Emily Rudd named 2018 Bratwurst Festival Queen

BUCYRUS - Emily Rudd was so certain she wouldn't be crowned queen of the 2018 Bratwurst Festival that she didn't bother preparing an acceptance speech.

"They told us to be ready for this," she said, laughing.

Rudd joined five other girls from Crawford County during the 51st Bratwurst Festival Queen's Pageant. Rudd was named queen, Desiree Sharp first runner-up and Emily Chavatzas, second runner-up.

It wasn't the first time Rudd's family has been royalty — her sister, Sara Wheeler, was the festival's queen in 2005.

"I followed in her footsteps," Rudd said. "I was little then, and I was like, 'I want to do that, too.'"

Community involvement means a lot to Rudd, which was a big reason she wanted to represent her hometown during the upcoming year. She shows animals every year at the fair, has been on the Junior Fair Board, volunteers at the Salvation Army and much more.

"There's nothing like home," Rudd said. "I get to represent Bucyrus — it's going to be a good time, for sure."

Rudd received another big surprise earlier in the night when she was named the pageant's Miss Congeniality. She was selected during a vote by all of the girls who were vying to become queen.

"Being picked by my peers was definitely very humbling," Rudd said. "I'm excited they liked me as much as I like them. All of these girls were deserving of Miss Congeniality and queen."

Being named first runner-up was a return to royalty for Sharp, who was the festival queen's first attendant in 2016. She told the audience during her questioning Thursday that the person in history who reminded her most of herself was Nastia Liukin, the American gymnast who won gold during the 2008 Olympic individual all around. Sharp herself was a gymnast.

"She's given back to the gymnastics world, and so have I," Sharp said, a reference to her continued involvement as a coach and a judge.

Sharp was joined on stage Thursday by her younger sister, Hope, who competed in the pageant for the first time.

When asked Thursday which person in her family she was most like, Chavatzas didn't hesitate to admit it was her brother.

"We have the same leadership characteristics and we have the same goals," Chavatzas said. "I'm honored to say I share the same characteristics as my brother."

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