Staff Reports
The 2015 Circleville Pumpkin Show is less than a month away, and candidates from six local school districts are preparing to compete for the title of Miss Pumpkin Show.
One junior and one senior will represent their high schools in the annual contest that will kick off with the Queens Parade at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, and continue at 9 p.m. on the Main Street stage.
The candidates and their bios are listed below in alphabetical order by school district.
Jaidee Collins, 16, is the junior representative for Amanda-Clearcreek High School. She is the daughter of April and Phil Riffle and Jamey Collins of Amanda.
Jaidee has achieved high honor roll in school and has been named a scholar athlete. She is a three-year varsity basketball player and has received the Best 3-Point Average award and the Most Steals award.
She is involved in basketball, Student Council and Science Club. She also is involved in her church’s youth group, “Movement,” through which she recently attended her first mission trip. She also volunteers in the nursery at church, where she helps take care of babies.
Interesting fact about Jaidee: She wants to be a nurse practitioner when she is older. Jaidee says she has wanted to be a nurse as long as she can remember, and she now realizes how much she enjoys babies and kids and that she handles them well. She intends to pursue her goal of becoming a nurse practitioner.
Kelsey Adkins, 17, is the senior representative for Amanda-Clearcreek High School. She is the daughter of Danielle Tipton and Kristian Adkins of Amanda.
Kelsey is an honor roll student and has been named a scholar athlete. She has earned the Ace Award, the Green-Hand FFA degree and Chapter FFA degree, along with the FFA Leadership Award and the FFA Scholarship Award.
Her hobbies and activities include three years of varsity cheerleading with one year as captain; four years in the Amanda-Clearcreek FFA chapter; two years in the Amanda-Clearcreek Science Club; and a team member at Tim Hortons.
Interesting fact about Kelsey: She says she has a love for cheerleading that will never end and is currently cheering her 17th season at Amanda-Clearcreek. Now in her final year of high school, she is honored to be the captain of the varsity squad.
Bryce DeLong, 16, is the junior representative for Circleville High School. She is the daughter of Dave and Amy DeLong of Circleville.
Bryce is an all-A honor roll student, a basketball Tiger Pride Award winner, a two-year MVP of the track team, a two-year All-League and All-District second team member with an honorable mention for soccer.
She runs track, plays basketball and is the captain of the soccer team. She is secretary of the Key Club, a member of Student Council, president of her 4-H club and a 4-H camp counselor. Bryce also is a member of the prom committee and volunteers at the Filling Station at Community United Methodist Church.
Interesting fact about Bryce: She wants to become an oral surgeon when she graduates from college.
Elizabeth Nedved, 17, is the senior representative for Circleville High School. She is the daughter of Darline and Rob Nedved of Circleville.
Elizabeth is an honor roll student and has served two years as varsity soccer captain. She has earned a three-year varsity soccer letter and a three-year varsity track letter.
Her hobbies and activities include soccer, track, painting, drawing, music/theater, and HOSA – Future Health Professionals.
Interesting fact about Elizabeth: She plans to study pre-med in college to become a pediatrician. To achieve this goal, she goes to Brooks-Yates School once a week with her Sports Medicine class to help a little girl with autism develop her motor skills.
Rachel Agosta, 16, is the junior representative for Logan Elm High School. She is the daughter of Michael and Angela Agosta of Circleville.
Rachel is a National Art Honor Society inductee and vice president, sophomore class Student Union representative, junior class treasurer and the winner of the three-year varsity golf award. She also is an honor roll student.
She is a Key Club member, an Art Club member, a member of the Student Union and National Art Honor Society, an 11-year member of YMCA Dance and a member of the Lady Braves golf team. She enjoys drawing and ceramics. She also participates in Breakfast with Santa, Project Giving Tree, Pennies for Patients and Toys for Tots.
Interesting fact about Rachel: She is a twin. She says she is blessed to have a twin brother who is also her best friend, and she cannot imagine life without the special bond she shares with her brother, Matthew.
Madison Haupt, 18, is the senior representative for Logan Elm High School. She is the daughter of Lisha and Matt Haupt of Laurelville.
Madison is involved in National Honor Society; National Art Honor Society as chairman; Buckeye Girls State; selected for the Leadership Conference; vice president of the student body (junior year); president of the student body (senior year); selected for the Homecoming court (junior year); selected for Outstanding Sportsmanship, Ethics and Integrity in softball; Renaissance (gold card); and has achieved honor roll and was named a scholar athlete.
She participates in Key Club, Art Club, Varsity Club, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, prom committee, blood drive, Community Care Day, Community Action Day, Pennies for Patients, Toys for Tots, Kiwanis group Easter event, the local food pantry and the youth group at Laurelville Church of God. She also plays volleyball, basketball and softball.
Interesting fact about Madison: She says she always had a special place in her heart to help others in need. Her goal in life is to make an impact in as many lives as she can. Once she graduates, she intends to pursue her passion to help others in need by working in the medical field as a nurse practitioner.
Bryce Beckman, 16, is the junior representative for Teays Valley High School. She is the daughter of Camron and Mallory Hartley of Ashville.
Bryce is currently enrolled in honors chemistry, English and pre-calculus and is a member of the Spanish Honor Society. She is eligible for the National Honor Society in the 2015-16 school year. This spring, she earned the Kiwanis Sportsmanship Award through track and field. She also has earned her Green-Hand and Chapter degrees through FFA and is working toward her state degree.
She was elected Student Council class secretary for three years and is a member of the Friends of Rachel Club, an anti-bullying organization. She is a football, basketball and competition cheerleader and a member of the track and field team, having earned six varsity letters to date. She has been involved with 4-H for seven years and has served as the Wild Wild West Club’s president for six years. She is a member of the Pickaway County Junior Fair Board and has served as a 4-H camp counselor for three years. She also is an active FFA member and serves as the Leadership Committee chairperson for the chapter.
Interesting fact about Bryce: She looks forward to the Pickaway County Fair every year and for three years has represented Pickaway County at the Ohio State Fair in multiple project areas, receiving Outstanding and Superior awards. She believes 4-H is a wonderful organization and enjoys participating in community service activities throughout the year, including volunteering at the local soup kitchen, contributing to Toys for Tots and visiting local nursing homes. Much of her time is dedicated to cheerleading, and she says she is honored that the team in 2014 won the state championship. She is employed as a hostess at Bob Evans in South Bloomfield, and when she is not working, practicing or studying, she loves to spend time with her family and friends.
Kayla Meadows, 17, is the senior representative for Teays Valley High School. She is the daughter of Bryan Meadows and Teresa Meadows of Ashville.
Kayla was a member of the 2015 Division 1 Girls Softball state championship team and a member of the back-to-back undefeated MSL championship basketball team. She received an MSL honorable mention and is a four-year honor roll student.
Her activities and hobbies include varsity softball, varsity basketball, Student Council, Teen Institute, Key Club and FOR Club.
Interesting fact about Kayla: In her free time, she likes to paint and draw.
Logan Eversole, 16, is the junior representative for Westfall High School. She is the daughter of Jeff and Melinda Eversole of Williamsport.
Logan is a second-year field commander for the Westfall High School Marching Band and a third-year varsity basketball cheerleader. She has perfect attendance at school and is an honor roll student.
Her hobbies and activities include three years of swing choir, marching band and student council; six years of Westfall’s spring musical; involvement in the International Order of Rainbow for Girls; third-year state officer and seven years total in 4-H. She attends Williamsport United Methodist Church and helps in the pre-k Sunday School class.
Interesting fact about Logan: She and her brother were born on the same day nine years apart. Also, she enjoys helping at Lindsey’s Bakery during Pumpkin Show and other holidays.
Samantha O’Brien, 17, is the senior representative for Westfall High School. She is the daughter of Donna O’Brien and Eric O’Brien of Orient.
Samantha has achieved academic honor roll throughout high school and was named Student of the Month during 2012. She was an alternate to the Hoby Conference in 2014 and has been in an AP level English class in 2014 and 2015. She was in accelerated algebra 2 in 2014. She also received a varsity letter in marching band and was part of the group that won the Battle of the Bands in 2012.
Her hobbies include reading romance novels, watching Netflix, cooking and playing the alto saxophone. She also loves to volunteer in the nursery at her church.
Interesting fact about Samantha: She can read a novel, any size, in a day.
Brooklyn Pritchard, 16, is the junior representative for Zane Trace High School. She is the daughter of Terry and Jessica Pritchard of Chillicothe.
Brooklyn has achieved high academic honors in her high school career and carries a 4.0 grade point average. She received the Archie Griffin Sportsmanship Award, was Academic All-Ohio in 2015 and earned All-SVC and All-District honors in track and field.
She runs track and plays soccer and basketball. She is a member of the Zane Trace Fellowship of Christian Athletes and a hospice volunteer. Brooklyn also is a member of the Yearbook Club and attends First Wesleyan Church of Chillicothe. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Interesting fact about Brooklyn: She was born two months early and was not expected to live through the night.
Taryn Smith, 17, is the senior representative for Zane Trace High School. She is the daughter of Bonita Maynard and Steven Smith of Adelphi.
Taryn has been on the honor roll throughout her scholastic career and has maintained that through her four years of high school. She received the Master of Showmen award twice and the Senior Showman award three times in her 4-H career, along with two second-place ribbons. She also has received the Two Sport award for basketball and softball.
She has been a 4-H member for seven years and is president of her 4-H club, showing chickens at the Pickaway County Fair. She has played basketball since she was in fourth grade and started playing teeball at the age of 5. She is involved in the Journalism Club at school, where she served as junior editor last year and is editor-in-chief this year. She also is a member of the Yearbook Club.
Interesting fact about Taryn: She has five siblings, four brothers and one sister. She loves to read and write, and she likes to hike and jog while enjoying the views. She enjoys the outdoors by hunting deer, turkey and squirrel, and she has been going on hunting trips with her dad as long as she can remember. In her spare time between school, sports and working at Max & Erma’s, she does what she considers the most important thing – spending time with her family.
This article originally appeared on The Pickaway News Journal
