News : Meet the 2013 Benton County Fair Queen candidates

Taylor Jo Arens

Aspen Auld

Kristin Lowe

Dorothy Zaugg

Sara Petrzelka

Rylie Pflughaupt

Willow Huber

Seven candidates are trying to earn the title of Benton County Fair Queen during the Fair later this month, as well as representing the county at the Iowa State Fair Queen contest.

The seven are:

Taylor Jo Arens

Taylor is the daughter of Dan and the late Dena Arens of Belle Plaine. She has two younger brothers Tyler and Nathan.

Currently, Taylor attends Belle Plaine High School where she will be a senior this fall. She is involved in Win with Wellness, Student Council, Prom Committee, softball, cross country, basketball and track. Taylor is also involved in FFA, 4-H club Iowa Ever Readies.

She has received the Rising Star Award, and this past season she received her first varsity letter. In Track she received a weightlifting award. She has lettered in softball as a pre-Freshman and freshman and received the Coaches Award.

She has been in FFA since she was a freshman and she has held the offices of treasurer for two years and secretary one year. She has received the Star Green hand Award, Entrepreneurship in beef production, chapter Scholarship Award, and other miscellaneous awards. Taylor is a eight-year member of the Iowa Ever Readies 4-H Club. In 4-H she has received the Farmers Savings Bank and Trust Award, Most Improvement Member and Outstanding Member throughout the club. She has held the position of Historian for 3 yrs and 2yrs on the Leadership Team. She has participated in many community projects that her 4-H club has hosted, such as making pillow case for the tree of sharing, designing and taking care of the Iowa Ever Readies butterfly garden, and also playing bingo at the nursing home with the residents. During her past eight years she has shown horses for two years and beef for five years. She also has exhibits in the Home Ec/SEE.

During the summer she works at the Ice House Drive-In and at the Iowa State Fair as a grandstand ticket taker.

In her free time she likes to spend time with her family and friends.

Aspen Auld

Aspen is the daughter of Steve and Sandy Auld or rural Van Horne. Aspen is 16 yrs old and attends Benton Community High School.

Aspen helps volunteer with the Great Pyrenees Rescue of Iowa where she has supervised and trained new volunteers in all aspects of the rescue and the task required. In 2012 Aspen was selected to co-choreograph the Benton Community 5th -6th grade show choir group "Xhilaration" for the annual "Fill in Gym" show choir fund raiser event. She was selected by the American Legion Auxiliary of Iowa to attend the 2013 Iowa Girls State.

Aspen has the love to sing as she has been singing all her life. As a high school freshman Aspen was one of seven students from her high school to earn a Superior rating at the Iowa State High School Solo Contest. She was selected to be an auditionee for the 2011 and 2012 Iowa All-State Choir. As a sophomore and junior she was selected to be a member of the Celebration Company, her high school's varsity show choir. Outside of school Aspen has been recognized by several groups and The Cedar Rapids Symphony's Discovery Chorus which is a by audition only chorus. While living in Charlotte North Carolina she was recognized for her vocal and acting talents by receiving a special invitation to the Spectrum of the Arts summer camp put on by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School for the budding artists of all genres. In May of 2012 Aspen was inducted into the International Thespian Society. She has acted in her High School production as well as participating in with Act I of Benton County.

Aspen owns and shows her own llamas as Aspen Rayne Ranch, along with her parents llamas know as the Aulds' Lluminous Llamas outside of Van Horne. She has been recognized with 4 national top 10 rankings at the 2008 Alpaca and Llama Show Association's Grand national Show of Champions and in 2010 she topped that with another five top ten's. Aspen has ranked 3rd national for overall performance in 2011 & 2012 in her age division. In 2010-2012 Aspen was the Llama Association Princess and is currently the 2013 Iowa Llama Association Queen.

Aspen's goal is to become a large and small animal veterinarian .

Kristen Lowe

Kristen is the daughter of Thomas and Teresa Lowe of Dysart. She has two siblings, Nicole and Jacob, and she lives on an acreage outside of Dysart. She will be a senior at Union High School in the fall where she partakes in many extracurricular activities. She is involved in the Union Station show choir, jazz band, marching band, dance team, tennis team, large group and individual speech program, Carolers, National Honor Society, Silver Cord, and Honor Roll. She is the Vice President of the La Porte – Dysart FFA Chapter where she spends many hours organizing and conducting chapter activities, projects, and events. Outside of school, she stays busy by being active in the Bruce Boosters 4-H club, JADCO Dance Company, St. Paul’s Catholic Church, and Benton County 4-H Youth Council. In 4-H, she has exhibited projects at the Iowa State Fair, winning top awards in communications, photography, and wardrobe events. She auditioned and was selected to be a part of the 2012 Allstate Choir, and the 2013 Allstate Jazz Band. Her future plans include attending Iowa State University to major in Agricultural Communications and Business.

Dorothy Zaugg

Dorothy is the daughter of Gary and Shelly Zaugg of rural Watkins. She has a younger brother, Nicholas and younger sister Grace. She is currently a sophomore at Xavier High School and a member of the Florence Hawkeyes 4-H Club. Dorothy is involved in many activities in her church, school and community. She enjoys being a hospitality minister at church and helping with children's masses. Dorothy's activities in school are volleyball and soccer. Service opportunities she has participated in at school include raking leaves for the elderly, baskets of hop and donating time helping Gems of Hope. She also enjoys making special holiday cards for a local nursing home with my 4-H club. Throughout her experiences in 4-H she has had a woodworking project, visual arts, working exhibit and share the fund routine selected for the Iowa State Fair.

Dorothy has also received special awards in 4-H including outstanding junior, outstanding intermediate and a visual arts award. This summer Dorothy has been selected for a nursing internship at mercy hospital in Cedar Rapids. She looks forward to working with patients and being introduced to the nursing field. In her free time she enjoys camping and hanging out with her friends and looking forward to the Benton County Fair.

Sara Petrzelka

Sara is the daughter of Bruce and Virginia Petrzelka or Norway. Sara has three brothers, Matthew, Nathan, and Adam. This past May, Sara graduated from Benton Community High School. In the fall she plans to attend William Penn University to major in physical education. Sara will also pursue a basketball career throughout college.

In the community, Sara volunteers at the Prairie View Christian Church Nursery. She assists her mom with a little sister from the Big Brothers, Big Sister program. Since elementary school, she has been a member of the Florence Hawkeyes 4-H group.

In school she was a part of the Benton Community FFA Chapter. Sara Held two office positions as well. Sara has played volleyball, basketball, and participated in track. She is also a member of the Benton Community National Honor Society.

In high school Sara has received multiple academic awards through school and athletics. She received the Presidential Outstanding Academic Achievement Award, and also was named to the Academic All-Conference for volleyball, basketball, and track. She received other athletic awards. She was named to both the 2nd team and 1st team All-Conference Teams. Through FFA Sara has received the highest degree at the State level. She was also named the Most Outstanding Senior and the Most Outstanding Officer. In 4-H, she was an Outstanding Freshman as well as the Most-Improved Member.

Throughout the summer, she works at a day care, which she enjoys very much. Sara also likes to spend a lot of time outdoors camping and boating as well as love spending time with family and friends, sharing good laughs and making memories.

Rylie Pflughaupt

Rylie's are parents are Jordan and Traci Pflughaupt of Vinton. Rylie's siblings are Jaycob, Whitney and Taylor. Rylie graduated from Vinton -Shellsburg High School in 2011. Currently Rylie is attending Iowa State University, majoring in speech communications.

While in High School Rylie was a member of Speech 2-yrs choir 4yrs, golf 4 yrs, and numerous plays. Rylie was in FFA where she held offices of President and Treasurer. Rylie was in 4-H 8 yrs Bridging the generations mentor club. Rylie danced for several years at cooling Dance and bowled league for 4th -12th grade. She received several awards such as going to state for speech, was on the winning floriculture team for FFA, lettered in Choir, speech and golf, Rylie received the Dekalb Award, numerous trophies and ribbons while showing at the county and state fair.

At Iowa State Rylie, is a member of Habitat for Humanity and Orchesis II, dance company, along with National Society of Leadership & Success.

Willow Huber

The daughter of Jim and Conni Huber of Vinton. Willow has two sisters, Rose and Ivy. She is 18 yrs old where she recently graduated from Benton Community High School. She is active in many school activities including band, choir, color guard, large group and individual speech, FFA, plays and show choir. Outside of school she is involved in 4-H, Girl Scouts, and dance. She has been involved in the fair ever since she was little starting with Clover Buds and the open division contests, she is so excited to run for queen as she has looked up to them for years.

In the past Willowhas served as the Vinton-Shellsburg FFA chapter as the chapter Secretary and also the Northeast District FFA as the Southwest Vice-President. Her passion for FFA started in the fall of 2010 when she attended the 83rd National FFA convention as a member of the National FFA Honor Choir. She has since gone to Nationals on the Iowa's National Floricultural team and once again with the choir. Last year Willow was selected to attend Girl's Nation in Washington, DC. This fall she will attend once again in Extemporaneous Speaking.

Willow has also been very active in her 4-H club and has shown rabbits at the fair for nine years and poultry for two. She also has shown photography, Food and Nutrition Projects, and participated in the Share The Fun. This has allowed Willow to see the importance and amount of time and effort that is needed to successfully run and event like the fair.

This fall Willow will attend the University of Minnesota Duluth to double major in Political Science and Environmental and Sustainability with a dance minor.