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Chyanne Martin was named 2017 Alabama Miss United States Agriculture during a competition on Jan. 21.

Martin’s path to this point included winning a preliminary pageant in Covington County in April to advance to the state competition in Montgomery, where she won once again most recently.

Besides winning the overall state pageant, she also won the interview, on-stage question and on-stage introduction portions of the event.

Her victories have garnered her an invite to the national competition on June 23 in Birmingham.

“I’ve competed in Miss Peach, Miss Chilton County and other local pageants like Swedish Fest, but this is the first time I’ve actually won a title this big,” Martin said.

According to Martin, there is a rush of emotions that comes from winning a pageant. Those are feelings that she has now felt twice in the past year.

“There’s a lot that goes through your mind when you hear your name called,” Martin said. “I wasn’t sure whether to cry or smile.”

For the next year, she will have the opportunity to represent the state of Alabama and its proud agricultural heritage.

Under the title of 2017 Alabama Miss United States Agriculture Martin is required to do at least two appearances a month throughout Alabama.

“It’s a lot of weight on my shoulders, but I feel that I can do it and I’m ready for the challenge,” Martin said. “I want to be a role model for children of any age and I’m looking forward to having an impact on people’s lives.”

The onstage introduction was the primary focus during the preparation leading up to the pageant.

“I don’t know how many times I said it to my mom and dad on the ride down,” Martin said. “I felt that the onstage introduction was the judges first look, and I knew it was a statement that I had to make.”

The local and state competitions differed in their criteria of selecting a winner.

The preliminary pageant required contests to walk on stage in a pattern, while the state-level was much more advanced in its process.

Martin was the youngest participant in a field that ranged from ages 17-19.

The Thorsby senior is a member of the FFA and the 2016 champion in equine science evaluation.

Other accomplishments include being a member and treasurer of the National Honor Society, Beta Club.

She has gained experience as a youth world qualifier with the National Barrel Horse Association in recent years, as a finalist in 2016 and will compete in the 2017 competition in July in Perry, Ga.