The girls walked the stage showing off smiles and gowns.

The girls walked the stage showing off smiles and gowns.

By MAYSOON ABDELRASUL

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

BAZETTA — Not everyone was dressed in blue jeans and a T-shirt at the Trumbull County Fair.

In fact, 11 young women dressed in formal gowns attended the fair Tuesday in a competition to be the next Miss Trumbull County Fair.

An hour before the pageant, the girls got ready in the main office, which luckily had air conditioning so their hair wouldn’t frizz and makeup wouldn’t run. But many were prepared for the 90-degree weather and had hair spray and curling irons ready for any last minute touch-ups.

Some girls were more nervous than others.

Lindsay Pumphrey, the 18-year-old Mathews High School graduate and pageant winner, said before she got on stage she didn’t sleep the night before worrying about her two-minute speech and about the question she had to answer.

She walked around the office anxiously waiting for the pageant to start.

“I feel like I am going to throw up,” she said as she paced about wearing a white and blue dress.

Her aunt, Kim Lesh, gave her this advice: “Don’t be nervous. You’ll be fine. Just take a deep breath.”

She took the deep breath like she was told and said, “Yeah, that’s not working.”

Pumphrey wasn’t the only one who couldn’t wait for the pageant to begin.

Timie Porter, a Niles McKinley High School senior, was practicing her speech to anyone she could find. Her mom, Tina Porter, said, “Even the 7-year-old boy she baby-sits knows her speech.”

Timie, wearing a long green dress, was wishing just for one thing. “I just hope I don’t mess up,” she said.

Walking the stage

The girls all walked on the bicentennial stage showing off their smiles and gowns. Some were more emotional than others during their speech.

Heather Snider, a graduate from Badger High School, cried in her introduction speech as she remembered her godfather who had passed away a few months ago.

She said he was always supportive of her, and she knew he was watching over her.

Some family members gave words of encouragement to the girls as they were getting ready. For example, one mom said, “Don’t forget, Miss America tripped and fell.”

None of the girls did that.

They all stood up straight, some with high heels, others with flats, and did what they needed to do.

During the 10-minute recess as judges were totaling points to choose the winner, family and friends went up the stage and heard things such as “Did I mess up?” “Was I OK?” Some reapplied lip gloss because they drank water and their lipstick was fading.

Christina Marion, 18, of Howland, won second runner-up and received a $50 gift certificate to the Eastwood Mall. First runner-up Jenna DePizzo, a sophomore at Lakeview High School, won a $100 gift certificate to the mall.

Along with being crowned Miss Trumbull County Fair, Lindsay also received a $1,000 U.S. Savings Bond.

Roscoe Bros. Inc. of Gustavus and Custom Counter Tops of Cortland sponsored the pageant.