Peony queen candidates

Members of the Van Wert Peony Festival Pageant Committee met with 2016 candidates Sunday at Willow Bend Country Club. This year, there will be 11 senior girls vying for the title of Queen Jubilee XLI when the 2016 Peony Pageant is held at 7 p.m. Friday, April 1, in The Marsh Foundation Auditorium. Tickets go on sale March 3 at Once I Was (121 S. Washington St. in Van Wert). Candidates include (front row, from the left) Victoria Meadows of Paulding, Kennedy Sharp of Spencerville, Shelbe Eddington of Parkway, Katelyn Welch of Van Wert, Kiersten Teman of Delphos Jefferson; (back row) Makayla Ryan of Vantage Career Center, Ashton Bowersock of Lincolnview, Brooke Ludwig of Wayne Trace, Maddie Pohlman of Delphos St. John’s, Tianna Rager of Crestview, and Mikayla Boesch of Antwerp. (photo submitted)