PhotoBy Sirran Wilkes

Special to The Luverne Journal

The 65th annual Miss LHS pageant, themed “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” took place this past Saturday night at the Luverne High School auditorium. It was like, really, like totally awesome! 

Everyone was on the edge of their seats waiting for the announcement of the 2025 Miss LHS, and the winner is…Carlie Ann Hammonds. Hammonds is a member of the junior class and the daughter of Laura Bees.

Every detail radiated the ’80s. Picture this. The door opens to the auditorium, and upfront is a six-foot, multi-colored boom box on stage right. Oversized Rubik’s cubes and cassette tapes adorn either side of the stage, embellished with neon balloons. 

Pac-Man chased ghosts across the front of the stage. Other ’80s elements included MTV, SEGA, neon colors, and geometric shapes decorating the room. The music featured hits from the ‘80s, encompassing country, rock, rap and pop. 

Students and alumni entertained the audience with their rendition of each song. The beautiful contestants displayed complete grace, poise, and beauty. 

This year, they highlighted their favorite ’80s icons, including Janet and Michael Jackson, along with Dolly Parton and “Baby” from “Dirty Dancing” all making brief appearances. 

The contestants looked elegant in their formal wear, gliding across the stage under a glittering crown suspended above them. Emcees La Kaylee Frazier entertained the crowd, even sharing some LHS 1980s trivia. The night was completely gnarly and rad, culminating in an epic finale.

Other winners of the evening were First Runner-up, junior Tyra Lynn Jones; People’s Choice and Miss Congeniality senior Sofia Valencia-Reyes; Photogenic sophomore Kadyn Mahala Bell, and Interview, Hammonds.