Stahlecker crowned new Miss Crookston

The coronation of the latest Miss Crookston Friday evening was even made more suspenseful this year because the individual competition winners, normally a build-up to the crowning moment, were not announced until after Miss Crookston 2009 Kristin Remick handed over the reign to Michelle Stahlecker. This left the new queen gasping in shock. 

“Oh my God, it’s me?” she asked after being crowned. “I just can’t believe it.”

Stahlecker, it was later revealed, won both the evening gown, which counts for 15 percent of the contestants’ total score, and talent, worth 35 percent, competitions. She danced and sang her way to winning the talent portion with "I Can't Do It Alone" from her favorite musical, “Chicago.”

Krystina Rasmussen was first runner-up. Hannah Edlund, who won the on-stage presence competition that accounts for 15 percent of the score, was named second runner-up. Third runner-up was Ciara Brewster, who won the personal interview portion, which contributes 35 percent to the final score. She also received the Kari Thompson Community Service Essay award, which Miss Crookston 2006 Alexia Thompson presented in honor of her late mother. Kaylee Reierson was voted Miss Congeniality by her fellow contestants.

These candidates were awarded a total of $3,400 in general scholarships and $2,500 in University of Minnesota, Crookston scholarships along with other gifts. Each of the 10 Miss Crookston candidates also received a gift package with a variety of items. Non-award winners received cash gift awards as well.

Miss Crookston 2010 Scholarship Pageant theme: Celebrating Our Past

This year's pageant was a special one, marking the 20th straight year and longest consecutive stretch of the pageant that had before then been held sporadically since 1936. To celebrate the Miss Crookston tradition, 15 past queens and Remick attended a dinner and reception in their honor prior to the pageant start. Some actively participated in the program: Paula (Olson) Odland (1993) joined Steve Krueger as co-emcee and also joined former Miss Crookston contestants Adrianne Winger and her sister-in-law, Kari Odland, in singing a song; Michelle (Larson) Vesey (1995) and her daughter, Lauren, did a Tae-Kwon-Do performance similar to the one she did as her talent 15 years ago; and Connie (Broden) Moland (1966) held a book-signing with her book, "Treasures of the Heart."

Other former Miss Crookstons in attendance were: Frances (Ristau) Sanders (1947), Jackie (Schipper) Burke (1954), Rubie Mathies (1962), Kristy (Palmer) Widseth (1984), Kristi (Nelson) Page (1985), Myra (Odom) Gentile (1991), Carmen (Kreibich) Johnson (1992), Andrea Martin (2000), Katie (Proulx) Winjum (2001), Taylor Davis (2007) and Dani Wavra (2008).

At a designated time during the program, the past queens introduced themselves and talked about the impact the pageant had on them. The consensus, especially among those who were crowned prior to the first pageant held in the current location, Crookston High School auditorium, was that they didn’t remember the lights being so bright.

Widseth took the opportunity to change the answer she gave 26 years ago to the question, “What famous person would you like to dine with?”

“I’ve always regretted the answer I gave, so thank you for giving me this opportunity to change it,” she said, amid subdued laughter from the audience. “At the time, I was really into running and said a famous runner, but the truth is, it’s Mother Teresa. I’ve always admired her and think she was just the greatest person. So I’m happy to set the record straight.”

Moland, who was at the time of her reign and still is from Fertile, noted that the pageant used to draw a number of contestants from Fertile and other nearby towns, and a handful of queens were not Crookston residents.

“We couldn’t have one,” she asserted. “I mean, who would want to be named ‘Miss Fertile?’”

Mathies talked about how winners the pageants in the 1960s, as well as other years, went on to the Miss Minnesota Pageant, which was then held in Austin, Minn. This meant they had swimsuit competitions, unlike the current pageant format, which she and others agreed could be a bit intimidating. But, being able to participate at the advanced Miss Minnesota level was a “once-in-a-lifetime experience I’ll never forget or regret,” she said.

“The scholarship I received, a fraction of what the girls get now, was extremely valuable, enabling me to further my education beyond high school,” she added. “A lot of girls didn’t have that chance then.”

The women cited several other positive things they took away from the Miss Crookston experience, including great public speaking skills, more confidence, and long-time friendships. The senior of the bunch, Sanders, said that although she moved away from Crookston years ago, coming back periodically to visit old friends and relatives brings back fond memories of the town she once called home.

Other former Miss Crookstons include:

19?? Kelsey Homvik  

1936 Marie Olson

1938 Loretta Burgess

1946 Audrey Neff

1948 Rosita Ellingson

1963 Lolly Dewar

1964 Sue Bakke

1965 Leann Juve

1968 Georgia Rude

1990 Heather Williams      

1994 Jessica Sayler           

1996 Alyson Gilbert           

1997 Ann Gregg                 

1998 Sara Brorson           

1999 Therese Noel

2002 Bethany Meier         

2003 Katie Bakken           

2004 Alex Dorman            

2005 Taushia Brooks