Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
Alicia Nichol announced the kickoff of Sportsman’s Holiday Thursday night after she was named queen of the Sportsman’s Holiday Court.
Kimberlee Bell was named first princess and was the high ticket seller on the court. She also earned $955 in scholarship money, the highest on the court. Nichol also was named Ms. Congeniality.
Nichol, 18, is the daughter of Jim and Carol Nichol. She graduated from Sweet Home High School this summer and plans to attend Linn-Benton Community College in the fall to earn her associate’s degree in business and then go into radiology.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” Nichol said.
She was relaxed, she said, and “I kind of thought I might get something.”
“I think she’ll make a very good queen,” Bell said. About her own recognition, “I was kind of surprised but excited. It was just a great experience overall.”
She mainly got involved in the court for the fun, she said, and it has been fun.
“I was excited because I thought it might be more fun to be queen,” she said. “I love Sweet Home, and I just want to be a part of it. My friends did it, and I wanted to get involved.”
She has enjoyed all the dressing up that goes with being on the court, she said, and this being the last year for chaperones Karla Burcham and Mary Sue Reynolds, the court has had more clothes than any other year.
She also has enjoyed the court’s main job, “telling people about the parade and the events that we have,” she said.
She also praised the rest of the court.
“I love them,” she said, despite the fact that there have been disagreements with eight girls constantly together.
She said she has gotten closer to her friends and gotten to know girls who previously had only been acquaintances.
During the coronation, several members of the court read their favorite children’s books.
Nichol read “Green Eggs and Ham,” by Dr. Seuss.
“It teaches, don’t knock it till you try it,” she said. “That’s what Mom said about her (culinary) creations.”
She tried them, and she ended up liking them as she grew up.
During impromptu questions, Nichol was asked if she could be anyone else in the world, whom it would be. She chose Oprah Winfrey.
Oprah is a strong, independent woman who built herself up from where she was in her childhood, Nichol said. Oprah had been “very, very poor” and ran away.
She wanted to give her thanks to her Mom and Dad for always being there, she said. She also thanked her boyfriend, Chaz Davis, along with Burcham and Reynolds for helping the court and being great chaperones.