Best of Luck to the Miss Maple City Program Tonight!

Despite the snowy conditions, ten ladies are about to take the stage in Norwalk to compete for the title Miss Maple City, the first Miss Ohio preliminary of the new year! The outgoing titleholder, Ashleigh Lemon, won a Non-Semifinalist Talent Award and Paul Herlihy Spirit Award in Mansfield last summer. She is a vocalist and graduate of Muskingum College where she studied Biology and Conservation, which is also her pageant platform. Ashleigh will be joined onstage by former Miss Maple City, Erin (Jeffery) Rathman. The Norwalk Reflector reports the following women are vyeing for the crown and $1000 scholarship:

Marisa Buchheit

Education: Cleveland Institute of Music / Vocal Performance
Talent: Classical Vocal
Platform: Reaching Out With Music
Pageant Past: Talent winner at Mansfield/NCO; Non-finalist Talent award at Miss Illinois '09 as West Cook County and finalist at Miss Illinois Teen USA and Illinois Junior Miss.

Sherry El Sakr

Education: Graduate student at Case Western
Talent: vocal or piano ??
Platform: Heart 101: Promoting Heart Healthy Lifestyles in Our Children
Pageant Past: 2nd RU at Miss Clayland; second year local contestant.

Nina Haaskivi

Education: Bowling Green State University
Talent: vocal
Platform: Right to Life; Right to Play
Pageant Past: Competed in a Florida USA preliminary.

Maria Minnick

Education: University of Toledo
Talent: Dance
Platform: Think Ability Before Disability
Pageant Past: Third year local contestant.

Christina Muha

Education: University of Toledo / Nursing
Talent: French Horn
Platform: Heart To Heart: Be Smart
Pageant Past: Has competed in a few locals.

Jessica Nelson

Education: University of Toledo / Veterinary & Biology
Talent: Dance
Platform: "P.E.T.S." Promoting Education, Training & Safety
Pageant Past: 3rd RU at Miss Northwestern Ohio; second year local contestant.

Alyssa Phillips

Education: Bowling Green State University / Fashion Merchandising
Talent: Sign Language / Vocal?
Platform: A "Sign" of the times
Pageant Past: 1st RU at Mansfield/NCO and 2nd RU at both Vacationland and Northwestern Ohio.

Priya Sharma

Education: Cleveland State / Health Sciences
Talent: Dance
Platform: Promoting Cancer Research & Awareness
Pageant Past: Talent winner at Vacationland and competed at MV/AAC/FT and Mansfield/NCO.

Melissa Stevens Education: Owens Community College / Math, Science & Spanish
Talent: vocal
Platform: "Food For Thought" - Curing Local Hunger
Pageant Past: Congeniality at Mansfield/NCO and competed at MV/AAC/FT.

Rebekah Zoz

Education: University of Cincinnati/ Communication & Public Relations
Talent: vocal
Platform: Faces with Places
Pageant Past: Non-Semifinalist Talent Award winner at Miss Ohio 2009 as Miss Hamilton.

The paper also shares:

Judges will be Miss Maple City 2003 Stevi (White) Honaker of Pickerington, Brian McIntyre of Cleveland Heights, Charlie Vallance of Columbus, John-Michael Lander of Dayton and Dave Schild and Tom Dunlap of Norwalk. The judges dinner is being provided by Brian Buffet of Norwalk.

Best of luck to everyone!