Joe Hornaday
Miss Decatur County 2008, Kyra Domingo, passed on the crown at the “Evening of Elegance” Friday night, at the Miss Decatur County Queen Pageant 2009.
Elizabeth Lecher, 17, walked off the Greensburg Junior High School auditorium stage as the night’s big winner, and the next Miss Decatur County. Lecher is an incoming senior at North Decatur High School, and she was sponsored by Klosterkemper Tax Service.
After the announcement was made that she was the new Miss Decatur County, Lecher could hardly comprehend it.
“I honestly can’t believe it,” she said, minutes after being crowned. “I’m still in shock. It’s just sinking in.”
Eighteen-year-old Allison Smith came away as first runner-up, followed by Latisha Taylor as the second runner-up. Sara Niles was voted Miss Congeniality.
“These girls have worked really really hard this year,” Master of Ceremonies Dennis Fogle explained at the top of the program.
He welcomed all of the participants and the guests to the auditorium before welcoming Domingo to the stage.
“We have a great pageant here tonight, along with some great girls,” she said.
At the start of the program, each of the 10 contestants introduced themselves. They were: Shelbi Reed; Niles; Taylor; Kera Davis; Lesley Bailey; Lecher; Elizabeth Mauer; Tiffanie Schubert; Smith; and Taryn Owens.
“All 10 of those girls would make a wonderful queen,” contest director Barb Waechter said.
The contestants’ first outfits were ones they had put together themselves, which they said represented who they were.
When it came time to switch outfits, Michaela Buell and Nikki Vanderbur serenaded the crowd with songs. Following that, the 10 pageant contestants put in their appearances in professional wear. One by one, they strutted their stuff looking like professionals while soft music played in the background.
Decatur County Fair Board president Jim Saler followed the young ladies and introduced his fellow Fair Board members and the Extension staff. The evenings escorts, Chris Mirick and Adam Stewart, were also introduced, and so were the night’s judges, Nathan Floyd and Jessica Wilson.
While the contestants changed outfits yet again, Domingo displayed a slideshow, featuring pictures of her journey as Miss Decatur County 2008. Those pictures included a replay of the 2008 Miss Decatur County Competition and Domingo at the Indiana State Fair.
“I’ve made an endless amount of memories over the past year,” she said.
On a special note, Domingo thanked everyone for her support, including her step-mother Joyce. She said she would definitely miss being Miss Decatur County.
The next stage of the competition was the evening gown portion, which went along with the impromptu question. Holding pink roses, the 10 ladies paraded around the stage while the audience learned more about them, courtesy of Fogle, the emcee.
Domingo took her final walk, and the pageant committee members were introduced. They were: Director Barb Waechter; Courtney Collins; LaChrista Klosterkamper; Kathy Nobbe; Kylie Mauer; and Domingo.
Committee member Mauer kept the show rolling with the presentation of the scholarship in memory of Nansi Miers, as presented by the Miers family. Miers had worked on the Miss Decatur County pageant for 25 years, and the family had donated a $500 scholarship in her honor. The 10 contestants each filled out an essay, but Kera Davis came away with the scholarship.
When the contest was over and Lecher was crowned Miss Decatur County 2009, the girls shared exasperated hugs of relief and joy on the stage, before being joined by families and friends for conversation and pictures.
