Goggans crowned Miss NWSCC

PHIL CAMPBELL—Ella Goggans of Russellville was crowned the 2026 Miss Northwest Shoals during the college’s annual pageant. She also won the talent competition award.

Other Franklin County winners include Aidyn Kate Marshall of Russellville as first alternate and Alexis Stewart of Phil Campbell for the most inspirational award.

Caroline Blackmon of Muscle Shoals was named second alternate; Hannah Corum of Florence won the outstanding community service award; Olivia Shurfeld of Florence won the leadership award; and Sara Beth Davis of Muscle Shoals received a bookstore scholarship for exceptional courage in competition.

“It was definitely surprising when I won, and I wasn’t expecting it, but I’m very excited for this next year,” Goggans said.

Goggans, a freshman, said she plans to use the title to focus on the mental health of athletes through her community service initiative, “Beyond the Uniform.”

“I hope to create a culture surrounding athletics where athletes feel valued and are seen for who they are, and not by the performance or the name across their chest,” Goggans said.

She said the idea grew out of her own experience as a college athlete.

“I was a cheerleader at UNA l(University of North Alabama) ast semester, and I had a pretty bad injury,” she said. “I had been cheering since I was super, super young, and for it to be taken away from me, I struggled a lot mentally. I wanted to create this to hopefully help athletes find who they are without sports.”

Goggans said pressure on athletes shows up in many places, especially in public reaction to their performances.

“Anytime athletes perform, especially through media, how people react toward a bad performance can tear athletes’ mental health down,” she said.

Goggans said she wants to work with the NWSCC’S Athletic Department to provide some training for all the coaches.

Goggans graduated from Russellville High School in 2025 and previously competed in the Miss RHS pageant, where she was named Miss RHS 2025. She said her grandmother has been her biggest supporter.

Goggans said she plans to complete her core coursework at NWSCC and then transfer to a college where she can pursue a physical therapy assistant’s training.

She said her own experiences helped shape that goal.

“My physical therapy assistant helped me a lot with navigating my injury, and I hope to do that for others,” she said.

By winning the local title, Goggans will advance to the Miss Alabama competition this summer. She said she is looking forward to the experience and getting to meet all of the other contestants.

Lara Gunderman, 2025’s Miss NWSCC, said her year in the role changed her in ways she did not expect.

“Life can change pretty fast,” Gunderman said. “I didn’t expect to win, but after I did, everything changed in a good way. How much support you receive from the community was probably the most inspiring thing to me,” she said.

She said balancing school and pageant responsibilities was one of the hardest parts of the year. Gunderman was a dual enrollment student while preparing for the Miss Alabama pageant.

“Trying to stay involved in high school and get ready for graduation while also preparing for Miss Alabama was probably the hardest part,” she said.

She said the challenge taught her a lot about herself and showed her she could handle work under pressure.

Gunderman said the most rewarding part of her year was her service work with the Franklin County Department of Human Resources and the creation of the Care Closet in Russellville for children in foster care.

She said the closet is still operating at her church, North Highlands Church of Christ in Russellville.

Gunderman plans to apply to the registered nursing program at NWSCC. She also has advice for the new Miss Northwest Shoals.

“I told her to always remember that she deserves to be there,” Gunderman said. “She earned that title just as much as any other girl who will compete at Miss Alabama.”

Savannah Liles, assistant to Student Services, a student life specialist at NWSCC and program director for Miss Northwest Shoals, said the program gives students opportunities they might not otherwise seek out.

“This program gives young women an opportunity to step out of their comfort zone and try something new,” Liles said. “They learn interview skills, how to be poised on stage and how to speak on their feet in front of a crowd. Being able to bring this to a community college has been really rewarding.”

Seven contestants competed this year, including a mix of first-time participants and those with prior experience. Liles said the group supported each other throughout daily rehearsals in the week leading up to the event.

Liles said Goggans stood out in the talent portion of the competition, where she performed an jazz routine.

“It was phenomenal,” Liles said. “She had several acrobatic moves and flips. She’s ready for the next level of competition.”

Liles said the program’s impact goes beyond crowning a winner.

“There might be one winner with a crown, but truly everyone who participates becomes a winner because of the networking and the friendships you make,” Liles said.