Shelby Johnson named Miss Tracy 2027
As a well-seasoned dancer, Shelby Johnson has performed plenty of times in front of judges. With that said, one would think being a Miss Tracy candidate would be a cakewalk.
Not true. And not only did Johnson handle the big stage flawlessly, she was crowned Miss Tracy 2027 at Sunday evening’s Miss Tracy Scholarship Program. Johnson performed a dance routine to Paula Abdul’s “Cold Hearted Snake,” but it was the other areas of judging that her and the 10 other contestants went through that stuck with her.
“When you’re competing in a competition (the judges) don’t get to talk to you — they don’t get to know you as a person,” Johnson said after Sunday’s event. “They only see you on stage for two minutes, that’s it. This is insane for me; I still can’t believe they chose me.”
Johnson admitted she was most apprehensive about the interview with the judges since that area is a little outside of her comfort zone.
“I’m used to being on a stage in front of people, so that part was the most nerve-racking for me,” she said.
Johnson said polishing her interview skills was just one thing she will take away from being a Miss Tracy contestant.
“The summer was great,” Johnson said. “I was a little overwhelmed at first just thinking about all the things I had to do with practices. I thought it was going to take forever, but it went by so fast — so many experiences that were incredible.”
Johnson was one member of one of the largest Miss Tracy candidate lineups in some time. The first runner-up was Hallee Roggatz, and Brooke Swenhaugen was named second runner-up. The trio will represent their city and the Miss Tracy Scholarship Program at various events throughout 2027.
A number of awards and scholarships were also given out. Winners in the following categories earning $300 scholarships were: Roggatz (Scholastic Achievement & Community Involvement sponsored by Tracy Food Pride, the Tracy Education Association and Ideal Animal Nutrition) Braelynn Kirk (Panel Evaluation sponsored by Minnwest Bank, Nelson Traits & Seeds and Second Wind CPAP); Brooke Swenhaugen (Creative Arts sponsored by Fine Arts Council of Tracy); Johnson (Fitness Award sponsored by Sanford Tracy Medical Center and the Fitness Depot); Swenhaugen (Presence & Composure sponsored by Currie State Bank, Premium Plant Services and DeSmet Weldors); and Kirk (Spirit Award sponsored by Summit Massage, Above The Fold Publishing and ROYO).
The Lori Bangasser Memorial Scholarship was won by Andraela Oeltjenbruns.
Each candidate also received a $300 Alumni Scholarship, and Melaina Ankrum was named Miss Photogenic, which is voted on by program attendees.
