BERRIEN SPRINGS — Brandywine High School alumna Allie Woods was named the top showman of goats at the Berrien County Youth Fair Monday.

It was the Niles woman’s first overall showmanship title since she began participating in the fair as a 5-year-old.

“I went into the ring thinking the same thing every year, that I would finish second or third,” said Woods, who graduated from Brandywine in 2014. “So today I was shocked and it just boosted my fair week a little bit that I got that.”

Woods said it was just the lift she needed after retiring her reign as 2014 Fair Queen First Runner Up Sunday evening.

“It was kind of a sad beginning to fair week — bittersweet,” said Woods, who threw her head back in joy and even shed a few tears as she received the showmanship trophy Monday.

By virtue of her win, Woods gains entry into the Overall Large Animal Showmanship Sweepstakes where she will compete against the best showmen in the other large animal species events for the title of the fair’s best of the best. The event is scheduled to begin at noon Saturday in the show arena.

Woods said she has never shown a cow, pig or sheep — animals she will have to show in the sweepstakes — so she has a lot to learn before the weekend.

“I am going to be doing a lot of preparing,” she said. “I am going to find my friends in every barn and use their animals.”

Woods said she is only showing goats this year because she does not have as much free time as in previous years. She said she works full time at C&S Machine Shop in Buchanan and is a machine/manufacturing student at Lake Michigan College.

Woods — like the rest of the fair youth — receive money, or premiums, for their exhibits.

She said she is donating the premiums back to the fair this year.

“It isn’t going to be a lot, but if everybody donates a little bit then it can add up pretty quickly,” Woods said. “It (the fair) really made me who I am. It is a huge life changer for just about everybody. I come here for one week out of the year for all the hard work I do the entire year. It all pays off right here when I am in the ring crying.”