Hodge is second runner-up at pageant

   In Bronwyn Hodge, the Monticello Cubs certainly picked a qualified candidate for the Dyersville Whitehawks Semi-Pro Baseball Tournament Queen Pageant.

   Hodge, 18, knows the sport, after serving as a manager/scorekeeper for the Monticello High School softball team throughout high school.

   She also had experienced what’s involved in an interview, having been selected as the Great Jones County Fair Princess in 2021.

   So it was no surprise when Hodge was picked as the pageant’s second runner-up Saturday, Aug. 13 during the tournament.

   “I was honored to be able to represent the Monticello Cubs and take part in the longstanding tradition of the Whitehawks’ Queen Pageant,” Hodge said.

   Hodge was selected as Monticello’s candidate in mid-June.

   “I was excited, because it’s a different experience, and to interview always helps,” she said.

   She interviewed for the queen pageant Aug. 3.

   “I’m pretty seasoned when it comes to interview questions,” she said. “But there were definitely some questions that get you thinking.”

   On Saturday, she appeared with the other candidates at the pageant. Each one rode in a convertible around the field at Commercial Club Park, and then lined up as the awards were announced.

   “It was so fun getting to know the other contestants and learning more about the history of this local event,” she said.”

   Hodge is headed to the University of Northern Iowa in the fall to study biology on a pre-med track. Her goal is to become a pediatric oncologist.