Carley Clarahan was crowned the Keokuk County Expo Queen Thursday night in a culmination of her 12 years of work within 4-H, Clover Kids and FFA.

Clarahan was joined on the stage by fellow contestants Ayla Banes, Mackenzie Bevel and Madelyn Sieren. The contestants spent an hour introducing themselves and answering questions. Clarahan said the group was supportive, “It didn’t feel like we were at each other’s throats or anything, it felt like something we could all get together and enjoy and have so much fun being a part of.”

As the hour-long contest came to an end, the four took the stage together and the awards were presented. After Bevel was named Miss Congeniality and Sieren took first runner-up, Clarahan was elated to hear her name called and have the crown placed upon her head. She described her reaction to the moment, thanking her friends and family who had come to support her, “I was just so grateful, I mean, I couldn’t have been here without the people around me.”

Clarahan will travel to Des Moines to represent the Keokuk County Expo at the Iowa State Fair next month. To hear the full interview with Clarahan, tune in to Monday’s In Touch With Southeast Iowa Program.