Dani Reeves of Hamburg was crowned Miss Iowa USA.

Dani Reeves of Hamburg was crowned Miss Iowa U-S-A.

Last week, the 2003 graduate of Hamburg High School was chosen to represent Iowa in the national Miss USA pageant to be televised on NBC next year.

She is the daughter of Debbie and Bob Reeves of Hamburg.

While she was in high school she participated in volleyball, basketball, speech, band, choir and was the 2003 homecoming queen.

It was during high school when she first entered a pageant. She was in the Miss Teen Iowa contest her senior year.

“I just kept going from there,” she said. “At first it was about going back and seeing friends, but when I got into the top 10, it gave me motivation to keep going.”

Since high school she has spent time in Chicago and was with the Ford modeling agency, however decided it wasn’t for her.

“It was just something I wanted to get out of,” she said. “There’s more to it than what everyone thinks.”

Currently Reeves is studying radiology at Western Iowa Tech and plans on working towards a doctorate in the field.

While she doesn’t plan on moving back to Hamburg anytime soon, Reeves loves to visit and made a special trip to the high school last week to catch up with teachers and friends.

“Hamburg is one of the best towns you could grow up in,” she said. “I’m just used to the fast pace of the city now.”

Finalists in the Miss Iowa USA division included first runner-up Miranda Nichols of Mount Pleasant; second runner-up Danielle Protexter of Sioux City; third runner-up Kathy Blumhagen of Albia; and fourth runner-up Felicia White of Garden Grove.

Miss Congeniality honors went to Stephanie Williams, 20, of Council Bluffs. Anna Butler of Sioux City was named Miss Photogenic.

Other contestants named as "Top 10" Miss Iowa USA semi-finalists included Anna Butler of Sioux City, Jenny Goodell of Shenandoah, Merylin Bowden of Cedar Rapids, Rebecca Goldsmith of Chariton, and Kindel Mahoney of Iowa City.