WILBER, Neb. – Anna Hand of Ellsworth County was crowned as the national Czech queen at the Miss Czech Slovak U.S. pageant held in conjunction with the national Czech Festival Aug. 4 in Wilber, Neb.
For the first time in the history of the pageant, one state has seen its state queen win the national title three years in a row. That honor now goes to Kansas. Hand, daughter of Peggy and David Hand, joins Jennifer Salva of Olathe (2012-13) and Christine Dowling of Hays (2011-12) in representing the Sunflower State.
Hand is a sophomore at Fort Hays State University, Salva is a senior at the University of Kansas, and Dowling is a graduate of Kansas State University.
Only one other state has had back-to-back national queens and that was Colorado.
Area woman named national Czech queen