Winners in the Miss Kosciusko County Scholarship Pageant include Mary Jane Mix, Miss Kosciusko County first runner-up; Paige Geer, Miss Kosciusko County; Alexandra Fiscus, Miss Kosciusko’s Outstanding Teen; Alyssa Hochstetler, Miss OT first runner-up; Ellie Barmes, Miss OT second runner up; and Alyssa Gulick, Miss OT third runner-up. (Photo by Deb Patterson)

Paige Geer, Alexandria Fiscus and Kaitlyn Bergman were the top winners at the 2014 Miss Kosciusko County Scholarship Program.

Geer was named Miss Kosciusko County 2014 and Fiscus was named Miss Kosciusko County’s Outstanding Teen 2014. Both will go on to represent the county in state competition later this year.

Bergman is the county’s first Little Miss Kosciusko County 2014.

Geer, daughter of Blake and Connie Geer, is a 2009 graduate of Wawasee High School and 2013 graduate of Indiana University with a major in psychology. She received a $750 scholarship plus gift certificate towards a wardrobe for state competition from Ashley Rene’s.

Fiscus, daughter of Paula Fiscus and the late Todd Fiscus, is a freshman at Wawasee High School. She received a $75 scholarship plus a $100 gift certificate for her wardrobe for state competition

Bergman, daughter of Kelly and Ali Bergman, is a fourth-grader at Most Precious Blood Catholic School, Fort Wayne. She received $50.

Also winning in the Miss Outstanding Teen competition were: Alyssa Hochstetler, first runner-up; Ellie Barmes, second runner-up and Alisha Gulick, third runner-up. They received $50, $30 and $25 respectively.

Mary Jane Mix was named first runner-up in the Miss Kosciusko County competition. She received a $400 scholarship.

Ali Smith, Mikayla Findley and Elizabeth Dowell won the People’s Choice Award and $50 each, in their respective competitions. More than 150 in attendance were given the opportunity to make cash donations towards the contestants of his/her choice. The funds will be used towards the 2015 competition.

All competitors participated in an on-stage question.

Alexandria Fiscus waives to the crowd after being crowned Miss Kosciusko County’s Outstanding Teen 2014. Breonna Cole and Alyssa Hochstetler are shown to the left

Opinion about college student debt, drug testing in school and challenges facing the country were topics of questions for the Miss Kosciusko contestants.

Something unique about the county to bring visitors was the question drawn by Geer. “Lake Wawasee,” was her answer. “I believe it is one of the best places on earth. It’s beautiful and its fun.” She also added another location she feels is unique and a favorite place of hers, Cerulean’s, noting she has talked with others who have stated it was one of the best places in Indiana. “So we have that right here at home.”

For the Miss OT the questions centered around improvement of their new self, what makes her unique, heroes, best compliment received, importance of her platform, what a potential employer would learn from her Facebook or Twitter account, and importance of physical strength.

Fiscus’ question centered on the public figure she admired. “I very much admire Michelle Obama because she has put together networks to help kids with a healthy lifestyle and I feel that our country should be more healthy and so its because of that.”

For the Little Miss competitors the questions included areas of where they would go if taken out to eat, what you’d do in a park, what you’d do at recess to the question chosen by Bergman “If you got to build a new playground for your school, what would you make sure it had and why?”

“I would make sure it had monkey bars, because I like playing on them,” answered Bergman.

Competition included talent. The talent for the evening included monologue; vocal solos; jazz, tap, hip-hop, contemporary and lyrical dancing; piano; flute solo; nun chuck demonstration; sign language interpretation; and color guard performance.

Shana Patel, 2013 Miss Kosciusko and 2014 Miss IPFW is shown with Kaitlyn Bergman, little Miss Kosciusko County 2014

The Miss Kosciusko competitors also competed in a two-piece swimsuit competition. All contestants modeled party wear (for the Little Miss) and evening gowns.

Prior to the evenings public competition interviews were held with the judges and included in the judging tallies.
There was a total of four contestants for Little Miss Kosciusko, eight for Miss OT and four for the Miss Kosciusko title.

One contestant from each area had dropped from the competition, resulting in a change on the number of runner-up winners in each category.

A video of portions of the competition will be added later.