle School, won $350, and Ryba, who is a third grader at Fremont Middle School, won $250. All received a crown, trophy and other prizes.

Hurmis said all of the pageant winners are high-achieving students and involved with the community. Now that Lyman, Barr and Ryba have been crowned, they will be busy for the next few days putting in appearances at Mundelein’s Community Days festivities and will ride on a float at the festival’s parade Sunday at 2 p.m.