Second Little Miss Highlands County crowned

"Fun in the sun" was the theme for this year's Little Miss Highlands County contest, and that was evident Monday night in the beach balls the 14 contestants walked out carrying and the Beach Boys songs blaring through the PA system.

The girls came out, introduced themselves and thanked their sponsor before going back to change for the dress competition. Then, the three judges tabulated the scores.

At the end of the event, only one little surfer girl emerged from the field to be crowned the second Little Miss Highlands County. That youngster was Hannah Kaszubowski, 11.

"I was very excited," Kaszubowski said. "I was like, 'wow.'"

The contestant knocked it out of the park in this, her first beauty pageant. In her spare time, Kaszubowski loves horseback riding and hanging out with friends.

Kaszubowski inherited the title from inaugural winner Nala Price, 10, who spent part of her year as Little Miss Highlands County acting in Highlands Little Theatre productions and taking part in the most recent Heartland Idol contest.

Pageant organizer Christie Spiegel said the Little Miss is taken under the wing of the Junior Miss and Miss Highlands County. The elder crown wearers will take the younger girl along for charity events or fundraisers.

There is also the community Christmas parade and Relay for Life for the Little Miss Highlands County to participate in.

"I'm going to try to represent my county," Kaszubowski said.

For the contest's second go-around, Spiegel, who has organized Highlands County pageants for 11 years, said it ran very smooth.

"We more than doubled," she said. "Last year, we only had six contestants."

Contestant Kami McGrath, 9, was chosen as Miss Photogenic, while Morgan Carlson, 8, was recognized as Miss Congeniality.

The other participants in the 2010 Little Miss Highlands County contest were SeAnna Hornick, Haley Horton, Kirstin Halliday, Madison Hargrove, Alex Hornick, Megan Frazier, Ashley Slager, Daysha Smith, Alyssa Strength and Julia Moody.