Five vying for crown of 2022 Allamakee County Fair Queen

Maycie Curtin ...
Maycie Curtin ...
Rhianna Jones ...
Rhianna Jones ...
Mackenzie Kaeser ...
Mackenzie Kaeser ...
Claire Opperman ...
Claire Opperman ...
Cheyanne Troendle ...
Cheyanne Troendle ...

July 19 coronation event and Youth Showcase will kick off the 169th Allamakee County Fair
 

Five Allamakee County young ladies are vying for the title of 2022 Allamakee County Fair Queen. Those five candidates for this year’s crown include Maycie Curtin, Mckenzie Kaeser and Claire Opperman, all students at Waukon High School, and Rhianna Jones and Cheyanne Troendle, both students at Kee High School in Lansing.

Each candidate participated in an individual and group interview held Wednesday, July 6 at Veterans Memorial Hospital where they were judged on their professionalism, personality and poise. The Fair Queen Coronation will be held Tuesday, July 19 at the Allamakee Fairgrounds Pavilion following the Youth Showcase that starts at 7 p.m. The event is free to attend and open to the public.

Photos and biographies of the candidates seeking this year’s Allamakee County Fair Queen crown are printed here:

Maycie Curtin

Maycie Curtin is the 17 year old daughter of Trampes and Lisa Curtin of Waukon. Throughout her high school career, Maycie has participated in basketball, swimming, track and FFA. She will be a senior at Waukon High School this fall where she is also working towards obtaining her Associate’s Degree from NICC in addition to her high school diploma. She is a member of the National Honor Society and continues to be recognized on the NICC Dean’s List. In the community, Maycie has been a member of the Ludlow Future Farmers 4-H Club for the past eight years. In the summer she works as a lifeguard and enjoys teaching private swim lessons while also coaching youth teams through Waukon Park and Rec. Maycie is a member of the First Presbyterian Church and occasionally designs advertisements and graphics for church fundraisers and bulletins. When she has free time she loves spending it with her friends, family, and her dog, Nova. Maycie works on the farm with her family and helps take care of their beef cattle and horses. She shows her cattle at the Allamakee County Fair and other local shows. A fun fact about Maycie, her hobbies include reading, writing and drawing.  She has even had poetry published in a “Young Poets Collection” and was selected as an essay winner for a Veterans Day writing contest. After high school, Maycie plans to attend Iowa State University to major in Veterinary Science.

Rhianna Jones

Rhianna Jones is the 17 year old daughter of Eric and Liz Jones of Lansing. She will be a senior this fall at Lansing High School where she is involved in FFA, speech, volleyball, drama, Kee Club, choir, art club and Desktop Publishing. In drama she was awarded the Rising Actress Award and she has also earned her FFA Greenhand Degree. In 2020, she served as the Sophomore Class Vice President at her high school. Outside of school, Rhianna enjoys participating in the VFW Auxiliary, Wolfpack Theater Company and Iron Ridge Youth group. When her schedule allows, Rhianna likes to act, listen to music, write, go paddle boarding and go horseback riding. After high school her future plans are to teach English as a second language in Japan and hopefully do voice acting.

Mackenzie Kaeser

Mackenzie Kaeser, 17, of Waukon is the daughter of Kristie Welch and Mike Kaeser. She is actively involved in basketball at Waukon High School, where she also maintains her academic achievements by making the honor roll every semester.  In addition to basketball, Mackenzie is a member of the Ludlow Future Farmers 4-H Club, 4-H County Council, and also volunteers at her church meatball suppers at Old West Paint Creek Lutheran Church. In her free time, Mackenzie likes to spend time with her two dogs, Cinch and Koda. She also enjoys spending time with her family and friends, especially when they go kayaking and tubing on the Upper Iowa River. After graduating high school next year, Mackenzie would like to attend Iowa State University to major in Animal Science. Then after two years, she plans to apply to the ISU’s College of Veterinary Medicine to become a veterinarian.

Claire Opperman

Claire Opperman is the 17 year old daughter of Amy Opperman. She just completed her junior year at Waukon High School where she is actively involved in FFA, volleyball, and is a member of National Honor Society. In the community, Claire participates in 4-H, 4-H County Council, and her church youth group. As an active member of 4-H and FFA for many years, Claire enjoys showing cattle and pigs at the fair and other local shows throughout the year. Claire also competes in dairy judging competitions year-round and likes helping out at the annual Farm Safety Day camp held each summer for local youth. She is currently serving as the President of the Ludlow Future Farmers 4-H Club. After high school, Claire is planning to attend NICC for Ag Business and Ag Finance.

Cheyanne Troendle

Cheyanne Troendle, 18, is the daughter of Darrell and Amy Troendle of Waterville. She recently graduated from Kee High School in Lansing where she was actively involved in FFA, Speech and Drama. Cheyanne served as her FFA chapter’s President for the second consecutive year, after first serving as Vice President beginning in 2019. As a Large Group Speech contestant, she has participated in reader’s theater, group mime and radio broadcasting. In Kee High’s previous drama production, Cheyanne enjoyed being the stage manager for the show. In addition to her various commitments, she also served as her Class Treasurer and is a member of the Kee High Scholarship Fund. Outside of school, Cheyanne is involved in the 4-H Toppers 4-H Club where she loves to show dairy cattle, swine and dogs. She also completes photography, woodworking and visual arts projects to be showcased at the fair. Cheyanne is also the 2021-2022 President of Luther League at Old East Paint Creek Lutheran Church. In her free time, Cheyanne enjoys showing animals at multiple shows and fairs throughout the year. She also enjoys horseback riding, kayaking, skiing, ATV/UTV riding and swimming. Her future plans are to enroll at NICC this fall to major in Dairy Science Technology. After earning her degree, she would like to gain experience in hopes of becoming a certified milk inspector.