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Newly crowned Miss Ohio's Teen Allie Gray and Miss Lake Festival Caitlin Cramer, who competed in Miss Ohio, both of Celina, were welcomed home in grand fashion with a police escort and appearance on the concert stage under the red tent in the Bryson Park District in Celina on Sunday night.
By WILLIAM KINCAID and ERIN GARDNER
newsroom@dailystandard.com
CELINA - Newly crowned Miss Ohio's Teen Allie Gray and Miss Lake Festival Caitlin Cramer, both of Celina, were welcomed back from Mansfield riding atop a Mini Cooper behind a police escort on Lake Shore Drive on Sunday night.
Gray, 17, the reigning Miss Lake Festival Outstanding Teen, emerged victorious from a field of 12 contestants, including Monica Hemmelgarn of Coldwater, Mackenzie Harmer of St. Henry and Reyna Hume of Wapakoneta, on Wednesday night in Mansfield as part of the Miss America Scholarship Organization.
Cramer and Makenzie Regedanz of Celina competed for the Miss Ohio title in Mansfield on Saturday night.
Gray and Cramer were given a warm reception on Sunday night in the Bryson Park District before the Julie Neville Band took the stage under the red tent as part of the ongoing Celina Summer Concert Series.
Master of ceremonies Jonathan Williams introduced Gray and Cramer to the audience.
"She is the very first Celina Lake Festival-titled individual to go to the Miss Ohio competition and come back with the crown. This is the first time ever," Williams said of Gray being named Miss Ohio's Teen.
Newly crowned Miss Ohio's Teen Allie Gray and Miss Lake Festival Caitlin Cramer, who competed in Miss Ohio, both of Celina, were welcomed home in grand fashion with a police escort and appearance on the concert stage under the red tent in the Bryson Park District in Celina on Sunday night. Celina Mayor Jeff Hazel spoke at the homecoming event.
"Celina is proud of you," said Celina Mayor Jeff Hazel. "When you look at what we do in this community and the people that we produce in this community, you're among a very select group of young ladies that has done this."
Gray said she really didn't know what to expect competing in Miss Ohio's Teen for the first time. It was a whirlwind week with a slew of activities - and very little sleep.
"The amount of people I've met up in Mansfield is awesome, but one thing they all asked was, 'What are you most excited for?' and that was coming home," Gray said. "I was so excited to see all of the community of Celina and just get to talk to everybody and tell them I did it."
Responding to a question from Hazel, Gray said other young women should know it's OK to put themselves out there and try something new.
"I really didn't know what to expect coming into this whole program, but I have learned so much about myself, just from this small year as Miss Lake Festival's Teen and now Miss Ohio's Teen," she said. "So really just go out there and put yourself out there. Show your true self."
Newly crowned Miss Ohio's Teen Allie Gray and Miss Lake Festival Caitlin Cramer, who competed in Miss Ohio, both of Celina, were welcomed home in grand fashion with a police escort and appearance on the concert stage under the red tent in the Bryson Park District in Celina on Sunday night.
In addition to the crown, Gray took home a $2,500 scholarship for being named Miss Ohio's Teen.
"All night, I felt really confident going into all the phases of the competition," she told the newspaper. "This is the time I had been waiting for nearly a year now. … I didn't know what to feel and then they called my name and my heart just dropped. So many emotions flooded through my mind. I had so much fun, and I've already met so many people. I'm just so excited for this coming year."
For her talent, Gray signed "Don't Give Up On Me" by Andy Grammar. The song is meaningful to Gray as it is a reminder to never give up and push through life's challenges, according to a news release. She has known American Sign Language since the third grade.
"My sign language is more than a talent to me, it is a gift," she said in the release. "It helps me connect with the deaf community and with my Community Service Initiative (CSI) being #BeRealNotPerfect, working with people who have something different and unique about them goes hand in hand."
Gray said she chose her CSI "because I had a time in my life when I didn't feel perfect."
"I felt like I had to be, but I knew I wasn't," she said. "I (was) in a bad mental space. My goal is to show people that no matter your circumstance or if you're different, there's so much beauty to being different and unique - you should be confident in being your true self."
During the week, Gray also attended news conferences, inked her official contract and signed the national anthem.
As Miss Ohio's Teen, Gray will form meaningful connections, prepare for Miss America's Teen and enact her CSI throughout the state.
"I will be all over Ohio from here, pretty much. It's going to be a lot of miles on my Mini Cooper, that's for sure," she said on Sunday night. "I'm excited to get involved with the schools and … I'm hoping to get in as many communities as possible across Ohio, really get into the schools and just as many organizations as I possible can."
An upcoming senior at Celina High School and College Credit Plus student at Wright State University-Lake Campus, she is the daughter of Matthew and Tracy Gray.
Newly crowned Miss Ohio's Teen Allie Gray and Miss Lake Festival Caitlin Cramer, who competed in Miss Ohio, both of Celina, were welcomed home in grand fashion with a police escort and appearance on the concert stage under the red tent in the Bryson Park District in Celina on Sunday night. Celina Lake Festival organizers presented Gray with an honorary plaque laser engraved with her image.
