Fifteen young ladies entered Friday night’s homecoming festivities hoping to leave with a crown.
Only one could.
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And when the moment arrived at Mike Colwell Memorial Stadium, it was senior Abigail Gilley who heard her name announced as Union County High School’s 2026-27 Homecoming Queen.
“It was just pure nerves; I was so nervous,” Gilley said, recalling the moments leading up to the announcement.
Even with her nerves running high, Gilley was happy for classmates Chelsy Alvarez-Maldonado and Isabella Anthros, who were named first and second runners-up, respectively.
“I was so excited to see the other two girls get crowned too,” she said. “But I was feeling a lot of nerves and was really scared.”
For Gilley, simply being selected to the homecoming court was an honor in itself. Being voted queen by her peers made the experience even more meaningful, and she was quick to express her gratitude toward her classmates.
“I feel really honored, and I also feel really blessed,” she said. “I’m really grateful to have the (senior) class that I have. I’m just really blessed.”
The weeks leading up to homecoming were something of a whirlwind for Gilley and the rest of the court, who had to juggle their usual school responsibilities with preparations for Friday night’s festivities.
“Lots of prepping, honestly,” Gilley said with a laugh. “The last few weeks have been chaotic at school trying to balance everything. Then we had practices for homecoming court. It was really chaotic, but I’m very grateful.”
Gilley, who was escorted by her stepfather, Abraham Patrick, made her third appearance on the UCHS Homecoming Court, having previously been selected in 2023 and 2025. She received her crown from Mady Adams, the 2025-26 Homecoming Queen.
Rounding out this year’s 15-member court were seniors Kylah Hemphill and Teegan Menhennet. The junior representatives were Kaleigh Bruce, Stella Collins, Samantha Combs, Yazmin Hernandez-Ortiz and Ava Serrano. The sophomore members were Elisabeth Byron, Brooke Frechette and Kelsey Wallace, while Chloe Mashburn and Holly Veroline represented the freshman class.
With the whirlwind of homecoming preparations finally behind her, Gilley was more than happy to admit she could breathe a little easier.
“Yes! It’s a relief. It’s definitely a relief,” she said, laughing at the thought. “But it’s an experience I’m glad I was able to have.”
