Schylar Miller crowned Queen Jubilee XL

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

If Spencerville senior Schylar Miller was pleased when she was named Miss Congeniality during Friday night’s Peony Festival Pageant held at the Marsh Auditorium, she was ecstatic seconds later when 2014 Peony Queen Chelsea Hancock placed the crown of Queen Jubilee XL on her head.

“This has been such a great experience and I am just so thankful and blessed to be a part of it,” said Miller, the daughter of Keith and Melissa Miller.

First runner-up was Lincolnview senior Baylee Neate, daughter of Brent and Deb Neate, while Paulding senior Laurel Wehrkamp, daughter of Terry and Nancy Wehrkamp, was named second runner-up.

The talent winner was Parkway senior Rachel Green, daughter of Carl and Kimberly Green, who sang Nina Simone’s version of “Feeling Good” from the Broadway musical, The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd.

Also competing were Van Wert senior Maekenzie Alba, daughter of Armando and Deborah Alba; Vantage Career Center senior Bailey Krol, daughter of Rob and Leslie Moser and Jason and Niki Krol; and Crestview senior Taylor Hughes, daughter of Brad and Susan Hughes.

The night did have its ups and downs, with technical difficulties delaying the talent portion of the evening for approximately 15 minutes, but emcee Susan Burchfield kept things moving as much as possible for the large crowd who came out to cheer on the candidates.

Longtime auditor J. Richard Sealscott didn’t take long to total the scoring from pageant judges Rick Turner, Jamie Allen-Ream, Marianne Hardesty and Sharon Spinner, as well as earlier scores from preliminary judges Sue Wilkin, Ray Etzler and Terry Plas.

Escorts were Tyler Brant, Cole Bellows and Jon German, while Tom Mayes handled lighting and sound for the event.

As usual, the Little Flower Girls again mostly upstaged the older girls as they came out to present them with peonies prior to the pageant’s final promenade. Flower girls this year were Lilli Best, daughter of Jeremy and Jennifer Best; Sophia Skelton, daughter of Wes and Tina Skelton; Nodia Bolin, daughter of Joshua and Carly Bolton; Charlotte Niedecken, daughter of Joe and Brooke Niedecken; Gianna Goecke, daughter of Steve and Amy Goecke; Josie Miller, daughter of Josie Miller and Callie Byrne; and Shayla Schomaeker, daughter of Ron and Lisa Schomaeker.

Crown bearer this year was Aubree Mills, daughter of Pageant Director Kylie Mills.

Ushers were Brynn and Kaylee Mollenkopf, Chamberlyn Couts and Dakotah Nihiser.

The Peony Pageant Committee includes Mills, Becki Mollenkopf, Karen Pugh, Kelly Cooper and Laurie Zeeff, while Brent Gibson was pageant photographer.