Tristin Dean is the new Crawford County Queen

story and photo by Marla Cantrell
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At Saturday night’s (Sept. 18) Crawford County Fair, Tristin Dean, a 17-year-old senior from Alma, was crowned the 2010 Crawford County Queen.

The crown comes with a $1,000 scholarship to the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. Dean also won Miss Congeniality.

“I was a little overwhelmed when I heard my name,” Tristin said. “But I was pretty confident coming into the contest. I can’t wait to go to church tomorrow and tell everybody the news.”

First runner up was Lyndsie Backus of Mountainburg. Lindsay Marvin, of Alma, won second runner-up, and Emily Taylor, also of Alma, took third place, and was also awarded the audience appeal award. Rachel Tibbit won Miss Photogenic and the Good Heart award.

The girls were asked a variety of questions, including which news story they wished they’d been asked to cover. Most answered Hurricane Katrina or 9/11, but there were a few exceptions, including Cara Green, who said: “I’d like to cover OU’s Sam Bradford winning the 74th Heisman Trophy in December of 2008. … I live in Alma where everybody backs the Razorbacks, and that’s not a very popular answer, but that’s what I’d pick.”

But one of the brightest moments of the evening came when Jaysa Degraffenreed was asked what one thing she wouldn’t tolerate in a boyfriend or husband. Degraffenreed hesitated a moment, adjusted her glasses and said, “Cheating. Cause cheating ain’t right.”

It was the end of reign of Savannah Valentine.

“I was surprised,” Valentine said of her win as Miss Crawford County 2009. “I wanted to do it for fun. All my friends were doing it. We were back there just having a good time. It’s been great, to be able to be part of the community and to volunteer. I got $1,000 scholarship for the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. … I’m an early childhood education major. The little ones, I just love them.”

Earlier in the evening, 4-year-old Raven Merechka won the Tiny Princess contest. Marti Yates was first runner up, Whitney Watson was second runner up, and Marlee Jo Cedillo, took third place.