MANSFIELD – The quest to become the next Miss Ohio has officially begun, with the first night of competition on Thursday evening revealing one of the candidates to beat.
Miss Montgomery County Caroline Grace Williams, a native of Cincinnati, took the first round of preliminaries thanks in large part to her performance of the Italian aria, “O Mio Babbino Caro.” She also earned a $500 scholarship.
“I’m very shocked,” said Williams shortly after being crowned. “Every single person is so talented, everyone was so amazing and brought their A-game. I’m so excited to be here.”
“O Mio Babbino Caro” translates as “Oh my dear papa,” and is the story of a daughter begging her father to help her marry the love of her life. Williams said she chose the song in order to tell a story with her performance.
“You only have a minute and 30 seconds to fit the full story in that time,” she explained. “I wanted to tell a story with my song.”
Williams has been performing since the age of four. She double majored in theatre and music at Miami University, and is currently in graduate school working on a masters in education. She hopes to someday work in administration.
Other awards on Thursday night included the Spirit of Mowana award, voted on by fellow contestants. The award went to Miss North Coast Jordan Meyer, a Medina native.
Four contestants earned awards for essays based on community service and Americanism. These contestants were Miss Northern Ohio Mackenzie Perry, Miss Capital City Autumn Kessler, Miss Shawnee Grace Brown, and Miss Clayland Rachel Gombosch, a native of Ontario.
The first night of preliminary competition included on-stage questions, a wide variety of talent, and stunning evening gowns. These portions of the competition are worth a respective 20, 50 and 15 percent of the contestants’ final scores.
The on-stage questions tested the contestants on topics ranging from the legalization of marijuana, the relevancy of the electoral college, and stricter gun laws. Mansfield native Alli Lange, crowned Miss Maple City, was asked whether the upcoming generation was too narcissistic.
“Yes, because of the overuse of technology,” Lange said. “There needs to be less time spent on social media, and more time spent with family.”
In addition to Williams’ talent, her co-contestants performed Irish dancing, tap routines, baton twirling, singing combined with American Sign Language, and musical ventriloquism featuring the king of rock and roll.
Williams also delivered her social impact statement during the evening wear portion of the competition. She spoke of “Caroline’s Crisis Call, Know the F.A.C.T.S. of Calling 911,” a platform she created after surviving a serious car accident in November.
After the competition concludes on Saturday, Williams hopes to celebrate with a meal from her favorite fast-food restaurant: Taco Bell.
“I’ve always been the girl who had to give and take between so many activities,” Williams said. “Miss Ohio is the first time my platforms have all been combined in one place.”
