By Jordan Studer
jstuder@wbcowqel.com
“Is this real life!?” were the first words from newly crowned 2015 Bratwurst Festival Queen, Ashley Keener, as her large tiara was being placed on her head.
Six candidates were in the running for the crown. Thursday evening at the 48th annual Bratwurst Festival Queen’s Pageant. Those were Hannah Zeigler who will be a junior at Wynford; ChayLinn Hildreth who is a 2015 graduate of Buckeye Central; Chloe Ulmer, a 2015 graduate of Wynford; Kelsey Dunford who will be a senior at Wynford and Pioneer; Keener who will be a senior at Bucyrus; and Antonia Zeigler, also a senior at Bucyrus.
Photo gallery: 2015 Bratwurst Festival – Thursday
The evening went very smooth as all the girls graced the stage with poise and beauty. Each one added their own angle to the honor of being up there as each had volunteered in different dynamics.
The infamous fishbowl question round came around, and the hopefuls proved well-prepared for any question that came their way. Once the judges had made their decision the suspense escalated in the expressions of all the candidates and their families.
Miss Congeniality was awarded first, an award that the contestants vote on themselves. The award reflects the honor and respect of the other young ladies who voted for her as the most congenial, charismatic, and inspirational participant. Miss Congeniality went to none other than Keener.
Next, the 2014 Queen, Tessa Starner and her court crowned this year’s queen and her court. The Second Runner-Up was Hildreth, the First Runner-Up was Antonia Zeigler.
After Keener went through a line of many hugs and excited squeals, she answered the question that every winner hears, “What are your feelings right now?”
Keener answered without a beat of hesitation, “Definitely scared. Excited, I’m super excited. I’m just so grateful actually. Grateful for everything, for everybody and I honestly have gotten so close to those girls I wish we would have all walk away with something and we did. We walked away with the experience, we walked away with happiness, and I know those other girls will do great in the future.”
Giving over 100 hours of community service, Keener is no stranger to the feeling of wanting to help others. She said that she wanted to be the queen so that she could give back to the community that has given so much to her and be a positive role model for the younger kids and the city.
When asked about her biggest accomplishment within her community service work, the newly crowned queen said, “Definitely getting to know people for who they are and not what they look like. Meeting people and talking to them is actually eye opening.”
Giving Keener her crown Thursday evening was none other than the 2014 Queen, Tessa Starner.
Starner said, “It felt a lot different than the beginning, it definitely took a few festivals to get the swing of things. We were always driving crazy and we should have GPS(ed) it to begin with, but it’s definitely been fun. It’s been an experience, I encourage every girl to try for. I wish every one of those girls could have been queen, but I would definitely say it was worth doing again.”
RELATED CONTENT: Tessa Starner reigns over 2014 Bratwurst Festival
Also crowned earlier in the evening was the 2015 Bratwurst Festival Junior Princess and her court. Junior Princess second runner-up was Madison Kent, Junior Princess first runner-up was Brynn Bruner, and the 2015 Bratwurst Festival Jr. Princess was Gina Griffith.
Today’s festival schedule includes eating contests this afternoon, another parade tonight followed by a concert featuring the Eric Sowers Band and Brothers Osborne.
PHOTO GALLERIES: 2014 Bratwurst Festival: Thursday | 2014 Bratwurst Festival: Friday | 2014 Bratwurst Festival: Saturday
