By Betty Lawrence
blawrence@dailystandard.com A large contingent of supporters burst into loud applause and cheers when Fort Recovery resident Marisa Minor was crowned Miss Lake Festival on Monday night.
Nine area young women vied for the coveted crown before a crowd of approximately 1,200 at the Celina Fieldhouse.
Minor, 17, the daughter of Mike and Patricia Jo Minor, will be a senior at Fort Recovery High School. She also is taking classes at Wright State University-Lake Campus.
Named first runner-up was Ashley Lammers; second runner-up, Elizabeth Schaffner; and third runner-up, Jessica Green, all age 18 and from Celina.
Minir wore her long brown hair upswept and was dressed in a sleeveless lavender gown when last year's queen, Tiffany Hehmeyer, gently placed the crown on the new queen. She now will reign over this weekend's Celina Lake Festival. Black and red dominated the attire of the contestants as they presented their talent before the judges and crowd.
Minor wore a black dress trimmed in red, with a red scarf and red rose in her hair, as she sang the operatic number "Mon Couer S'ouvre A Ta Voix," during the talent portion of the contest. She also won the Outstanding Talent and Outstanding Interview awards.
Lammers wore a long, glimmering dark blue gown as she sang the pop selection "This Time Around." The daughter of Tom and Kim Lammers, she is a graduate of Celina High School and will be a freshman at Baldwin-Wallace College.
Schaffner, the daughter of Robin and Beth Schaffner, was dressed in a zebra print skirt as she danced and tumbled to "George of the Jungle," during the talent portion of the pageant. She is a graduate of Celina High School.
Green, dressed in black and red, danced and tumbled to the upbeat tune "I Love Rock and Roll," in the talent portion of the pageant. She also is a graduate of Celina High School and a freshman at Wright State University. Her parents are Ron and Cindy Green.
Seven of the nine contestants chose two-piece swimsuits in that division of the pageant, and Minor's selection was a bright blue two-piece suit. Lammers, Schaffner and Green each wore orange two-piece suits.
In a new move, fathers of the contestants escorted their daughters to the stage during the evening wear portion of the pageant.
The six judges based their decisions on: individual interviews conducted prior to the pageant, 40 percent; an on-stage interview, 10 percent; talent, 30 percent; evening wear, 10 percent; and swim wear, 10 percent.
The annual pageant is a scholarship event, and as queen, Minor receives $3,600 in scholarships from the three awards she captured.
Lammers receives $1,300 in scholarship money; Schaffner, $1,000; and Green, who also won the $600 Commitment to Excellence award, $1,500.
Contestant Lana Ranly received the People's Choice award.
Receiving $300 each as non-finalist contestants were Hillary Frank, a Parkway High School graduate; Carley Hartings, a |
