ST. PAUL, Minn. (May 17, 2020) — Ten dairy princesses from across Minnesota have been named finalists for the 67th Princess Kay of the Milky Way, after participating in virtual judging sessions held May 15-16. The virtual judging took the place of the Dairy Promotion and Leadership event that is typically held in person but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To compete to be a finalist for Princess Kay of the Milky Way, each princess submitted an application, participated in a personal interview, prepared and delivered a speech, and participated in a mock media interview, all of which took place virtually using the online Zoom platform. After these events, 10 finalists were selected to compete for the title of Minnesota’s 67th Princess Kay of the Milky Way, who will be crowned in August.
The finalists include:
- Emily Benrud, 20, of Goodhue, representing Goodhue County; daughter of Roger and Michelle Benrud
- Brenna Connelly, 19, of Byron, representing Olmsted County; daughter of Craig and Heather Connelly
- Mackenzie Craig, 19, of Alexadria, representing Douglas County; daughter of David and Wendy Craig
- Emma Friauf, 19, of Glencoe, representing McLeod County; daughter of Wayne and Teri Friauf
- Taylor Jerde, 20, of Northfield, representing Dakota County; daughter of Mike Jerde and Sarah Hallcock
- Katherine Maus, 18, of Freeport, representing Stearns Country; daughter of Darrel and Lisa Maus
- Maggie Meyer, 20, of Grove City, representing Meeker County; daughter of Greg and Patti Meyer
- Maggie Molitor, 17, of Rockville, representing Stearns County; daughter of Joe Molitor
- Valerie Sauder, 20, of Pine Island, representing Dodge County; daughter of Stan and Amy Sauder
- Rebeckah Schroeder, 20, of Caledonia, representing Houston County; daughter of Daniel and Sheila Schroeder
Princess Kay candidates are judged on their general knowledge of the dairy industry, communication skills and enthusiasm for promoting dairy. Midwest Dairy sponsors the Princess Kay of the Milky Way program, which is funded by dairy farmers through their promotion checkoff. As we learn more about how the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to impact future events, an announcement will be made regarding coronation.