Being Miss Maumee Valley

Monday, November 14, 2005

Pageant Press: Major Win for Minor

The following article by Darleen Prince can be found in todays Defiance Crescent-News.

Major win for Minor

Displaying her versatility as a singer and as a poised and feminine pageant contestant, Marisa Minor, 18, of Fort Recovery, won Miss Northwestern Ohio at the pageant on Saturday night in Defiance Community Auditorium. She also won the talent competition for her opera piece, “Le Filles de Cadix.”

Two Defiance contestants placed as runners-up. They were Kylee Seibert who was chosen as second runner-up and who won $400; and Cassandra Roehrig, who won fourth runner-up and receives $200.

First runner-up was Rachel Maris, Ada, who receives $600; and third runner-up was Kristen Haas, Rocky River, who won $300. Haas also won the interview award and $250 from the Harold Schroeder Memorial.

Minor was chosen from a field of 14 contestants, including five from Defiance, one from Hicksville and one from Napoleon. She wins $1,500 and the opportunity to go on to the Miss Ohio Scholarship Pageant in Mansfield next year. The winner of the Miss Ohio pageant goes on to enter the Miss America pageant in the fall. Minor also won the coveted silver bowl (from Fort Defiance Players) in the talent award and $200 from Jim Estep.

“It was wonderful to win the crown and the talent award,“ the young woman said. “It was a great group of girls and they all gave it their best.”

Indeed, the judges must have had a struggle with the amazingly diverse talent displayed by the young women.The audience was never bored from the spine-chilling rendition of “Whistle Down the Wind” by Rachel Maris, to the sassy, crowd-pleasing “When God Fearin’ Women Get the Blues” by Emily Cousino to watching Kristen Haas dance her way across the stage in “I Want to Dance With Somebody.” Janelle Zindroski also showed her talent while singing “Loch Lomond” and even playing it on the bagpipes.

Placing the crown on Minor’s head was last year’s Miss Northwestern Ohio, Abby Bollenbacher, who will also be competing in the Miss Ohio pageant next year as she has just won the Miss Maumee pageant.

The annual Charles Perkins Award was give to Linda Schatz this year. It is given each year by the Miss Northwestern Ohio Scholarship Pageant committee for time and service given by an individual to the pageant. The award was named after Charles Perkins, the first director of the pageant.

Other competitors in the pageant were Defiance residents, McKenna Frank, Jennifer Haviland and Mellissa Marksberry. Also competing were: Carrie Cleland, Hicksville; Lauren Hogan, Napoleon; Ashleigh Hohenbrink, Leipsic; Emily Cousino, Ottawa Lake, Mich.; Allison Krucek, North Canton; and Janelle Zindroski, North Royalton. Each non-finalist receives $100. Scholarship funds are donated by private individuals and businesses.

This year, Northwest State Community College offered a tuition-only scholarship of $750 to the winner and a $500 tuition-only scholarship to the first runner-up.

Entertainment for the evening was provided by Defiance Dance Studio with their usual brand of excellence. Particularly deserving of praise was the number “Car Wash” with dancers dressed in coveralls and enticing the audience to clap along with the number. The medley of Beach Boys’ songs by Mark Schnitkey, Randy Schroeder and Gary Taylor II also was a crowd pleaser as was the nifty little dance number by Schroeder and his wife, Mary.

Emcee for the evening was Mark Schnitkey with co-emcees Bollenbacher and Miss Ohio 2005 Marlia Fontaine.

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