Loyson crowned Bug Days queen

Kylee Loyson was crowned the 2023-24 Minneota Boxelder Bug Days queen during a coronation ceremony on Saturday night in Bug Square.
Elena Myhre was named First Princess and Hannah Heidecker was named Second Princess.
"It is truly an incredible honor to represent Minneota as this year's Boxelder Bug Days queen," said Loyson, a junior at Minneota High School. "I have big shoes to fill from last year's royalty, however, I am looking forward to living up to their expectations. I am also excited to be a role model for the kids in the community."
Loyson, the daughter of Doug and Jodi Loyson, was crowned by last year's Bug Days queen, Faith Myhre. The Loysons live on a farm five miles southeast of Minneota.
Being the Bug Days queen is something Loyson has thought about for many years.
"I have looked up to the Bug Days royalty from a very young age," she said. "I have many family members that ran for Boxelder Bug Days and have been selected as royalty. It is something that I always knew I wanted to be a part of."Kylee's mother, Jodi, was Canby's Distinguished Young Woman of the Year/Junior Miss in 1993. Kylee's aunts, Linda (Boulton) Andert and Carol (Boulton) Kack were Canby Homecoming queens. Her cousins Amanda (Kack) Flannery and Kate Hennen were each selected as a First Princess during past Boxelder Bug Days coronations. Hennen and cousin Katelyn Kack are both former Minneota Homecoming queens. Two other aunts, Sandy (Loyson) Tappe and Nancy (Loyson) Brockmueller, are former Belgian-American Days queens, while yet another aunt, Susie (Loyson) Fier, is a former Belgian-American Days First Princess
Loyson watched the Bug Days coronation last year when Myhre was crowned and dreamed of having the chance to be a part of the coronation.
"I talked to many friends about their wonderful experience running for Bug Days," she said. "While watching the coronation last year, I knew that I wanted to be up there the next year."
The six candidates this year went through a series of questions and oral presentations before the coronation. The candidates met with the judges and royalty committee before each were required to speak about why they would be the best candidate to represent Minneota.
"Prior to that, we created posters representing ourselves and our sponsor," Loyson explained. "After the speech, we were interviewed by the judges where we also explained the importance of our poster."
The candidates also assisted with several events during Bug Days such as those signing up for the kiddie parade and bug races, and a meet-and-greet on Sunday following the parade.
If Kylee's father ever considered his daughter "his little princess", he will now have to change that thinking to "his little queen."