By Tom Ganser
Correspondent
Whitwater’s Fourth of July Family Festival started out in high gear with the second annual Miss Whitewater Pageant.
This year’s pageant, under the direction of Elizabeth Bols, included 22 contestants in four age categories.
Mini Miss Whitewater (ages 5-7): Ontaya Shephard, Bella Thiele, Leah Newmann and Crystiana Johnson.
Little Miss Whitewater (ages 8-11): Emily Radaj, Madelynn Newann, Regan Hammons, Evelyn Noonan, Amber Krebs, Diana Cervantez, Elyse Sloka, Trinity Nickels and Aubrey Shepard.
Junior Miss Whitewater (middle school – ages 12-13): Morgan Radaj, Cassandra Hoxie, Kileigh Kancaid, Lexi Nelson, Cierra Martin and Natalie LaBreche.
Teen Miss Whitewater (high school – ages 14+): Debra Krebs, Abbie Childs and Abby Patrick.
Ads in the pageant program and voting with donations in the “People Choice” competition raised $1,014 to benefit the Treyton’s Field of Dreams project.
Winning crowns in this year’s competition were Chrystiana Johnson as Mini Miss Whitewater, Trinity Nelson as Little Miss Whitewater, Lexi Nelson as Junior Miss Whitewater and Abbie Patrick as Miss Whitewater.
Contestants were judged in four categories, a private interview before the on-stage pageant, play or casual wear competition, party dress or formal wear competition, and answering a question on-stage.
This year’s judges were Rebecca Charles (Ms. Beloit Teen), Paige Frendahl (Miss Beloit), Abigail Jensen (Walworth County Fairest of the Fair) and Ashley Monti (Miss Burlington Area Chocolate Fest).
Other awards won by contestants included:
Mini Miss Whitewater: Photogenic, Leah Newman; People’s Choice, Ontaya Shepard
Little Miss Whitewater: first runner-up, Elyse Sloka; second runner-up, Emily Radaj; Photogenic, Reagan Hammons; People’s Choice, Reagan Hammons; Top Ad Sales, Reagan Hammons.
Junior Miss Whitewater: first runner-up, Morgan Radaj; second runner-up, Kileigh Kincaid, Photogenic, Cierra Martin; People’s Choice-Natalie LaBreche; Top Ad Sales, Natalie LaBreche.
Miss Whitewater: first runner-up, Abbie Childs; second runner-up, Debra Krebs; Photogenic, Debra Krebs; People’s Choice, Abbie Childs; Top Ad Sales, Abby Patrick.
Corporate sponsors for the 2013 Miss Whitewater Pageant included Whitewater 4th of July Family Festival, Frontier F/S, Pope Collision, Christman Amusements, Burtness Chevrolet, Fort Credit Union, Frame Dog, First Citizen State Bank, Sisters Bridal & Tuxedo.
