Pageant showcases some of county's top talent

It is an event steeped in more than 50 years of history and tradition, but the McHenry County Queen pageant barely showed its age at the annual McHenry County Fair Wednesday night.

Nineteen young and bright women ages 17 to 21-- dressed to the nines and armed with sparkling smiles -- told a crowd of hundreds of cheering supporters their dreams of successful careers in teaching, medicine, law and journalism.

McHenry County Fair Association President Dick Crone said the pageant had evolved from its early days when contestants showcased their skills, to a platform for them to share their intellect, ambitions and goals.

"We have really modernized and moved ahead with the times, I think," he said.

This year's contestants, Crone said, are all in college or college-bound, with illustrious reputations as members or leaders of various clubs and honors societies.

Contestants were judged on their presentation, poise and potential to be an ambassador and role model for the county and the villages they represented.

"This pageant gives these young and smart women an opportunity to say to everyone, 'Hey, here I am, this is me. Give me a chance to tell you and show you what I can do, and help me make my dreams come true,'" Crone said.

The fair association, he added, upped the ante this year by tripling the total prize money to $3,000 -- $2,000 for the winner, $750 for the first runner-up and $250 for the second runner-up.

"We emphasized the scholarship this year, so we put our money where our mouth is," Crone said

The day began early in the afternoon for contestants with a comprehensive one-on-one interview session with the pageant's four judges, before they wowed the waiting crowd at the fair in swimwear and evening gowns.

The top five finalists were each asked what they were most grateful for in their lives before the winner, Miss McHenry Sara Watson, was crowned Miss McHenry County Queen.

The 18-year-old student will head to Springfield in January to compete in the Miss Illinois County Fair contest.

"Not everyone can be a winner, but they all leave with new knowledge, experiences, friends and contacts for their futures," Crone noted.