Text and Photos
By Marissa Sweatland
InkFreeNews
NORTH WEBSTER — Miss Chapman Lake Madison Nunez was crowned Mermaid Festival Queen of Lakes during the 78th annual pageant, held this evening, Saturday, June 22 inside the North Webster Community Center gymnasium. The gymnasium’s bleachers were filled with parents, siblings, friends and community members supporting the contestants.
14 contestants entered the pageant, vying for the chance to win the crown. Each contestant represented a different area lake. Each contestant is an upstanding community member, many logging multiple pages of community service and volunteer experiences in their pageant application. Judges for the evening’s pageant were Diane Duncan, 2024 America’s Ultimate Queen; Hannah Fitzpatrick, Miss Cross Roads State American Royal Beauties and Emily Parcell, 2024 Georgia Miss Agriculture USA.
The contestants were Miss Center Lake Gwendolyn Frank, 17, of North Webster; Miss Syracuse Lake Kendell Jaress, 17, of Syracuse; Miss Ridinger Lake Brianna Lackey, 17, of Churubusco; Miss Lake Wawasee Rachel Studebaker, 17, of Syracuse; Miss Barbee Lake Lillian Kelsey, 20, of Warsaw; Miss Chapman Lake Madison Nunez, 16, of North Webster; Miss Papakeechie Lake Jaclynn Worrell, 18, of Syracuse; Miss Winona Lake Daihya Chupp, 16, of Warsaw; Miss Dewart Lake Ava Couture, 17, of Leesburg; Miss Tippecanoe Lake Abigayle Conner, 16, of North Webster; Miss Kuhn Lake Chloe Bollinger, 18, of South Whitley; Miss Yellow Creek Lake Kendall Hepler, 20, of Warsaw; Miss Shock Lake Anna Shock, 17, of North Webster and Miss Webster Lake Zaylee Guy, 17, of North Webster.
The Queen and her court are awarded scholarships provided by Shoop Sports and Youth Foundation, Inc. The Queen is awarded $2,000; 1st runner up, $1,500; 2nd runner up, $1,000 and 3rd runner up $500. These scholarships will be applied to the Queen and her court’s higher education.
Additionally, the winners of the parade float competition were named. Each queen candidate was required to participate in the Mermaid Festival parade, held earlier today, and were judged for scholarship prizes, also provided by Shoop Sports and Youth Foundation, Inc. Scholarships range from $250 to $750. Earning first place was Miss Papakeechie Lake Jaclynn Worrell; Miss Webster Lake Zaylee Guy, second and Miss Winona Lake Daihya Chupp, third.
2021 Mermaid Festival Queen of Lakes Corynn Barton, the pageant’s emcee, announced the winners of two additional awards. The North Webster Lady Lions Club Community Service award was presented to, for the first time ever, three contestants: Miss Papakeechie Lake Jaclynn Worrell, Miss Webster Lake Zaylee Guy and Miss Yellow Creek Lake Kendall Hepler. Miss Congeniality was awarded to Miss Syracuse Lake Kendell Jaress.
