The 2023-2024 Miss Czech-Slovak Minnesota Queen, Ellaina Novak, enjoyed her experience at the 2024 Miss Czech-Slovak US Pageant in Wilber, Neb., over the weekend. “It was great. I had a lot of fun with all the other candidates. Instead of competing against each other, we were competing with each other. It was a lot easier to go on stage knowing the other girls supported you,” Novak said.
Novak came home with the John & Lois Fiala Spirit of the Heritage Award and the Runner-Up Sokol Award. “I am very honored to get the spirit award because John and Lois Fiala started the pageant, and I have a great spirit for my heritage and culture and it shows,” said Novak. She described the sokol award, “It’s kind of like calisthenics and staying in shape. So I tied it together with my tap dancing and staying in shape.”
Overall, Novak felt like the weekend went very smoothly and that she was well-prepared, along with the candidates all being very evenly matched. “I don’t think there was something that I would have done differently,” she said.
Novak even came prepared for the loud polka music playing right next to the hotel, where all the candidates stay. “I had ear plugs, but got to listen to polka music each night until 2 a.m. each night,” said Novak.
The national pageant signifies the end of her reign as queen. She leaves the 2023-2024 Miss Czech-Slovak Minnesota Queen Sarah Langridge with the following advice for next year’s national pageant, “Definitely bring ear plugs, and, if you have noise-canceling headphones, bring them because you will want them when you sleep! It’s not a prize, it’s an opportunity. It’s a great honor and just have fun with it.”
Trinity Pesko, Miss Czech-Slovak Wisconsin, was chosen as the 2024-2025 Miss Czech-Slovak US Queen, with Aspen Hein, Miss Czech-Slovak Oklahoma, as 1st Runner-Up and Camille Kotouc, Miss Czech-Slovak Nebraska, as 2nd Runner-Up.
The next Miss Czech-Slovak Minnesota Pageant will happen in April 2025 at the Montgomery American Legion.
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Novak wins spirit award at national pageant
