2023 Mermaid Festival Queen of Lakes Jaela Faulkner is seated, surrounded by her court, from left, Bri McBrier, Janna Tausch and Chloe Bollinger. InkFreeNews photos by Keith Knepp.

By Keith Knepp
InkFreeNews

2022 Queen of Lakes Jordan Hofmann, left, hugs her predecessor, 2023 Queen of Lakes Jaela Faulkner.

NORTH WEBSTER — Miss Hoffman Lake Jaela Faulkner was crowned Queen of Lakes during the 77th Mermaid Festival’s annual pageant, held Saturday evening inside the North Webster Community Center. She was one of 18 contestants ranging in age from 16-22 who were vying for the prestigious crown.

Faulkner, a resident of Bourbon and a student at Manchester University, is majoring in exercise science and plans to continue her education with the ultimate goal of obtaining a doctorate in occupational therapy with a specialization in pediatrics.

“I decided to become a contestant in the Queen of Lakes pageant to further my involvement in the community, spend some time with old friends and make some new friends,” said Faulkner.

Serving as members of the Queen’s court for the coming year will be Miss Sechrist Lake, Janna Tausch, Bourbon, first runner-up; Miss Camelot Lake Chloe Bollinger, South Whitley, second runner-up; and Miss Yellow Creek Lake Bri McBrier, Mentone, third runner-up.

The queen and her court each earned scholarship money from the Shoop Sports and Youth Foundation to use toward their higher education. Scholarship amounts ranged from $500-$2,000.

Judges for the pageant were Kelsey Nebbeling, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Terri Edmiston, Roanoke; and LeeAnn Smith, Roanoke.

The evening’s emcee, Phil Metcalf, also announced the winners of two additional awards. The North Webster Lions Club Community Service Award was presented to Miss Little Tippy Lake Alexis Stump, while the Miss Congeniality Award was given to Faulkner.

Additionally, the winners of the parade float competition were named. Each queen candidate was required to participate in the Mermaid Festival parade, held earlier in the day, and were judged for scholarship prizes. Earning the top award was McBrier, followed by Miss Center Lake Gwendolyn Frank and Faulkner.