Benton County Fair reveals names of queen contestants

Two women are running for Benton County Fair Queen. Following are their biographies in their own words.

Olivia Hanson

My name is Olivia Hanson, and I live just outside of La Porte City, Iowa.

I am the daughter of Robert and Maureen Hanson, and I am the fifth of six kids in my family.

I am a proud member of the Bruce Boosters 4-H Club and the LaPorte-Dysart FFA Chapter. Through 4-H I have been involved in static projects, communications projects, livestock projects and the Benton County 4-H Livestock Skills team.

I am also on the Benton County 4-H Youth Council and have enjoyed helping with the planning of the 4-H Night at The Grandstand event at the Benton County Fair.

In FFA, I have served as my chapter's co-reporter and president, and I served at the 2023-2024 Northeast District Reporter.

I am a graduated senior of Union High School where I proudly served as class president and student council president. This fall, I plan on attending Iowa State University to double major in agricultural education and agricultural communications.

The Benton County Fair has always been one of my all-time favorite weeks of the year, and I am excited and honored to be running for Benton County Fair Queen.

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Grayce McClintock

My name is Grayce McClintock. I recently graduated from Vinton-Shellsburg High School and am attending Iowa State University this fall and majoring in agricultural studies.

I live in Shellsburg on my family’s fifth-generation farm where we have a contract wean-to-finish swine operation and grow 1,000 acres of corn and soybeans.

My parents are Ryan and Kelli McClintock, and I have a younger brother Cooper, and a younger sister Zoey.

I have been involved in many community service activities and am a 4-H member. I have shown pigs in 4-H for the past nine years.

I have also been a member of the Benton County 4-H Youth Council for the past four years. I have been an active FFA member for three years, and served as the 2023-2024 Vinton-Shellsburg FFA Vice President.

I have participated in numerous contests, attended State and National conventions, and my most favorite FFA experience has been the opportunity to be a Grandstand Usher at the Iowa State Fair.

I have participated in many sports, such as softball for five years, basketball for three years, track for one year and golf for one year. I have been on the honor roll all four years of high school.

I am a member of the National Honors Society and served on the 2023-2024 Vinton-Shellsburg National Honors Society chapter Executive Board.

The Benton County Fair runs from June 19-23 on the fairgrounds on South Second Avenue in Vinton.