Best of Luck to the Miss Lake Festival Program!

Tonight in Celina, Ohio, the Fieldhouse will be abuzz! Not only is it the first local pageant of the Miss Ohio season, but this program, closed to only Mercer county, will crown its first Teen, celebrate the success of its outgoing Miss and welcome its first ever Miss Ohio!

Ellen Bryan, a vocalist who attends Ball State University, made her first trip to Miss Ohio last month as Miss Lake Festival. She was awarded Fourth Runner-up, the Semifinalist Interview Award and Miss America Community Service Award. These awards are not surprising, as she was featured in USA Today and has done a PSA for the National Weather Service.

Ellen will be cohosting and entertaining along with Miss Ohio, Erica Gelhaus. Erica's first local title was also Miss Lake Festival, with which she was First Runner-up to the state crown. She captured the Miss Ohio title on her third try as Miss Clayland, but a huge faction of her support comes from her hometown of St. Henry and the Miss Lake Festival program. [The cute picture on the right was taken by Martha Campbell at one of Erica's recent appreances.]

The pageant begins at the Celina Fieldhouse at 7:30 p.m. tonight; the following eight Miss contestants and six Teens will compete.

MISS

Grace Hirt
Age: 17
Education: 09 Celina Grad; Bowling Green State University /Vocal Performance
Talent: classical vocal “Poor Wandering One”
Platform: Self esteem in young women



Kirsten Samples
Age: 17
Education: 09 Celina Grad; Xavier University / Health Care Administration and Antonelli College of Photographer
Talent: jazz vocal "Hit me with a hot note”
Platform: Pump it up! Giving Self esteem a boost



Kylee Chrstman Age: 18
Education: 09 Marion Grad; Ohio State Beauty Academy
Talent: pop vocal “The Climb”
Platform: Big Brothers Big Sisters Program





Jennifer Kahlig
Age: 18
Education: 09 Coldwater Grad; Ball State / Elementary Education
Talent: vocal and dance “You’re not alone”
Platform: Motivating Children to stay Physically active



Kristy Schaffer
Age: 18
Education: 09 Coldwater Grad; University of St. Francis / Nursing
Talent: trumpet “Go the distance”
Platform: Eating Disorders





Cayla Hellwarth
Age: 18
Education: 09 Celina Grad; Ohio State University / Business Administration
Talent: classical vocal “Gira con Me”
Platform: Help Sustain Life, the American Red Cross




Brandy Ridder
Age: 17
Education: 09 Parkway Grad; University of Northwestern Ohio / Information Technology & Digital Multimedia Design
Talent: Cheerleading dance “Hey Mickey”
Platform: Mentoring Children




Sharee Werling
Age: 18
Education: 09 Celina Grad; Bowling Green State University / Telecommunications
Talent: classical vocal "The Prayer"
Platform: Importance of Music Education in Schools

TEENS

Kelsea Eblen
Age: 15
Education: Sophomore at Celina
Talent: pop vocal “Superwoman”
Platform: Child Safety

Kirsten Fenning
Age: 16
Education: Junior at Celina
Talent: piano “My Tribute”
Platform: Importance of the Adam Walsh Act

Hannah Tumbusch
Age: 13
Education: 8th grader at St. Henry
Talent: vocal “Cowboy Sweetheart”
Platform: Pages for Progress; increasing literacy in Ohio

Janel Vogel
Age: 15
Education: sophomore at St. Henry
Talent: English/Italian vocal “Because we Believe”
Platform: They may forget but we remember

Emily Elizabeth Werling
Age: 16
Education: Junior at St. Henry
Talent: vocal “As I am”
Platform: BCAUS – Breast Cancer Awareness Using Song

Andrea Westgerdes
Age: 16
Education: Junior at Coldwater
Talent: vocal “This is my now”
Platform: Hands across generations