By: Shayla Terry

With a sparkly crown atop her head, Luverne High School sophomore Natalie Weaver became the second Miss LHS to be crowned within her family.

Weaver’s mother, Ashley Williamson Weaver was Miss LHS 1996.

“I’m happy that I get to represent my school,” Weaver said. “It’s a real honor to be the face of Luverne High.”

Weaver, though one of the younger contestants, has been apart of the Miss LHS pageant for some time.

“I’ve always been a little sister to Miss LHS pageant contestants,” she said. “I thought it would be fun to go ahead and participate in the pageant.”

Being that this is only her sophomore year, Weaver says she didn’t anticipate winning the title.

“We thought it going to be a practice run,” said she said. “So I just went ahead and did it, and it turned out differently.”

The pageant consisted of eight contestants, of which Weaver says was the best part of competing.

“It was fun,” she said. “I really enjoyed competing with everyone because they were really sweet to me.”

“The good thing about the girls is that they are all friends,” said Ashley Weaver. “So, that’s definitely what made it fun too.”

Weaver is a varsity cheerleader at Luverne High, but she also has a keen interest in barrel racing. She has been barrel racing since she was 12 years old.

“I love horses,” she said. “I was doing 4-H in Goshen, and I knew some people who were doing it. I knew I wanted to do that.”

One day, Weaver says that she hopes she can barrel race at the top level. Currently, she competes at the high school level and in the National Barrel Horse Association division.

With two years of high school remaining, Weaver has already decided to pursue her secondary education at Auburn University to become an equine veternarian.

In the near future, Weaver will partner with LHS Homecoming Queen Frances Ackerman for community service projects.

“We’re proud of her, and she’s going to be a positive role model for the younger kids,” Ashley Weaver said.