Cali Weddle
4th Runner Up: Miss Waseca County Sleigh & Cutter Megan Lentz
3rd Runner Up: Miss St. Croix Valley Demetra Salls
2nd Runner Up: Miss Mankato Emily Schumacher
1st Runner Up: Miss Coon Rapids Leah Mau
Minneapolis, MN June 19, 2016 – The Miss Minnesota Scholarship Pageant, affiliated with the Miss America Organization, is pleased to announce the 2016 titleholder for Miss Minnesota’s Outstanding Teen, Cali Grace Weddle, who was crowned this past Friday night at the Eden Prairie High School Performing Arts Center.
Cali, the daughter of Michael and Susan Weddle, is a student at Legacy Christian Academy and aspires to pursue a career in song writing. She is also the captain of the basketball and trap shooting teams and is active in student council. Before accepting the crown as Miss Minnesota’s Outstanding Teen, Cali represented Minnesota as Miss River Valley’s Outstanding Teen.
Cali joined twenty other contestants from local Minnesota pageants in the competition, which is scored in five categories: private interview, talent performance, evening wear/on-stage question, lifestyle and fitness and scholastic achievement. Her talent, a vocal and guitar performance of her original song "Summer Nights"” brought variety to a broad representation of talents.
The following additional awards were also presented to the following contestants:
Miss Minnesota’s Outstanding Teen 1st Runner Up
Leah Mau, Miss Coon Rapids’ Outstanding Teen
Miss Minnesota’s Outstanding Teen 2nd Runner Up
Emily Schumacher, Miss Mankato’s Outstanding Teen
Miss Minnesota’s Outstanding Teen Talent Winner
Kendra Sparby, Miss Heart of the Lakes’ Outstanding Teen
Miss Minnesota’s Outstanding Teen Interview Winner
Emily Schumacher, Miss Mankato’s Outstanding Teen
Miss Minnesota’s Outstanding Teen Scholastic Achievement Winner (tie)
Leah Mau, Miss Coon Rapids’ Outstanding Teen and Rylie Young, Miss Central Minnesota’s Outstanding Teen
Miss Minnesota’s Outstanding Teen Teens in Action Award Winner
Cali Weddle, Miss River Valley’s Outstanding Teen
Miss Minnesota’s People's Choice Winner
Emily Schumacher, Miss Mankato’s Outstanding Teen
Allyson Kearns Producer’s Award Winner
Kaylee Pye, Miss Granite City’s Outstanding Teen
Algyer Family Community Service Award Winner
Alyssa Roll, Miss Northwest’s Outstanding Teen
In addition to acting as an ambassador for the official National Platform of the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Program, the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Cali’s year of service will center on advancing her platform, “Let’s Beat Diabetes.”
Suzie Kearns, Miss Minnesota’s Outstanding Teen Director, states, “We have a terrific group of local titleholders who competed in Miss Minnesota’s Outstanding Teen program this year. We’re proud of these young ladies’ accomplishments and know they will continue to inspire others with their efforts in their local communities. We’re excited to for all that lies ahead for Cali in her year of service and as the newest member of our Outstanding Teen family.”
Cali will compete for the national title of Miss America’s Outstanding Teen in Orlando, Florida in August of 2016.
For information about booking appearances, please contact Suzie Kearns at mmotdirector@gmail.com.
About the Miss Minnesota Scholarship Pageant and Miss Minnesota’s Outstanding Teen
The Miss Minnesota Scholarship Pageant is a non-profit organization that awards scholarships to outstanding young women to help advance them academically and professionally. The Miss Minnesota Pageant originated in 1935, is an official preliminary of the Miss America Pageant, the nation's leading achievement program and the world's largest provider of scholarship assistance to young women.
Miss Minnesota’s Outstanding Teen is the little sister program to the Miss Minnesota and Miss America Scholarship Programs. The Miss Minnesota’s Outstanding Teen Scholarship Program encourages positive achievement by helping nurture and build the scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living, and community involvement of our nation’s youth. This competition is intended to encourage and reward the talent, communication skills, community service, and academic achievement of girls between the ages of 13 and 17 years of age.