DECATUR - Seven young women have the same goal: to be Miss Decatur-Macon County Fair Queen,

One will be crowned today in the 49th annual pageant, starting at 7 p.m. in front of the grandstand. There's a $5 admission charge.

The winner will be showered with a number of prizes, including a $1,000 educationscholarship and 30 hours of educational instruction. She will represent Macon County in the Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs state pageant and at various functions, including Decatur Celebration.

The queen contest follows the Monday night Junior Miss Pageant and the Parade of Princesses.

Queen candidates will be evaluated in an afternoon personal interview and a short speech during the contest and also will be judged wearing a swimsuit and an evening dress. A perfect score is 100 points: 30 points for the personal interview, 20 points for facial beauty during the interview, 10 points for the introduction, 15 points for the swimsuit-physique, 20 points for communication/speech and 15 points for the evening gown/stage presence.

The contestants:

SADEE ARMOUR, 19, the daughter of Greg and Lisa Armour of Blue Mound, is a 2007 graduate of Meridian High School, Macon, who wants to be a banking consultant and a soccer mom. She entered the pageant to be a good example to young girls and let others know beauty is more than skin deep.

BAILEY CAMPBELL, 17, the daughter of Bob and Wendy Campbell of Argenta, is an Argenta-Oreana High School junior who plans to major in law and minor in business at a four-year college. She hopes to be a prosecuting attorney. She calls the pageant "a great learning experience."

ASHLEY ELVERS, 20, the daughter of Dale Elvers and Penny LaVick of Pana, is a senior at Millikin University who plans to become a registered nurse and specialize in emergency medicine. She says it's "a pleasure to be a role model."

JENNIFER GARRETT, 19, the daughter of Debra and Galen Garrett of Mount Zion, is a sophomore at the University of Mississippi at Oxford who plans to become a pharmacist. "I'm in this contest to improve my interviewing skills, refine my stage presence, learn public speaking skills and build confidence," she said.

MACKENZIE KNOP, 18, the daughter of Kevin and Donna Knop of Forsyth, is a freshman at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign pursuing a degree in political science. "I plan to attend law school, and I would like to be involved in government and run for political office," she said. She's a contestant because she wants to challenge herself to try something new.

CELESTE PIRAINO, 18, the daughter of John and Jane Piraino of Decatur, is a 2008 graduate of St. Teresa High School who will attend Richland Community College, majoring in communications with a minor in public relations. "After Richland, I plan to attend DePaul University in Chicago and go into event planning, and one day become a wedding planner. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to give back to the community for helping my family through the dark times when my mother discovered she had breast cancer."

MELISSA RODGERS, 18, the daughter of Shelly and Richard Smith and Monti Rodgers of Mount Zion, will be a freshman at Richland Community College after graduating from Mount Zion High School. She will study journalism and music theater, with the aim of becoming a journalist or reporter for TV's "Good Morning, America" in New York. "This contest is a wonderful experience," she said.

Bob Fallstrom can be reached at bfallstrom@herald-review.com or 421-7981.