2008 MRS/MISS/TEEN MINNESOTA INTERNATIONAL PAGEANT - ST. CLOUD, MN

This year’s pageant was the culmination of months of hard work and preparation with my clients. I was honored to work with six Mrs. contestants, two Teens, and one Miss. We worked HARD but had a lot of fun throughout the process, and all that hard work paid off as my client Leisha Gust won the title of Mrs. Minnesota International 2008! Additionally, my clients won all of the Mrs preliminary awards (which I was thrilled with) and EVERYONE did a fabulous job. I could not have been more proud of my clients and the class and integrity of this pageant. It is always a top-notch event and I am honored to belong to the Minnesota International pageant family.


Friday night's festivities began with orientation followed by a pizza party. Saturday brought a full day of rehearsals, followed by Preliminaries that evening. I was SO PROUD of all my clients’ performances. It was so rewarding to finally see these ladies on stage after so many months of hard work and preparation. At the end of the preliminary competition, the my clients won the following awards:


Director's Award: Brooke Fultz (TEEN) & Natalie Hagemo (MRS)

Team Spirit (Overall Ticket Sales): Starla Reisner (MRS)

"Best Husband in a Supporting Role": Willie Jett (husband of Tamara Jett - Mrs. Ham Lake)






With the lovely Danni Epps (Miss MN Int’l 2007 - LEFT) and Giselle Ugarte (Miss Teen MN Int’l 2007 - RIGHT)







L to R: Catching up with Angela Haseman (Mrs. MN Int’l 2006) and dear friend Donnell Rank (Mrs. MN Int’l 2007) just before prelims.








Owner of The Pageant Shop Sarah Moses (far R) and I congratulate our teen client Delanie Neal (center) on a great preliminary performance!








L to R: Sarah Moses, me, State Director Allison Stavrakis, and my awesome mom Bonnie Henderson just before the start of the pageant.







With my 2008 clients after Prelims (clockwise from left): Natalie Hagemo, Denise Wellik-Peterson, Molly Nicholson, Brooke Fultz, Tamara Jett, Rosio Esparza, Delanie Neal, me, Leisha Gust, Starla Reisner. WAY TO GO LADIES!!!





Saying hi to long-time pageant buddies Jennifer Sanneman (Mrs. MN Int’l 2005 - LEFT) and the beautiful and funny Penny Wells (R). FYI, Penny does fabulous makeup!






With my gorgeous mom at the luncheon...can you believe she is 65-years-old? I hope I look half as good as she does when I’m her age!







With my Mrs. MN Int’l pageant “sisters” Donnell Rank (C) and Nancy Paradeise (L). We all started out together in 2003, then I crowned Nancy in ’04 and Donnell won in ’07. How cool is that?!?








What a great looking group of women! After the lunch with some of my clients.









L to R: Sarah Moses (owner of the Pageant Shop) and I so proud of our clients Delanie Neal and Leisha Gust.





I can’t even count how many photos I have with my dear friend Donnell Rank (it verges on the edge of ridiculous), but this was our LAST photo of us together while she still was Mrs. Minnesota International 2007 (this was taken right before the start of the pageant when she crowned her successor). We worked HARD together to help her win her title so this was the culmination of so much!



Sunday night's Final Competition began with the introduction of the contestants, followed by the announcement of some special awards. My clients were honored with the following:


Supermodel with Style: Delanie Neal (TEEN)

Congeniality: Starla Reisner (MRS)


The Top Eight semifinalists were announced in the Teen and Mrs division, and all preliminary scores were erased. The Teen and Mrs semifinalists answered an unrehearsed question of 30 seconds or less, while all of the Miss contestants followed suit. The Teen and Mrs contestants re-competed in Aerobicwear, Evening Gown, and Fun Fashion Wear (Teens only), while the Miss contestants gave an Evening Gown presentation.


The official competition was over and anticipation was in the air as the runner-ups and winners were announced. I was SO pleased to have one of my teen clients Delanie Neal place as 2nd runner-up...this was her first “platform based” pageant and she was terrific. I strongly felt that my other teen client Brooke Fultz would place in the Top 8 but alas that was not to be. I expect GREAT things out of Brooke in the future. Both teens were an absolute delight to work with.


My client Leisha Gust won the Mrs. title and the Preliminary Aerobicwear Award. Here is how the rest of my clients fared:


MRS:

LEISHA GUST: WINNER Mrs. Minnesota Int’l 2008, Best in Aerobicwear Award

NATALIE HAGEMO: Top 8, Best in Interview Award, Director’s Award, Mrs. People’s Choice Winner

TAMARA JETT: 3rd Runner-up

MOLLY NICHOLSON: Top 8, Best in Evening Gown Award

STARLA REISNER: Mrs. Congeniality, Most Ticket Sales Award

DENISE WELLIK-PETERSON performed beautifully and looked incredible. Awesome!


TEENS:

BROOKE FULTZ: Teen Director’s Award Winner and Teen People’s Choice Award Winner

DELANIE NEAL: 2nd RU, Supermodel with Style Award Winner


MISS:

ROSIO ESPARZA looked amazing





With the new 2008 MN Int’l queens (L to R): the DARLING Megan Herickhoff (Teen), my client Leisha Gust (Mrs), and Tina Rosenthal (Miss)





Posing with the “former” Minnesota International Pageant queens. This group is getting pretty big w/the addition of the Teens and Miss ladies!





Catching up with some of my favorite pageant ladies---this is a GREAT group of women! (L to R): Sonja Fisher (we competed together at Mrs. MN Int’l 2003), Kris Mohlin (awesome mock interview judge & makeup artist!), me, former client Sarah Tichich (I coached her for Mrs. MN US ‘07 after we competed together @ Mrs. MN America ’06), and my client Wendi Russo.





Sarah Moses and I are SO PROUD of our client and friend Leisha Gust for winning the title of Mrs. Minnesota International 2008! HOORAY!






We can’t wipe the smiles off our faces! Leisha is not just my client, she is a great friend. We first met as fellow contestants in the 2003 Mrs. MN Int’l pageant (along with Nancy Paradeise & Donnell Rank, who also went on to win the title in ’04 & ’07 respectively). Leisha came to me for coaching a year ago because she felt like she was in a “pageant rut.” We honed her skills, changed a few things, and REALLY worked on her interview and letting her true self shine...and it worked! I am SOOOOO PROUD OF HER!






Celebrating with clients Denise Wellik-Peterson (L) and Natalie Hagemo (R) at the Coronation Party








Chatting after the pageant with my teen client Brooke Fultz. She is a sweetheart!










Where would I be without the support of my incredible mom Bonnie Henderson?








With two incredible teenagers, my client Delanie Neal (L) and the gorgeous Sarah Sprayberry - Miss Minnesota Teen USA 2008.









My client Delanie Neal and I showing off her plaques for winning the “Supermodel with Style” award and also placing as 2nd runner-up! YAY!






With two out of the three Preliminary Award winners, my clients Molly Nicholson (who placed in the Top 8 and won Best in Gown) and Natalie Hagemo (Top 8 finalist and Best in Interview winner). Way to go ladies!




Congratulating my client Tamara Jett on a job well done. Talk about going waaaaay back...Tamara and I competed together at the 1990 Miss U.S. Teen national pageant in Atlanta! She was Miss MN U.S. Teen and I was Miss WI U.S. Teen. Who would have thought we’d meet again one day?!? THIS is why I love pageantry!





Changed into our “comfy clothes” for the “formers and staff” party in Allison’s suite after the Coronation Party with the lovely (and now former!) Miss MN Int’ 2007 Danni Epps. She is a class act all the way! Beautiful AND smart!


It was an incredible night with incredible ladies, and I am so proud of each and every one of them. The outgoing queens did an wonderful job with their farewells, and as usual, Allison Stavrakis did and OUTSTANDING job with the pageant. Congrats to all and see you next year!