File:Jill Allen Frederick County Dairy Princess May 2018.jpg

ncoming Brunswick High School senior crowned newest Frederick County Dairy Princess by Jeremy Arias

Frederick County named a new dairy princess Sunday, crowning incoming Brunswick High School senior Jill Allen the latest representative of one of the county’s oldest and proudest industries.

Allen was chosen by a panel of three local dairy experts at the conclusion of a small, two-person competition Sunday at the Johnsville United Methodist Church Hall in Union Bridge. Before the judges convened, Allen and the runner-up, incoming Middletown High School senior Madison Spurrier, both delivered brief speeches, answered questions about the dairy industry and presented a skit aimed at educating young children about the nutritious value of milk and dairy products.

For her sketch, Allen drew upon her hobby of playing tennis at Brunswick High, addressing the audience as a sportscaster narrating a very one-sided tennis match between a team of athletes who ate healthy meals and bolstered their diet with plenty of dairy products against another team that favored junk food.

“The tennis season just ended, so I decided to build my skit around that,” Allen said after the coronation ceremony, explaining how she bases her own athletic endeavors on a healthy diet with plenty of “the world’s most perfect drink.”

As the winner of the county’s competition, Allen will go on to compete for the title of Maryland Dairy Princess in July with Spurrier acting as her alternate.

More importantly, Allen and Spurrier will act as outreach coordinators to the youth of Frederick County and goodwill ambassadors for the dairy industry of Frederick County in the year ahead, said Laurie Savage, the Maryland Dairy Princess state coordinator.

Dairy princess competitions are open to young women between 16 and 21 with some connection to the dairy industry in their local communities, Savage said.

“It may be that they live on a farm or their family leases a farm,” Savage said. “Many of them show animals or are involved with their local 4-H Club.”

Allen, 17, of Jefferson, works at Glen-Toctin Farm and is the current president of the Middletown Valley 4-H Dairy Club, while Spurrier, who lives in Frederick, has held several leadership and counseling positions with Frederick County 4-H and is the current president of the Middletown Future Farmers of America chapter.

For her part, Allen said she is looking forward to competing in the statewide contest in July against any winners from the six other regions recognized in Maryland’s association.

“I’m excited. Nervous, but excited,” Allen said with a smile as she and her family enjoyed glasses of chocolate milk and other dairy-based treats after Sunday’s contest. “And, of course, it’s an honor to serve my community and represent Frederick County to the rest of the state.”

Regional winners from Frederick County have had a historically strong showing in the state’s dairy princess competition.

Sydnie Grossnickle, a Union Bridge resident, was crowned Maryland Dairy Princess last July at the state’s 56th annual contest at 16 after first winning the Frederick County title. Then a senior at Walkersville High School, Grossnickle is now less than a week from graduation and was also present at Sunday’s contest.

“It’s been a wonderful experience for me. I’ve grown a lot as a public speaker and gained a lot of knowledge about the dairy industry,” Grossnickle said of her time as the state’s representative and her involvement in dairy princess competitions. “I’ve pretty much touched one side of the state all the way to the other, and I’ve met a lot of great people along the way.”

After presenting both contestants and acting as a host for the contest, Grossnickle did the honors of crowning Allen once the judges returned with their decision.

While Allen ended up wearing the crown, Spurrier was still committed to supporting and advocating for milk and dairy products as well as the dairy industry in the state.

“I really do like going out to different libraries and schools and talking to kids and sharing what I know,” Spurrier said, saying she was looking forward to working with Allen in the year ahead.