Noelle Kraus has been crowned Miss Cassopolis 2017.

Kraus, a senior at Edwardsburg High School, was selected from a group of three contestants at Ross Beatty Jr./Sr. High School Sunday.

First runner-up was Madison Brooks, while Jamie Suseland was second runner-up.

Kalebb Butrick was crowned Mr. Cassopolis.

The remainder of the court is Little Miss Cassopolis Aleah Dahlgren, Little Mr. Cassopolis Connor Turnbow and the first Miss Jr. Teen Cassopolis Paige Knepple.

“When I was 5 years old my mom heard about the Little Miss Cassopolis Pageant,” Kraus said. “I competed in the first-ever Little Miss Cassopolis and won. I am so proud of the community I belong to and this gives me the opportunity to represent it.”

Kraus said being from Cassopolis and attending Edwardsburg High School is not going to be strange.

“I do a lot of activities at my school and in Edwardsburg, but I also work at the district library in Cass and do a lot of things with my 4-H group,” Kraus said.

She is a member of the Silver Spurs 4-H Club.

Kraus is the daughter of Nicholas and Lisa Kraus of Cassopolis. She is currently a member of the Edwardsburg varsity basketball team.

Butrick is the son of Amy Burns of Cassopolis and James Butrick of Edwardsburg.

Kraus said she enjoyed reconnecting friendships with the other three members of the court.

“I was really good friends with all of them when I went to Cassopolis,” she said. “The best part for me was rekindling old relationships with all of them.”

The theme of this year’s pageant was Beyond the Blue: The Little Mermaid.

Kraus and Butrick will compete in the 2017 Mr. and Miss Blossomtime Pageant, which will be March 12 and March 13 at the Mendel Center at Lake Michigan College.

“I am excited about representing Cassopolis this next year and building friendships,” Kraus said. “I am excited about competing in Blossomtime.”

She knows that it will be a challenge balancing her duties as the new Miss Cassopolis and competing in sports and the other activities in Edwardsburg leading up to graduation.

“I am in a lot of things right now, but everyone is so supportive of me and is willing to work with me,” Kraus said.

Brooks, who was also named Miss Congeniality, will compete in the Miss Spirit of Blossomtime Pageant next weekend according to Sue Horstmann, Cassopolis pageant director.

Jacob Roth, a former Mr. Cassopolis, was the master of ceremonies.

The 2015 court of Stacey Horstman, Kwesi Huffman, Alley Anderson and Kaylyn Forrest shared their memories as they said their farewells.