GREENFIELD — Her heart was racing, her legs were shaking and her cheeks were hurting from smiling so much, she said. But it was worth it.
Savannah Coe said she was internally freaking out just before the master of ceremonies read her name to the crowd. But all the nerves dissipated as Cassandra Jones, Hancock County’s 2017 4-H Fair queen, placed the crown upon her head.
The judges panel voted for the Eastern Hancock senior to receive the sash for Hancock County’s 4-H fair queen during Saturday’s ceremony at Trinity Park Church. As Coe beamed at the ground upon receiving the honor, she decided to bear the cheek pain; she couldn’t help but smile, she said.
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Coe said she’s loved the experience she gained through the different stages of the program. The contestants spent weeks learning to move with grace, poise and a professional attitude, which was an invaluable opportunity, she said.
“It makes you feel pretty, of course,” Coe said. “You get all dolled up and come up on stage in front of everybody … but it’s not just about that, it’s about the stage presence and being able to talk in an interview. I think that’s really important for young girls to learn how to do.”
Performing before the judges kept her on her toes, too, Coe said. Coe had written down singing as a special skill on her application for the professional portion of the pageant. But she was caught off guard when the judges requested her to belt out her favorite song during her job interview.
“I sang ‘Take it Back’ by Reba McEntire,” Coe said. “I was not expecting it, but it was fun.”
Coe’s mother, Christina, said she was brought to tears seeing the tiara placed on her daughter’s head. When Savannah wasn’t put on the queen’s court at last year’s pageant, she took the disappointment in stride, Christina Coe said. Her constant positive attitude helped carry her to this moment, she said.
The judges felt Savannah was the contestant who had an shine about her, said Nikki Carpenter, one of the judges on the panel.
“She speaks well, she smiles, she’s outgoing and bubbly,” Carpenter said. “I think she’s going to be a great queen.”
Gracie Johnson was awarded the title of 4-H Fair Princess, but that’s not the only award she walked away with Saturday; Johnson was also shocked to be named Miss Congeniality, a title that the pageant contestants vote on among themselves.
Johnson enjoyed modeling and showcasing the different outfits they purchased throughout the pageant, and it’s been a constructive process all the way through, she said.
Johnson said she actually enjoyed the butterflies fluttering around in her stomach before her name was called on the stage. That feeling is an indicator that she’s truly passionate about the contest and that she did everything she could to succeed, she said.
Her stomach jumped up into her throat twice in a row, she laughed, sporting dual sashes for princess and Miss Congeniality.
Coe and Johnson both said their families gave them unending support throughout their endeavors. Without them, they never would have gotten where they are today, both said.
Coe will attend Libscomb University this fall for nursing school, hoping to pursue a career as an emergency room nurse, she said. Until then, she looks forward to representing Hancock County in the coming weeks at the fair, she said.
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2018 Hancock County 4-H Queen Pageant Contestants
Gracie Johnson
Madison Clutinger
Julia Peterson
McKayla Mohr
Naomi Surburg
Madison Kindred
Megan Long
Delanie Melton
Erin Dunn
Emma Carmichael
Isabel Sills
Calista Overman
Malerie Kleiman
Hannah Allen
Paige Wickard
Savannah Coe
Queen
Savannah Coe
Queen’s Court
Madison Kindred
Delanie Melton
Emma Carmichael
Princess
Gracie Johnson
Miss Congeniality
Gracie Johnson
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