Best of Luck to the Miss Muskingum Valley Program!

Celebrate Mardi Gras this weekend in Zanesville! That's the theme of the Miss Muskingum Valley pageant which will be taking place at the Secrest Auditorium both tonight and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. All 17 contestants will compete tonight in a preliminary then the field will be cut to a Top 10 for Saturday night's finale. This is the only two-day local pageant in Ohio and one of the largest both with regard to contestants and winnings; this article states nearly $25,000 in scholarships will be awarded!

The contestants are vying for Heidi Negron's title. Heidi was a first-time Miss Ohio contestant who unfortunately has not competed again at a local this year. She is a vocalist who studies Fashion Merchandising at Kent State and advocates Animal Rescue. Best of luck to her in the future. The outgoing Outstanding Teen titleholder is Megan Yocum, a dancers.

Most of the contestants have pageant experience, several have competed at Miss Muskingum Valley in the past and three are looking for their second trip to Miss Ohio; it should be a great competition! The following Leonard Hill photos*, information and order were found on the Miss Muskingum Valley website:

Erica Travis

Age: 19

Education: Mid East CTC

Talent: vocal

Platform: Preventing Animal Abuse and Abandonment

Pageant Past: none found

Alicia Huyghe

Age: 23

Education: Cleveland State University / Exercise Science

Talent: tap dance

Platform: Fight Against Childhood Obesity

Pageant Past: First pageant this year, but she was a strong competitor last season; Top 10 at this pageant last year.

Alyssa Phillips

Age: 19

Education: Bowling Green State University / Fashion Merchandising

Talent: harp

Platform: "Don't Suffer for Love"

Pageant Past: competed – MV/AAC/FT; 1st RU - NWO; Congeniality - M/NCO; 1st RU - Vacationland; 1st RU - MC; 2nd RU at this pageant last year

Courtney Drenan

Age: 20

Education: Zane State College and Ohio University / Political Science

Talent: tap dance

Platform: "Abstinence Works!"

Pageant Past: competed in 2009

Abby Daniel

Age: 18

Education: Wright State University

Talent: jazz dance

Platform: Curing Cancer

Pageant Past: competed at Miami Valley

Jenna Strickler

Age: 19

Education: Ohio University / Social Work

Talent: vocal

Platform: Volunteering in Schools

Pageant Past: competed at this pageant last year

Janemarie Covel

Age: 20

Education: Cedarville University / Business Finance

Talent: ballet en pointe

Platform: Education as a Means to Achieve Your Dreams

Pageant Past: competed in this and GBC last year

Sierra Moore

Age: 20

Education: Ohio State University / Pre-Health Science

Talent: piano/vocal

Platform: American Red Cross

Pageant Past: Top 10 at this pageant last year

Erica Clouse

Age: 17

Education: Meadowbrook High School

Talent: vocal

Platform: "Don't Litter, Fix Your Critter"

Pageant Past: none found

Courtney Fraley

Age: 18

Education: Ontario High School

Talent: marimba

Platform: Raise Self-Esteem - Allow Yourself to Dream

Pageant Past: competed in Miss Mansfield

Rebecca Ribley

Age: 19

Education: Ashland University / Theatre & Broadcast Journalism

Talent: vocal

Platform: Hunger in America

Pageant Past: 3rd RU – GC/CC; competed - NC; competed - M/NCO

Kylie Johnson

Age: 23

Education: graduate of Muskingum University / Conservation Science and Masters student of Ohio University / Environmental Studies

Talent: violin

Platform: Go Green! Think Globally, Act Locally

Pageant Past: 1st RU at this pageant last year; Top 10 at Miss Ohio 2009 as Miss North East Ohio; Miss Southeastern Ohio (non-MAO)

Jenna Fowls

Age: 21

Education: graduate of Mount Vernon Nazarene Business & Family & Consumer Sciences

Talent: vocal

Platform: Dating Violence

Pageant Past: none found

Liz Wong

Age: 20

Education: Oberlin College / Law & Philosophy

Talent: jazz dance
Platform: Cardiac Awareness
Pageant Past: competed – NC; 3rd RU - NWO; competed - M/NCO; competed - MC; competed at Miss Ohio 2010 as Miss Huron County

Stephanie Beltz

Age: 23

Education: graduate of Ohio University and Columbia University / Psychology

Talent: Piano

Platform: Protecting Older Americans from Elder Abuse

Pageant Past: competed this year at Clayland; 4th RU at this pageant last year; Academic Award at Miss Ohio 2010 as Miss Willard

Nina Haaskivi

Age: 21

Education: Bowling Green State University / Education & Sports Admin.

Talent: vocal

Platform: Real Women, Real Beauty

Pageant Past: 3rd RU - MC

Ashley Bowman

Age: 21

Education: Kent State University

Talent: vocal

Platform: Get Up! Get Out! Get Going!

Pageant Past: competed – Clayland; competed - CO; 2nd RU - MC

*Ashley's photo was found on Facebook

CLICK HERE to meet the nine Outstanding Teen contestants; while all of their faces were adorable, none looked familiar to me.