The third time’s the charm for El Reagan on Aug. 6 at the Old Settlers Picnic queen contest in New Florence.

After falling short in queen contests at the Jonesburg Homecoming and the Montgomery County Fair earlier this summer, the High Hill resident came out on top at the Old Settlers queen event, which was held at the Old Settlers Picnic Grounds in New Florence.

Reagan, who will be a junior at Montgomery County High School this fall, beat out Kaylie Davis, Alexa Groeber and Haley Heller in the contest.

“I almost couldn’t believe it,” Reagan said. “I was really excited.”

Davis, who is from Bellflower and will be a freshman at MCHS this fall, was voted first runner-up in her first appearance at the Old Settlers Picnic contest. Groeber and Heller competed in the contest for the second year in a row.
Reagan also participated in the contest for the second straight year. She was voted first runner-up in 2021.

Whitney Palm, last year’s winner, put the crown on Reagan.

“I’m very much a people person,” Reagan said. “I feel my interview went really well. I’ve also done this before. So I have a little bit of experience. All of the girls did a great job.”

Reagan also was named Miss Congeniality. She also was named Miss Congeniality at the Montgomery County Fair queen contest on July 18.

“To me, the fact that I got Miss Congeniality is way more important to me,” Reagan said. “I could not win anything in Miss Congeniality and be completely satisfied with that because that’s more about who you are.”

Also, Eliza Matthews was named the Old Settlers Picnic princess. Annabelle Mayes was voted first runner-up and Ava Cruzen was selected second runner-up.

Reagan was one of four contestants in the queen contest at the Jonesburg Homecoming in June, but lost to Bethany Slovensky. She was one of seven contestants in the Montgomery County Fair queen contest, but lost to Izzy Freymuth.

Reagan said after a year, she enjoys competing in queen contests.

“It’s a lot of fun because it’s out of my comfort zone,” Reagan said. “I’m not very girly. But whenever I come up here, I feel like getting out there in front of people helps with my confidence. With everything else I’m ever going to do with my life, I’m going to be nervous. But just being out there in front of people helps a lot.”

The win in the Old Settlers Picnic queen contest was one of Reagan’s two big highlights in 2022. The other one was the Class 3 state championship in the pole vault in May.

“The pole vault title is going to help me a lot in the future, but so will this (Old Settlers queen),” Reagan said. “This will get me more involved in my community.”

Reagan has been going to the Old Settlers Picnic all of her life. Ten years ago, she was voted the Old Settlers Picnic princess, beating out 10 contestants.

“I love seeing everybody here,” Reagan said. “I see a lot of people that I don’t get to see very often. They all come down here for Old Settlers. It’s kind of a big reunion.”