Navarre, Hensgens named Junior Rice royalty Friday

It certainly was not the easiest of tasks, but after morning interviews and waves to the crowd and judges alike, junior royalty for the International Rice Festival was chosen Friday morning in an event sponsored by U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany.
Acadia Parish School Board President Doug LaCombe, along with his wife, Wanda, placed the crowns upon the heads of Charlie Hensgens and Emmy Navarre, the new junior king and queen of Rice Festival.
The junior queen hails from South Crowley Elementary School. She is a second grader and is the 8-year-old daughter of Bobbie and Lawrence Navarre.
The junior king is son of Dennis and Amanda Hensgens. He is a first grader at St. Michael School.
They, along 34 others were introduced to the crowd one-by-one by the emcees for the morning’s event, Shelly Godeaux and Antoinette Pete.
Excited as ever, Godeaux and Pete’s introductions were met with happy cheers from the loud, proud and large crowd clustered around the Cajun Country Rice Sound Stage. Even the bright sun and rising temperatures couldn’t keep the eager onlookers away, dressed in supportive shirts and carrying sign after sign for family, friends and more that were competing for the title.
From the 36 contestants – two from each of the 18 schools – the judges whittled down the contestants to 18 total before choosing their winners and their runners-up.
The court this year consists of:
• First runners-up: Keithen Patin from Morse Elementary School and Evie Fulton from St. Michael School. Patin is a second grader and the son of Joe and Tara Patin and Fulton is in the first grade and is the daughter of Dwayne and Christine Fulton.
• Second runners-up: Tannah Milson of Ross Elementary and Brett LaCombe from Martin Petitjean Elementary. LaCombe is the son of Alicia and Wade LaCombe. Milson is the daughter of Delana Guillory and Terrell Milson and is in the second grade.
As all 36 contestants were winners, all were given a trophy to bring home, donated by JC and Suzy Webb.
The remaining junior queen contestants this year were Drea Matte (Branch Elementary), Braylie Istre (North Crowley Elementary), Grace Landry (St. Francis), Bryn Doucet (Egan Elementary), Brianna Breaux (Evangeline Elementary), Khloe Fontenot (Mermentau Elementary), Lexi Istre (Morse Elementary), Emily Abshire (Rayne Catholic), Ella Schmaltz (Redemptorist Catholic), Danni Meche (Martin Petitjean Elementary), Madelyn Vincent (Church Point Elementary), Anna Menard (Mire Elementary), Annaliese Marcantel (Iota Elementary) and Shaeyanne Cormier (Estherwood Elementary).
The other junior king contestants in this year’s contest were Griffin Doucet (Branch Elementary), Jay’cob Johnson (North Crowley Elementary), Trey Crochet (St. Francis), Ian Lacombe (Egan Elementary), Gregory Miller (Evangeline Elementary), Logan Miller (Rayne Catholic), Logan Turpeau (Ross Elementary), Scott Sibley (Redemptorist Catholic), Terrance Garrick II (Church Point Elementary), Brandon “Slade” Romero (South Crowley Elementary), Jackson Bartnesky (Mire Elementary), Jesse LeJeune (Iota Elementary) and Kian Smith (Estherwood Elementary).