Canfield woman to compete in Miss Pa. pageant

Koval is a close friend of Elyse Healey’s, also of Canfield, who competed in the Miss Ohio competition this weekend.

NAZARETH, Pa. — Katelyn Koval of Canfield, a 2005 graduate of Austintown Fitch High School, will be competing this week in the Miss Pennsylvania Scholarship Pageant.

It’s the second state competition in two years for the 20-year-old student at Point Park University in Pittsburgh. She competed in Miss Ohio last year but didn’t finish in the top 10.

“This year is going to be different,” said her mother, Linda Watson of Austintown, who plans to join her daughter later this week when preliminary competitions begin Wednesday at Nazareth High School.

The winner will be crowned Saturday.

In between, there will be contests Wednesday and Thursday, followed by her personal interview Friday.

Koval is able to vie for Miss Pennsylvania because of her win at the Miss Allegheny Valley contest last September in Pittsburgh. She was eligible for that contest by being a student in Pittsburgh, her mother said.

Koval, who majors in dance and is planning to add a second major this fall, will be a junior next year.

She’s the youngest of the four children of Watson and Michael Koval of Youngstown. One of her brothers is Chris Koval, a local boxer.

Koval’s platform is mental illness awareness and her talent is tap dance.

One of Koval’s best friends, Elyse Healey, 21, of Canfield, made the final 10 in the Miss Ohio contest but didn’t make it into the final five. Christie Youssef, 21, also of Canfield, was a top 10 finalist for Miss Ohio as well.

Healy, a Youngstown State University junior and Cardinal Mooney graduate, earned the title of Miss Greater Cleveland. She was third runner-up last year. Youssef is Miss Portsmouth and previously competed in the Miss California contest.

The winner of Miss Pennsylvania moves on the Miss America pageant. She also wins $7,000.