Dowagiac will once again be represented on stage during the 2016 Miss Blosssomtime.

Local teen Elizabeth Stockwell became this year’s Miss Heart of Blossomtime Sunday, during the combined Miss Heart, Miss Teen and Miss Junior Teen pageant in St. Joseph. Stockwell was one of five young women competing for the crown and sash that afternoon, with the title of first runner up and Miss Congeniality going to Decatur’s Natalya Conover.

Originated in 1992, the Miss Heart Pageant is open to girls from communities that don’t participate in Miss Blossomtime, which includes the Miss Dowagiac Pageant.

As Miss Heart, Stockwell will go onto compete against queens from other communities around southwest Michigan for the title of Miss Blossomtime, during the annual pageant in March.