Allamakee County Dairy Princess Hannah Hagen is crowned Iowa Dairy Princess

Hannah Hagen, the 18-year-old daughter of Erik and Lisa Hagen of Waterville, was crowned the 73rd Iowa Dairy Princess during an evening ceremony at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines Wednesday, August 12. Hagen is the ninth Allamakee County young lady to wear the crown of Iowa Dairy Princess, and she will spend the next year serving as a goodwill ambassador for Iowa’s dairy farmers.

Throughout her year-long reign, she will make public appearances to connect with consumers and help them understand the dedication of dairy farm families to their cows, their land and the milk they produce. Representing Allamakee County in the contest, Hagen will be a freshman at Iowa State University in Ames this fall where she will study Animal Science.

Mae Wedemeier, 18, of Maynard, was named Iowa Dairy Princess Alternate. The daughter of Scott and Catherine Wedemeier, she will share duties of representing Iowa’s dairy industry with Hagen throughout the year. She represented the Iowa Jersey Cattle Club and will also be a freshman at Iowa State University where she will major in Agriculture Communications with a minor in Leadership Studies. Wedemeier was also recognized for her performance in the public speaking portion of the contest.

Hanna Vagts, 18, of West Union, was voted Miss Congeniality by her peers. She is the daughter of Derrick and Sara Vagts and represented Winneshiek County.

Six candidates competed for this year’s Iowa Dairy Princess title, with the judging held August 11 and 12 in Ankeny. The winners were selected based on an application, answers to essay questions, interview and public speaking skills, professionalism and ability to advocate for dairy farmers.

The outgoing 2025-2026 Iowa Dairy Princess is Kelsey Timp, daughter of Brett and Robin Timp of Ossian, and the Alternate Princess outgoing is Alia Domeyer, daughter of Dewey and Jeannie Domeyer of Delhi. Their reigns will be completed at the end of the month, and Hagen and Wedemeier will begin their dairy royalty duties September 1 of this year.

Hagen’s crowning as Iowa Dairy Princess marks the 19th time in the history of the contest that a young lady from Allamakee County has worn the crown of either Iowa Dairy Princess (now nine times) or Alternate Iowa Dairy Princess (10 times), the most of any county in the state of Iowa, just ahead of Winneshiek County’s 17 crowned individuals. She is the first Allamakee County Dairy Princess to be crowned Iowa Dairy Princess in just under two decades.

According to Iowa Dairy Princess historical archives, that list of Allamakee County young ladies who have either become Iowa Dairy Princess or Alternate includes the following, listed with the years they were crowned:

Carol Flage Middleton, 1966 Princess;
Susan Schultz, 1967 Alternate;
Kathy Thorstenson Murphy, 1972 Princess;
Joan Stock Behr, 1978 Alternate;
Jane Stock Regan, 1982 Princess;
Erin Mooney Berns, 1987 Alternate;
Shelly Fossum Howe, 1989 Alternate;
Shelly Regan Elliott, 1993 Princess;
Stacia Piggott Sonderman, 1995 Alternate;
Megan Wonderlich Ernst, 1999 Princess;
Tiffany Einck Merrick, 2000 Princess;
Erin Schulte Rixen, 2001 Princess;
Elizabeth Wonderlich Rozycki, 2005 Alternate;
Samantha Ehrhardt Wagner, 2007 Princess;
Leslie Sivesind Courtney, 2016 Alternate
Grace Howe, 2018 Alternate.
Faith Palmer Scott, 2019 Alternate.
Elizabeth Fossum, 2023 Alternate, as well as Miss Congeniality.

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