Kentner places at Miss Ohio
Wapakoneta native Olivia Kentner, who earned the third runner-up spot
over the weekend in the Miss Ohio pageant, will now be known as Miss Spirit of Ohio.
“I knew it was going to be an exhausting, rewarding and very, very fun week,” Kentner said.
Kentner, who competed as Miss
Oxford, said she didn’t have any expectations going into the competition, but
saw it as a way to further her non-profit outreach.
“The pageant only lasts one day or a couple days, but the legacy that you leave, in regards to affecting the lives of individuals, is there for forever,” she said.
Preliminary competitions were held Thursday and Friday for every phase of the event, including social impact pitch, talent and interviews.
Her social impact pitch detailed Ready, Set, Graduate, a non-profit organization Kentner runs to help high school students figure out what they want to do after graduation; it also provides scholarship opportunities. Kentner explained that just the cost of apply to multiple colleges could add up to around $800.
“It’s really important that we provide students with money so they can even apply to these institutions,” Kentner said.
As she advanced into the final 10 contestants, Kentner said she was nervous as she hadn’t won any preliminary awards.
“If you don’t win any preliminary awards there is no guarantee for anything,” Kentner said. “Everything that happened on stage took hours and hours and months of preparation and investment and time and tears getting yourself to that level of competition. When I heard my name called I was like thank goodness.”
Last year was her first time competing in Miss Ohio and that year she didn’t
make it to the top 10.
“’Getting third runner up was a big deal,” Kentner said.
She said making it into the top five meant she was under
serious consideration for the Miss Ohio
spot and she remains extremely grateful.
Her advice for those competing is to find
something they are passionate about and would want to serve the community with.
She said those with a talent such as singing, dancing, or playing the piano should go for it.
She said the Miss Ohio organization
has helped her as a performer even though she is not a professional.
She sang and danced to Mambo Italiano for the talent
portion of the competition. The song was
originally written by Bob Merril in the 1950s and sung by Rosemary Clooney, a Cincinnati native. Kentner gave credit
to The Dance Center for choreography. She
believes singing and dancing at the same time gave her an edge in the competition.
More information about Ready Set Graduate can be found at readysetgraduate.org.