Mizzou Farm Bureau nominee takes Missouri State Fair Crown

by Katlyn Britt-Rankin, posted Sept. 23, 2011

Sixty-two young women and their parents filled the Mathewson Exhibition Center in Sedalia on Aug. 11 for the annual Missouri State Fair Queen Contest. The queen contest started the fair this year with two days of competition leaving Meredith Jones, junior agriculture education major, the 2011 Queen.

Jones is not the first student from the University of Missouri to win the crown. It is estimated that in the past 10 years, six queens have come from Mizzou. This year’s third runner up, Amy Wilsdorf, junior fisheries and wildlife science major, is also from Mizzou.

Before Jones and Wilsdorf could receive their awards at 4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 12, there were two days filled with fierce competition. Thursday, the candidates were judged on their interviews and their speech or talent. Friday, evening gowns filled the Mathewson Center as it was the last area of competition between all the candidates.

The queen contest is more than a pageant. It is an opportunity to be an ambassador of agriculture in Missouri. 

Wilsdorf believes being a student at Mizzou better prepared her for the competition because it is the only school where you can experience the entire state in one location.

Mizzou’s website states that 81 percent of the 24,901 undergraduate students who come to Mizzou are from Missouri. Wilsdorf was raised in Columbia but feels like Mizzou’s diversity gave her that extra push in competition.

“Classes at the University of Missouri have shaped and improved my knowledge of agriculture, public speaking skills, writing skills for resumes and definitely given me lots of confidence to be able to compete against such a caliber of talented young women,” Wilsdorf said.

Avid state fair goers agree that the confidence that comes from college experience helps to prepare the contestants for the competition.

“It’s obvious from the stands which girls are still in high school, they haven’t mastered the etiquette of being on stage,” said Doris Newcomb, long time state fair attendee. “The younger girls still have the trembles of stage fright.”

Awards are given to the highest ranking woman in each category. Thursday’s contest winners were Jones with her speech and Amanda Andrews, Miss Lincoln University, with her speed painting talent. Wilsdorf and Jaimie Sommer, Miss Soulard Oktoberfest, tied for the best interview. Hannah Rickman, Miss Platte County, won the evening gown challenge.

Wilsdorf and Jones were not the only Mizzou women who competed in the event. Jones will return to the event next year to pass down the crown. Wilsdorf says she isn’t giving up yet. Wilsdorf has competed twice already, both times landing in the top five, and believes that the third time is a charm.

“I didn’t win a purple banner,” said Whitney Wallace, 2008 fair queen and MU agricultural journalism graduate. “But I did get to represent the fair in a crown and sash and blushed when my dad proudly told our friends I was the ‘grand champion girl’ at the Missouri State Fair.”

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