Miss Mt. Pleasant and her teen placed in Miss Iowa Finalists

DAVENPORT — For the first time ever, Miss Mt. Pleasant and Miss Mt. Pleasant Outstanding teen took the stage to compete at Miss Iowa in at the Adler Theater in Davenport over the weekend.

The first Miss Mt. Pleasant Mariah Martinez and her Outstanding Teen Elizabeth Maine received their titles the past January and went on as the first representatives for the city on the Miss Iowa Stage where they both made it to finalist positions.

“They did really well,” Miss Mt. Pleasant Scholarship Program Director Emily Folker said.

Martinez finished in the top 10 Miss finalists, while Maine earned second runner-up for Miss Iowa’s Outstanding Teen.

“They both did very well, and they were both very happy with their performances,” Folker said.

According to Folker, Martinez and Maine competed in the categories of health and wellness, talent, interview, and evening gown on the Miss Iowa Stage. They also completed a private interview segment with judges.

“Unfortunately, I can't be there for their private interviews, but they both have very good things to say,” Folker said. Miss Iowa competition rules dictate that directors may not be present or even give additional coaching during competition week. “Both of them thought that their interviews went really well.”

“Miss Mt. Pleasant and her teen had very good answers for their on stage questions,” Henry County Fair Queen Chevy Mills said.

In addition to nabbing a spot in the top 10 Miss finalists, Martinez won an award and scholarship for her submitted health and wellness essay.

During the talent portion, Martinez reprised her monologue from the Miss Mt. Pleasant competition. The monologue navigated through the perspective of a student prisoner.

“Miss Mt. Pleasant’s talent made me feel empowered with her monologue,” Mills commented.

Miss Mt. Pleasant’s Outstanding Teen, Maine, performed a musical theater dance number to the song “My Strongest Suit.”

While Miss Mt. Pleasant’s titleholders did not take home new titles, Folker felt that the competition was a positive experience.

“It really was just awesome to be in the crowd and hearing Mt. Pleasant be announced on the Miss Iowa stage multiple times and they were perfect,” Folker said.

“Just from social media posts and specifically everyone's reaction to the new winners, you could tell that the whole group of girls that were on stage competing with each other, even though they're competing against each other, they were all very welcoming and loving toward each other, and they were all very happy with the girls who won,” she said.

Miss Polk County Alysa Goethe took home the title of Miss Iowa along with the Miss Clinton County Juliana Clark becoming Miss Iowa’s Teen.

“So, I'm very excited to see what these new titleholders for the state of Iowa will do with their year and how they'll do it.”

As for Miss Mt. Pleasant and her teen, they will continue to serve as titleholders for the region.

“I know that Elizabeth is really excited go to Old Threshers,” Folker said. “She's from Wapello, so she's familiar with the Old Threshers events, and so she's really excited to be a part of that as Miss Mt. Pleasant's teen.”

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com