Ames crowned as 2022 Miss Blueberry Queen
MARSHALL COUNTY — On Saturday, June 18, 10 area young ladies competed for the title of 2022 Miss Blueberry Queen at the Miss Blueberry Festival Scholarship Pageant. Rilynn Ames was crowned 2022 Miss Blueberry Queen. The contestants included:
• Amaya Ameling, 17, is the daughter of Mamie and Jason Ameling of Plymouth. She will be a senior at Plymouth High School this fall.
• Brooke Vermillion, 17, is the daughter of Tara and Dave Vermillion of Walkerton. She will be a senior at John Glenn High School in the fall.
• Maggie Bradway, 18, is theduring daughter of Kerry and Jason Bradway of Plymouth. She graduated from Plymouth High School in 2021 and will be attending IVY Tech Fort Wayne in the fall and will major in Hospitality Administration of Baking and Pastry Arts.
• Lillian Petz, 18, is the daughter of Amy and Andy Petz of Argos. She is a 2022 graduate of Argos High School. She will be attending IVY Tech in the spring to study Pastry Arts.
• Lauren Manges, 17, is the daughter of Jill and Richard Manges of Plymouth. She will be a senior at Plymouth High School in the fall.
• Kekiana Haines, 17, is the daughter of Elena and Jamie Wilson of Plymouth. She will be a senior at Argos High School in the fall.
• Rilynn Ames, 17, is the daughter of Erin Ames Hundt. She will be a senior at Plymouth High School in the fall. She plans on attending college to study nursing.
• Kara McNeal, 18, is the daughter of Belinda and Ron McNeal of Plymouth. She is a 2021 graduate of Plymouth High School. She just completed her freshman year at IVY Tech and is majoring in agriculture.
• Annastasia Hutchings, 18, is the daughter of Leslie and Zacc Hutchings of Plymouth. She is a 2022 graduate of Plymouth High School and plans on attending Indiana University Kokomo to study Biochemistry in the fall.
• Rachel Jacobs, 19, is the daughter of Tina and Rodney Jacobs of Plymouth. She just finished her freshman year at Purdue Fort Wayne where she is studying Elementary Education with a minor in Early Childhood Education.
The judges for Saturday evening were Laura Mann, Jennifer Houin, and Makayla Ridgeway.
Two former Blueberry Queens served as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening, Brianna Andrews (2017) and Casi Quissell (2015).
The theme for the night was “Peace, Unity and Compassion.”
Prior to the pageant, each of the contestants met individually with the judges for a Personal Interview. That interview counted for 40 percent of their score.
Contestants were asked to create an outfit that reflected the theme. The contestants wore their outfits during the Theme Wear portion of the evening. That counted for 30 percent of their score.
Ameling was a church youth leader, Vermillion dressed as her mother,
Bradway dressed as a Dry Run Kitchen employee, Petz chose to dress as a hippie, Manges also dressed as a hippie, Haines represented the military, Ames dressed as a nurse, McNeal chose to dress as Mother Nature, Hutchings dressed as an EMT, and Jacobs chose an outfit that resembled the American flag.
The Formal Wear portion of the competition, each contestant answered an on-stage question. They were provided with a list of possible questions, but the actual question was chosen at random. The Formal Wear and the on stage question counted for 30 percent of their score.
Miss Friendship was a tie with Rachel Jacobs and Lillian Petz sharing the title. They each received a sash, flowers, necklace, and $100 cash.
The 2nd Runner Up was Brooke Vermillion. She received a sash, flowers, necklace, and a $500 scholarship.
The 1st Runner Up was Kekiana Haines. She received a sash, flowers, necklace, and a $750 scholarship.
Rilynn Ames was crowned the 2022 Miss Blueberry Queen by 2021 Miss Blueberry Queen Jaela Faulkner. Ames received a crown, sash, flowers, crystal bowl, necklace, portrait, and a $1,250 scholarship.