Pageant Press: Sylvania native heads to Miss America pageant

The Toledo Free Press is one of the most supportive news organizations I ever experienced when I was competing and representing the northwest Ohio area! This is a fantastic article featuring quotations from Miss Ohio, Becky Minger, her dad Mike, her local ED Eric Wagener and state ED Steven Oliveri, former Miss America Susan Perkins, 1st Runner-up Shannon O'Neill and her chaperon Susie Harlan. This is probably the best pageant article I've ever read:

Cover Story: Sylvania native heads to Miss America pageant

Toledo Free Press

Brandi Barhite

August 26, 2010

For just a second, Mike Minger thought, “Not again.” Then, he felt calm. “I knew it was her time.” And it was.

His daughter, Becky Minger, had finally won Miss Ohio on her fifth trip to the state pageant. She beat out 25 contestants to win the title. She was no longer only so close.

The first time she competed in 2006, she was first runner-up. The next year, she didn’t place at all. In 2008 and 2009, she was again first runner-up.

In the moments before the first runner-up was named, Becky looked out to her family and said, “I love you.” Then, she thought, “Hit me with it.”

As seconds felt like hours, a chant began to run through her mind, “Please don’t say 18; please don’t say 18. I love Shannon, but please don’t say 18.”

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