On December 16, 2023 Miss Blakely Gross, eight-year old at Northfield Elementary School won first place competition and earned the title, “Little Miss Northern Ohio” in “The Northern Ohio Pageant”. The pageant was recently held at North Royalton High School in the Dan Calabrese Performing Arts Center. Official Preliminary for the Ohio America Pageant proceeds were to benefit the Cardinal Crew Foundation CardinalCrew.org
Blakely came in first place in her age group, “Little Miss” which is for girls ages 6-9. There are other groups too, “Sweetheart” for ages 10-12, Teen for ages 13-17, Miss for 18+ and Mrs. for 18+ and must be married. The winners of each category will have their entry fee sponsored for the upcoming June 22, 2024 pageant, “Ohio America Pageant.” Blakely also received a crown, sash and flowers for her win. Their prize package also included a headshot session with professional hair and makeup provided and took place the morning after the preliminary pageant. All winners in each division will be given the opportunity to participate in events throughout the year like parades and community events like the 5K on May 5th 2024 for the Cardinal Crew.
To compete, a headshot is required for the programs that the judges review. They also fill out paperwork which includes their application, judge’s bio form, emcee forms and a waiver for participation. The day of the event there are interviews conducted with the judges in a “round-robin’ style. This means each contestant meets one-on-one with a judge for 3 minutes each until time is called. Questions from the judges are mainly based on the paperwork they received on the contestant’s bio form. The interview score makes up 50% of the total score so this is a very important time to shine and wow the judges! In the Little Miss category, the other 50% of the score is based on evening gown which considers things like stage presence, confidence and poise. Anyone can still compete in this “Ohio America” pageant and does not need to have a title from this preliminary pageant. More info on this at: OhioAmericaPageants.com
In an exclusive Nordonia Hills.News interview with Miss Blakely we learned:
What Kinds of Activities Are You Involved in? I am currently involved in Girl Scouts and Ski Club starts in January. She loves playing with and making videos about slime, and playing with her two dogs, Toby and Mabel. When she grows up she wants to work at a doggy daycare.
Who is Your Role Model? “My mom is my role model because she is Mrs. Ohio America 2023/24 (Insert link and picture: https://nordoniahills.news/meet-katie-gross-the-new-mrs-ohio-2023-and-owner-of-suburban-lash-beauty/ ) and she showed me how much fun pageants can be! We will get to do events together with our titles.” (*Katie will crown the next Mrs. Ohio America on June 22, and that person will go on to compete in Las Vegas for the title of Mrs. America.)
What is Your Favorite Music?
She loves music by Ariana Grande because she is pretty and has a beautiful voice. She is also on my favorite TV show, “Sam and Cat.”
MORE Blakely -Fun Facts!
Blakely says she has many stamps on her passport and her favorite place she has been to is the Bahamas where she snorkeled, and swam with pigs, and played with her family on the beach. She will even be traveling to FOUR different states during Christmas break!
Nordonia Hills.News wishes you luck in your upcoming pageant and delight in all of your personal appearances throughout 2024 as “Little Miss Northern Ohio”, Miss Blakely!
For more info on the Ohio America Pageant, visit OhioAmericaPageants.com and to get involved in the local 5K for Cardinal Crew in Sagamore Hills on May 5th, visit CardinalCrew.org.
