(Photo courtesy of Otter River Images) Chassell High School graduate Dusty Lippold walks across the stage during the Strawberry Queen Coronation where she was crowned at the Copper Country Strawberry Festival. 

CHASSELL — On Friday Dusty Lippold was crowned the 2026 Strawberry Queen at the Copper Country Strawberry Festival in Chassell. Lippold, 18, is a recent graduate of Chassell High School and was sponsored by the Chassell VFW. She said walking across the stage as the Strawberry Queen was a uniquely rewarding experience. “It actually felt pretty surreal because I didn’t think I personally was going to win. I mostly did it for the experience and for my mom — she really wanted me to do it,” she said. “Walking across the stage felt really good.”

Lippold, originally from Missouri, moved to Chassell ten years. She played basketball through her Sophomore year of high school as well as volunteering at the VFW and for Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly. Lippold said she felt the community rallied around her coronation. “I’ve never had an experience where I was kind of the center of attention,” she said. “It was pretty cool to see how the community comes together for the Strawberry Queen and how much people really care about this experience. All the random people coming up to me and congratulating me — it was super cool.”

In her sophomore year, Lippold tore her meniscus while playing basketball and was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a hypermobility condition. She said her time in physical therapy inspired her to make a long term plan to become a physical therapist. “During those months in physical therapy I learned more about it and I was really interested in doing exactly what my physical therapist did for me,” she said. “It really just sold me, being able to see how much it can change someone’s life, not only my own, but ranging from toddlers to elders. The feeling of knowing you helped somebody is something that I really enjoy.”

Lippold will attend Maryville University in St. Louis in an accelerated, seven-year doctoral program to become a physical therapist. After her time in the program, she said she wants to pursue a certification as a sports certified specialist.

“My main goal is to work with more athletes whenever I’m a physical therapist in order to help kids like me where I wasn’t able to get back to playing basketball,” she said. “I want to be able to give kids hope again in order to get back into their sports, even whenever it feels like they’re not able to.”