St. Charles Queen takes state title
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, September 30, 2008
By ROBIN SHANNON
Staff Reporter
NEW IBERIA – Beating out seven other contestants, three being from the River Parishes, Chelsea Lee Troxler of St. Charles Parish was crowned Queen Sugar LXVII at the annual Sugar Cane Festival Pageant Saturday.
According to a release from the pageant, the 19-year-old Luling native impressed the judges with the perfect combination of personality, radiant beauty and knowledge of the sugar industry. As Queen Sugar, Troxler will travel throughout the state representing the festival and the industry. She will also attend the Washington, D.C. Mardi Gras Ball in 2009.
Upon winning the title, King Sucrose LXVII Wilson Leblanc Sr. joined Troxler on stage and the two reigned over the Coronation Ball that celebrated the new queen and her court. Troxler was crowned by 2007 Sugar Queen Winner Paige Braud of LaPlace, who represented St. John in last year’s pageant.
Doreen Becnel Landry, director of the St. Charles Parish Festival Pageant, was elated Troxler won the title, but said it was a bittersweet victory since Troxler must give up her St. Charles queen title for the Louisiana crown. In Troxler’s place, Aimee Latour of St. Rose will assume the title of St. Charles Sugar Queen L.
Troxler is the daughter of Charlotte and Lee Troxler of Luling. She is a 2007 honor graduate of Hahnville High School and is currently a sophomore at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where she is majoring in accounting.
Upon graduating from ULL, Troxler said her ultimate goal is to obtain a CPA license and work for a large accounting firm as a forensic accountant. She is also a nationally award winning dancer and top model.
In addition to Troxler, other participants from the River Parish region included St. John Sugar Queen Pageant winner Danielle Champagne of LaPlace and St. James pageant queen Casie Speaks of Paulina.
Champagne, 20, is the daughter of P.J. and Sherri Champagne of LaPlace. She is a student at Louisiana State University, where she is studying photography with a minor in business and French. She is a 2006 graduate of St. Charles Catholic High School in LaPlace.
Champagne’s future plans include opening her own photography studio and traveling the world. At the St. John pageant, which is celebrating its 60th year, Champagne also won the photogenic award.
Speaks, who was awarded first alternate and Miss Congeniality at Saturday’s festival, is the 18-year-old daughter of Wayne and JoAnn Speaks of Paulina. She is a 2008 graduate of Lutcher High School and is enrolled at Baton Rouge Community College, where she is working toward a nursing degree.
Speaks was crowned as St. James 17th Sugar Queen at a pageant held in early August.
Troxler is no stranger to the New Iberia festival. She reigned as Miss St. Charles Parish Teen Queen VIII in 2003.
St. Charles Parish has held the title of Queen Sugar three previous times in the history of the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival winning in 1968, 2004 and 2006.