by MIKE CHAIKEN
CTFashionMag.com
Three women were selected Saturday night to represent the town of Wolcott, Conn. at Miss Connecticut this coming June.
At the annual Miss Wolcott Scholarship Pageant held at Tyrell Middle School, Alexandria Gianelli was picked as the new Miss Wolcott. Ava Onofreo was picked as the new Miss Wolcott’s Outstanding Teen. Morgan Mancini was picked as Miss Farmingbury’s Outstanding Teen.
There were four women competing for the Miss title. There were six competing for the Teen titles.
After the pageant, Gianelli said, “I worked so hard for months for this crown and I finally got it. That moment when it’s put on my head it’s a sigh of relief that my hard work paid off.”
“I’m so excited this has been a dream of mine for the longest time I can remember,” said Onofreo after the crowning. “The fact that it just came true is a miracle come true.”
Mancini, who had the loudest and most vocal cheerleaders of the night, “I’m so overjoyed and taken aback. I’m so proud of myself. It’s so unreal.”
The pageant was held before a packed house. Both the Junior Women’s League and Exchange Club had hands in the production as well.
“I’m so excited that (the Miss Wolcott organizations) is so community-oriented that’s exactly what I want as a title holder,” said Gianelli. “I’m so excited and honored to be part of this community.”
“I feel the Wolcott community has been supportive of how they treat their Teens and Misses and they include us like we’re a family,” said Onofreo.
“Victoria (Audibert, the 2017 Miss Wolcott’s Outstanding Teen) and Alyssa (Anderson, the 2017 Miss Wolcott) tell me this I think it’s going to be special to have a whole year to represent my own town so I’m looking forward to that,” said Mancini.
Onofreo, who competed last year for Miss Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen as well, said, “This is my last year that I’m able to compete (before aging out). Being my last year, I wanted to make it as special as I possibly can. What’s better than doing it in your hometown, which is exactly what I’m doing. I’m representing my hometown as my hometown teen. And I’m so excited to do it.”
Heading to the Miss Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen competition in June, Onofreo said, “I’m looking forward to showing how much I have improved and I’m really excited to be with the girls again.”
“I’m just looking forward to be in a sisterhood with all the other teens,” said Mancini, who will be competing for the Outstanding Teen crown for the first time.
Gianelli, who will be competing for her third time at Miss Connecticut and who has been a volunteer with the organization, said she enjoys being part of the organization because, “Every single year I grow, and I evolve and I learn more things about this organization. I become a more confident woman.”
Other results were:
First runner-up Miss: Natascia Simone.
Overall talent winner, Miss (tie): Gianelli and Micayla Barrows.
Interview for Miss: Gianelli.
Miss Congeniality: Jaymie Bianca.
First runner-up, Outstanding Teen: Ali Maringola.
Interview, Outstanding Teen: Onofreo.
Talent, Outstanding Teen: Mancini.
Also competing for Outstanding Teen were: Sophia Modica, Sydney Goodrich, and Stephanie Mix.
Miss Connecticut and Miss Connecticut’s Outstanding Teen pageants will be held at Waterbury’s Palace Theater starting June 5, with the finals on June 9.
PHOTOS by MIKE CHAIKEN (More forthcoming. Keep your eyes peeled.)
