Manatee County Fair has a new queen: Beth Ciemniecki

MANATEE -- Perseverance made a winner -- and a queen Saturday night.

Beth Ciemniecki was crowned Miss Manatee County Fair Queen before a crowd at the Palmetto High School Auditorium.

No stranger to the competition, the newly crowned queen favorite said the most meaningful part of the fair for her involves a different competition.

"Always the livestock," she told the crowd moments after being crowned. "I will always be there to support all the kids coming through. I will always have the memories that I made there."

She continues to make memories, too.

"This year I raised a steer," she said. "For the past six years, I raised pigs and horses, and I did rabbits as well, and plants."

Among the more the 200-plus people in the audience, the queen said she was humbled by the support of her loved ones who continued to cheer her on after she was crowned.

"Thanks you all for coming out and being my all my family, and supporting me through everything," she said. "I love you so much."

In addition to enjoying all the perks and privileges of being the reigning queen, Ciemniecki also won a $500 academic scholarship.

Also crowned Saturday night was Junior Miss Manatee County Fair Queen Olivia Lake, Little Miss Manatee County Fair Queen Kayla Gunst and Mini Miss Manatee County Fair Queen Cylie Simonons.

All four queens had beaming smiles as they were presented with flowers, trophies, a sash and their crown.

Queen Mom, Sue Revel, the Manatee River Fair Association Board member emeritus, will chaperone the queens as the fair gets underway Thursday.

The pageant sponsored by Manatee Memorial Hospital,was also a final farewell for outgoing queens: 2015 Miss Manatee County Fair Queen Hannah Roddenberry, Junior Miss Hannah Brady, Little Miss Regan Williams and Mini Miss Analise Pena.

And with their farewells, came some words of wisdom to the newly crowned queens.

"This surely has been an amazing year for me," Roddenberry said. "I want all the contestants tonight to believe in yourselves and never give up on your dreams. By believing in yourself, you can make your dreams come true."

The experience was worth every second, she said.

"I want to wish the best of luck to all the contestants tonight and remind you that you are all queens in your own way," Roddenberry said.

Jessica De Leon, Herald law enforcement reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7049. You can follow her Twitter@JDeLeon1012.

This story was originally published January 9, 2016 at 11:11 PM with the headline "Manatee County Fair has a new queen: Beth Ciemniecki ."