Jasper County Fair Queen candidates

The 2015 Jasper County Fair Queen will be crowned at 7 p.m. Saturday at the fairgrounds in Colfax, during the Jasper County Fair Round Up.

Emily Zahurones

Emily is the daughter of Dale and Beth Zahurones and is homeschooled in her hometown of Baxter. She is employed at the Baxter Oil Company and is a cow/calf producer.

Throughout her seven years in 4-H as a member of her community, she has been involved in FFA, band, speech, drama, Girl Scouts, and volleyball. Some leadership positions Emily has held include sentinel and treasurer for the Baxter FFA and historian in the Hominy Ridge 4-H Council this coming year. Emily wishes to represent Jasper County as Fair Queen to inspire people around her to rise to the challenge and know that 4-H is so much more than agriculture. She would love nothing more than to share her experiences with people so that they can go all out to discover their own adventures.

Brooke Matson

Brooke is the daughter to Rebecca and Martin Hosbond of Prairie City. She graduated from PCM High School in the spring of 2015 and will be attending DMACC in Ankeny in the fall. During her high school career she took part in the following: Band (four years, including concert, marching, and pep-band), Iowa State Honor Band (one year), senior solo (one year), choir (two years, lettered one year), show choir (two years), FFA (four years, Greenhand Award), 4-H (one year, secretary one year), track (one year, lettered one year), Spanish (four years), two online college classes, Academic Decathlon (two years, one in science and third in social studies), Academic Decathlon state (one year), honor roll (two years). Brooke believes that she has the work ethic, morals, determination, honesty, and passion to fill the shoes of Jasper Fair Queen. She has always admired the past Fair Queens and would try her best to improve the fair experiences for the whole county.

Erin Van Sickle

Erin is the daughter of Chris and Debbie Van Sickle and will be a junior at Newton Senior High School in the fall.

She participates on the Aquagirls swim team and is involved in theater. She has maintained a 3.9-4.0 GPA. Her other activities include swimming for the Newton YMCA and being an assistant director for the Children’s Summer Workshop at the Newton Community Theatre. She is actively involved in her church as well. She has been on two missions trips with her youth group and helps with the Wednesday and Sunday children’s programs. Erin wants to represent Jasper County as the fair queen because she believes anyone should be able to follow their hopes and dreams. .

Jaci Reeves

Jaci is the 17-year-old daughter of Jack Reeves and Staci Bird of Newton and attends Newton Senior High School. She is a member of Carhartt Club, National Honor Society, and also is serving as the Newton FFA Chapter Vice President. Jaci also participates in softball and has been involved in numerous community service projects such as Red Pride Day and Salvation Army bell ringing.

Jaci would like to be the 2015 County Fair Queen because she would like to give back to an organization that has done so much for the community. The Jasper County Fair has brought members of the county together for many years and has sparked the love for agriculture inside her. To be a leader of this fair would be a great honor. She enjoys leading others and this opportunity would be a great experience.

Tapanga Birkenholtz

Tapanga is the daughter of Randy and Lissa Birkenholtz and is a 2015 graduate of Newton Senior High School. Throughout high school, Tapanga was involved in soccer, cheer leading, student council, FFA, and her high school dance team. She maintained a spot on the A or B honor roll every semester throughout high school, making her an honor graduate.

Tapanga shows at the county and state level in FFA. She enjoys spending time with her horses, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and family. She enjoys working as a CNA and being able to take care of the elderly.

Tapanga is attending Central College in the fall, majoring in Elementary Education and Psychology. She wants to represent Jasper County as the queen because she wants to serve her county. She also wants to be a role model for others and feels the queen is the ideal role model position.