By Staff
NILES - Seventeen contestants will vie for the crown of Miss Apple Festival on Thursday, Sept. 23, at a pageant beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Niles High School.
Tickets are $6, available from any contestant or at the door.
Contestants for the Apple Queen title include:
Chenai Marker
Chenai Marker, 16, a junior at Buchanan High School, is the daughter of Al and Mary Marker.
Her plans for after graduation are to attend college, but she is not sure where.
She plans to major in elementary education.
Her school activities include varsity softball, marching band, student council, where she is vice president of the junior class, drama, Holiday Band, Students Against Drunk Driving, choir and Festival Band.
Marker has been honored for honor roll, perfect attendance, varsity softball, accomplishments and awards in computer class, 3rd place in most As in spanish class and the loved by everyone award in band.
Her hobbies include swimming, volunteering, playing her flute and piccolo, running, playing softball and volleyball, participating in her church youth group, being with her family and friends, singing, dancing and acting. Marker says she entered the Miss Apple Festival Contest because she wanted to have the opportunity to represent her hometown as well as the Four Flags Area.
Rachel Wetzel
Rachel Wetzel, 15, a junior at Buchanan High School, is the daughter of Dale and Karen Wetzel.
Wetzel's plans after graduation are to attend Western Michigan University to major in mathematics, minor in vocal, and obtain a teaching certificate.
Her school activities include marching band, track, student council, tennis and managing the wrestling team.
She also is a summer camp counselor, in church choir and on the Student Board of Directors at United Federal Credit Union.
Wetzel has received the silver award for community service.
Her hobbies include hanging with friends, biking, sewing, camping, listening to music and singing.
Wetzel says she entered the Miss Apple Festival Contest because she has seen the contest before and thought it would be a good experience to meet new people, represent her community and to give to her community.
Magdalena Wilson
Magdalena Wilson, 16, a junior at Buchanan High School, is the daughter of Angel Cordoba-Wilson and the late Tracy Wilson.
Her plans after graduation are to attend Michigan State or Lansing Community College to earn a degree in teaching.
Her school activities include basketball, volleyball, stage crew for school production and photography club.
Her hobbies include photography and drawing.
Wilson says she entered the Miss Apple Festival Contest because she loves her hometown and she loves meeting new people while participating in the pageants.
Anna Ferris
Anna Ferris, 16, a junior at Buchanan High School, is the daughter of Danny and Jenny Ferris.
Her plans for after graduation are acquire her associates degree in liberal arts at Lake Michigan College, then transfer to the University of Michigan to pursue a major in law. She would like to make a name for herself in politics.
Her school activities include vice president of the student body, marching and concert band, choir, and theater. For the past three years she has participated in soccer, tennis, volleyball and track. Other activities include church choir, summer camp volunteer and youth group.
Ferris has been honored for theatre and band to go to the Lakeland Fine Arts Festival and she has received 1s at solo and ensemble.
Her hobbies include cooking and baking, hanging with friends, going out to eat with her percussion buds and taking animals to the fair.
Ferris says she entered the Miss Apple Festival Contest because she has watched the contest before and she thinks it will be a very fun and interesting experience for her.
Brittany Elaine Leitz
Brittany Elaine Leitz, 17, a senior at Buchanan High School, is the daughter of James Zacher and Theresa Zacher.
Her plans for after graduation are the attend Juilliard School of Arts and receive a degree in the performing arts. Then she plans to travel around the world meeting and teaching American culture.
Her school activities include band, colorguard, cheerleading, SADD and ecology club.
Leitz has been honored for the National Honors Society, honor role and honor elective classes.
Her hobbies include collecting barbies, listening to music, watching movies, hanging out with friends, going for bike rides, and watching and being apart of theatre productions.
Leitz entered the Miss Apple Festival Contest because she entered last year's pageant and enjoyed meeting the many different kinds of people there were and she enjoyed getting all dressed up in front of the audience and sharing who she really was.
Hannah Flood
Hannah Flood, 17, a senior at Buchanan High School, is the daughter of Kathryn Rapach and Scott Flood.
Her plans after graduation are to attend Central Michigan University for four years and hopefully become a photo-journalist.
Her school activities include student council, National Honors Society, soccer and tennis.
Flood has been honored for all conference, all district, National Honors Society and honor roll.
Her hobbies include sports, writing, shopping and hanging out with friends.
Flood entered the Miss Apple Festival Contest because her friends all have been in the contest and they said its a lot of fun.
Ashley Hullinger
Ashley Hullinger, 17, a senior at Brandywine High School, is the daughter of Cort Hullinger and Cindy Fitzsimons.
Her after graduation plans are to attend Ferris State University for nursing.
Her school activities include varsity soccer and varsity cheerleading.
Hullinger has been honored for soccer, Homecoming Princess 2003 and honor roll many times.
Her hobbies include soccer, hanging out with friends, going to the beach, shopping and most importantly, having fun.
Hullinger entered the Miss Apple Festival Contest because she's heard many friends participate in the pageant and from listening to their fun times, she decided to enter.
Brittney Cass
Brittney Cass, 19, a freshman at Lake Michigan College, is the daughter of Larry and Melissa Cass.
After she graduates from college she plans to work at a vet office and then open her own office.
Her school activities included cheerleading for one year, soccer for four years, student senate for two years, and choir for three years.
Cass enjoys taking pictures, exersising, taking care of animals, swimming and shopping.
Cass entered the Miss Apple Festival Contest because she has done it in past years, meeting new people, and new experience.
Angela Dawn Cook
Angela Dawn Cook, 16, a junior at Buchanan High School, is the daughter of Aaron and Christine Cook.
After graduation she would like to attend Vanderbilt University in Tennessee and become a Registered Nurse.
Her school activities include Lakeland Allied Health program and band for five years.
Cook has been honored for honor roll.
Her hobbies include reading, writing, drama, researching colleges, drawing, spending time with her family and of course hanging out with her friends.
Cook entered the Miss Apple Festival Contest because her friend participated last year in the Jr. Miss Apple Festival Contest and had a lot of fun, so she thought that it would be a good experience for her.
Rebecca Ritter
Rebecca Ritter, 16, a junior at Buchanan High School, is the daughter of Todd and Carol Ritter.
After graduation she plans to attend a four year college to major in journalism and minor in dance.
Her school activities include marching band and holiday band.
She has been honored for Girls Scouts Silver Award.
Her hobbies include dancing (ballet and jazz), baton twirling, hanging out with friends, and spending time with her boyfriend.
Ritter entered the Miss Festival Contest because it was a blast last year. She enjoyed meeting new people and getting all dressed up.
Jessica Herman
Jessica Herman, 17, a junior at Niles High School, is the daughter of Stephan and Rachelle Herman.
Her after graduation she wants to attend a community college and study the arts. She also wants to study business management and someday own her own dance studio.
Her school activities include cheerleading, track, school musical, choir and counter points.
Herman has been honored for the youth authors award and for children's books.
Her hobbies include dancing, being involved in the theatre, and going to movies.
Herman entered the the Miss Apple Festival Contest because she resides in Niles and wants to become an active part in the community, meet new people, and its a good experience.
Megan Hubbell
Megan Hubbell, 17, a senior at Buchanan High School, is the daughter of Thomas and Shelley Hubbell.
Her after graduation plans are to attend college to major in interior design.
Her school activities include varsity volleyball, varsity soccer, National Honor Society, student council and spanish club.
Hubbell has been honored for National Honors Society, Honor Roll, All Conference and academic team.
Her hobbies include playing sports and spending time with family and friends.
Hubbell entered the Miss Apple Festival Contest because some of her friends told her that it was a great experience.
Elizabeth Moyer
Elizabeth Moyer, 17, a junior at Niles High School, is the daughter of Scott and Brenda Moyer.
After graduation she plans to take a year off to work, and then go into the mission field.
Her school activities include Wednesday Morning Bible Study.
Moyer has been honored for making the honor roll.
Her hobbies include, youth group, children, mission trips and sharing God's love to others.
Moyer entered the Miss Apple Festival Contest because she was in Miss Apple Festival last year and she learned a lot about herself and had fun, so she decided to enter again this year.
Sarah Ritter
Sarah Ritter, 17, a senior at Buchanan High School and Twin Cities Beauty School, is the daughter of Todd Ritter and Carol Ritter.
After graduation she plans on taking her college state boards tests and after that she plans to go to a local college to get a degree in business.
Her school activities include marching band.
Ritter has been honored for the Girl Scout Silver Award and four months honor roll at Twin Cities Beauty College.
Her hobbies include knitting, cooking, playing with her friends hair, giving free hair cuts, hanging out with friends and spending time with her boyfriend.
Ritter decided to enter the Miss Apple Festival Contest because she has watched her younger sister enter contest for baton and figured she could do the same thing. She just needed a boost of confidence that she received from her friends and family.
Jessica Faye Ottinger
Jessica Faye Ottinger, 16, a sophomore at Edwardsburg High School, is the daughter of Lesley and Lori Ottinger.
After graduation she plans to attend college for a degree in massage therapy.
Her school activities are choir, art and weight training.
Ottinger has been honored for lead female fancy shawl dancer of the Turtle Creek Band and girl guards with Salvation Army.
Her hobbies include singing, dancing, learning guitar, learning traditional native, Cherokee language and traditions.
Ottinger entered the Apple Festival Contest because her mom and Aunt Sheela encouraging her to never quit or give up and once she's achieved one goal to set another, higher.
April Foust
April Foust, 19, a freshman at Lake Michigan College, is the daughter of Starr and Jim Starbuck.
After graduation she plans to be a Certified Dental Hygienist.
Her school activities included varsity soccer for two years, cheerleading for one year and choir for three years.
Foust was honored for the Michigan Merit Award, Lakeland Dental Society Scholarship and Work Study Scholarship.
Foust entered the Miss Apple Festival Contest because she's had fun in the past and thought she'd try one last time.
Maryann Rohl
Maryann Rohl, 19, attends Southwestern Michigan College, and is the daughter of Jim and Kim Rohl.
After graduation she plans on attending Grand Valley State University and earning her masters degree in social work.
Rohl has been honored for making the deans list for the winter semester.
Her hobbies include singing, playing piano, collecting anything with frogs on it and playing tennis.
Rohl entered the Apple Festival Contest because she has been apart of the contest before and enjoyed meeting new people and she knows she can represent the Apple Festival in a respectable manner.