Today, I arrived in Hoopeston, Illinois with 37 of my fellow First Runners Up from across the country (YES -- this includes Alaska and Hawaii, too!). Below are a few photos from our arrival and meet-and-greet. Thank you to our reigning Miss Ohio, Becky Minger, for giving me “Cornelius Cob”, the random glass corn cob that you will see in several of my photos this week. We’re beginning a new tradition for Ohio’s Sweetheart... ;)
Hoopeston: population 6,000!
With Idaho’s Sweetheart, Genevieve Nutting!
Excited about our sashes (Ohio=“The Heart of it All!”)
More to come throughout the week. Thank you to everyone who has sent me their warm thoughts and well-wishes! You’re the best, Ohio!
I had a great afternoon at the St. Charles Annual Picnic today! It was such a treat performing a 30-minute set for the wonderfully receptive and kind people of St. Charles in my home community. I attended this school and parish from kindergarten until eighth grade (in 2003!) before moving along to Lima Central Catholic High School, where I graduated in 2007. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing so many familiar faces, and making many new friends as well! Please look below for photos from today’s event:
Performing all kinds of songs, from Karen Carpenter (of course!) to Eva Cassidy, Carole King, The Mamas and the Papas, etc.!
With close family friends... Miss Manghelli
The Hecklers!
Fun experiences up ahead: National Sweetheart with my fellow 1st Runners Up in Hoopeston, Illinois...and then singing the National Anthem for the very last Toledo Mud Hens game of the season on Labor Day! Stay tuned! Thank you for stopping by, and for all of your love and support! Tweet
Today, I had the best time co-hosting The Ron Williams Show on WCIT 940AM Radio! It was an absolute blast on air with Ron from 3:00 to 5:00 PM, and I look forward to working with him again in the near future.
CLICK HERE to listen to the online rebroadcast of our program (it may be a day or two before it is made available. I’ll keep you all posted!)
This morning it was such a pleasure joining Brenda Donegan, Charlie Evers and moderator Scott Spears on WMRN Radio. From about 6:00 AM onward, we discussed current events and hot button issues until the end of the program at 7:00 AM. It was such a fabulous experience, and of course, I enjoyed interacting with Brenda, Charlie and Scott once again!
It was a real adventure waking up to my alarm clock at 3:15 AM, hopping in the car by 4:15 AM, and arriving at the radio station at exactly 5:45 AM to get ready for the show! I truly enjoyed this early morning appearance as Miss Crystal Lake 2010...and guess what? After I made it back home, I had my entire ‘To-Do List’ tackled by noon! Now how’s that for a productive day?!
I hope you’re all enjoying the beautiful weather we’re having :) I know I am!
Tuesday was full of spectacular appearances in the Sandusky area. First, I was invited to be the keynote speaker at The Erie County Agricultural Society Royalty Dinner. Afterwards, I was interviewed by The Sandusky Register, and co-emceed the Erie County Fair King & Queen Pageant with Dave Nethers of Channel 8 FOX News in Cleveland, Ohio. Miss Vacationland 2009 Jacquelyn Nichols was also on hand, representing the area and sharing her talents with the crowd. :) It was a pleasure participating in such a fun day shared by all!
Please take a look at some photos taken below: Our very own Miss Ohio 1962 and Miss America 1963 Jackie Mayer judging the event! What's next, you ask? Well, I'm actually at Cincinnati Airport right now...Memphis bound! I can't wait to spend the weekend with my big brother Kevan!!
Ciao for now...and, of course, thanks for stopping by! :)
Today, I had such an incredible experience participating in three tapings of WMRN’s “The Exchange Club.” This is a panel-style discussion of current events, listener questions and trivia.
Tune into our shows at 8:40AM on 1490AM WMRN on Thursday August 12th, Thursday August 19th and Thursday August 26th! Each broadcast will also be available on www.WMRN.com
Today’s panelists included:
Shannon O’Neill: Miss Crystal Lake 2010 (that’s me!) :)
Mary Ann Michaels: former WCMH-TV and WMRN personality
Charlie Evers: former WMRN and WDIF radio personality; current WDCM radio personality; responsible for creating Buckeye Chuck!
Frederick “Friz the Night Owl” Peerenboom: longtime radio/WBNS-TV personality and winner of 5 Emmy Awards
Brenda Donegan: longtime journalist and Marion Star columnist
Past Panelists have included:
Larry Barnett: former Major League Umpire
Chuck White: former WBNS-TV personality
Marhall McPeek: current WCMH-TV personality
Tom McNutt: current WCMH-TV personality
Jack Gilligan: 62nd Governor of Ohio
Madge Guthery: former WMRN radio personality
Bob Bender: former WBNS-TV personality
Later in the afternoon, it was also fun being interviewed by the Toledo Free Press for an article about our fabulous Miss Ohio: Becky Minger! Tomorrow, I have another full day of appearances lined up, so I will be sure to update you as my journey continues.
P.S. Guess what? I paid a visit to Polaris Mall’s MAC STORE! I’m excited about my new laptop (darn you, old laptop). Thank you to all of my readers who sent me computer advice, support and stories of similar experiences. It was greatly appreciated! Tweet
NOTE: THANK YOU to Bryce Bishop, Courtney Monk and Katie Ulrich for taking such fantastic photos at the Miss West Central Ohio Scholarship Program. Needless to say, I borrowed some of them for this entry ;)
I am so excited and honored to serve as the first ever Miss Crystal Lake! I look forward to working throughout the Marion/Columbus area over this next year, representing such a wonderful and broad area. In years past, Marion County sent a festival queen to the Miss Ohio stage, so it is such a thrill to renew this great tradition. A new year, a new journey.
Evening gown competition Crowning photos Sister queens! Great to see Miss Ohio 2010 Becky Minger for the first time since her crowning in June! LEFT TO RIGHT: Miss Ohio 2010 Becky Minger, 2nd Runner Up Jena Sweigart, Miss Lima Square Fair 2010 Elissa McCracken, Miss Crystal Lake 2010 Shannon O'Neill, Miss America 2008 Kirsten Haglund, Miss West Central Ohio 2010 Cayla Hellwarth, 1st Runner Up Kara Schoenhofer, Miss West Central Ohio 2009 Katie Bowen With Miss Fallen Timbers 2009 Courtney Monk Recreating our Top 5 photo from Miss Ohio, although Nanciann Strosnider was not present to take the photo with us! LEFT TO RIGHT: 3rd Runner Up and Miss Miami Valley Ellen Bryan, 1st Runner Up and Miss Crystal Lake Shannon O'Neill, Miss Ohio 2010 Becky Minger, 2nd Runner Up and Miss Greater Cleveland Marisa Buchheit. On Saturday, August 8th it was such a treat making my very first appearance as Miss Crystal Lake with both of my sister queens and Miss America 2008 Kirsten Haglund. Together, we traveled to Primrose Retirement Community in Marion, Ohio, where we participated in a celebratory luncheon with the residents and entertained them with our respective talents. Here are some of our photos from our time in Marion:
Photographed with Miss America 2008 Kirsten Haglund With Ms. Primrose 2010 Meeting Carrie Hutchman's beautiful daughter! We both happen to be the youngest in our families ;) Miss Lima Square Fair 2010 Elissa McCracken sharing her piano piece with the residents With Miss West Central Ohio 2010 Cayla Hellwarth All three of us meeting the Chief of the Marion Fire Department and Popcorn Festival Director! What do the two of us have in common?...We are both 1st Runners Up to Miss Ohio 2010/Ms. Primrose 2010! Later that evening I attended the Miss North Coast 2010 pageant with my parents. CONGRATULATIONS to our newest addition to the Miss Ohio Class of 2011: Chelsi Howman! This was her very first Miss local after transitioning out of the Outstanding Teen program. Here are some photos from the event:
With the lovely Meggie Wittman Ladies in red! Photographed with my good friend Sarah Hider, the outgoing Miss North Coast. LEFT TO RIGHT: Miss Greater Cleveland 2009 Marisa Buchheit, Miss North Coast 2010 Chelsi Howman, Miss Crystal Lake 2010 Shannon O'Neill. The new queen and her court! If you are wondering why there seems to be quite a bit missing from my website, it's because my Mac bit the dust and deleted about half of the most important files on my computer! Sadly, this includes nearly all of my photos from studying abroad in Ireland...high school memories...etc. I will be rebuilding ShannonONeill.us as soon as I purchase a new Mac and save as much as I possibly can from this ol' laptop of mine that let me down.
As I posted on Twittler late last night: "SO THRILLED; I can't believe I won SWIMSUIT & interview and am now Miss Crystal Lake 2010! Miss Ohio 2011: here I come!!! :D"
I have a very busy day today making my first appearances as Miss Crystal Lake, but I will be sure to blog about the overall Miss WCO/LSF/CL experience ASAP!
YES, fellow Ohioians, I am proud to announce that I will be competing for the local preliminary title of Miss Crystal Lake this Friday night! If you are able, please come out to support me and all of the other, wonderful ladies vying for not only Miss Crystal Lake, but also Miss West Central Ohio and Miss Lima Square Fair.
Here is the info that you need to know:
WHERE: Lima Veterans' Memorial Civic and Convention Center at 7 Town Square in Lima, Ohio.
WHEN: Pre-show begins at 7:30 PM and the pageant begins at 8:00 PM.
OTHER DETAILS: MISS AMERICA 2008 KIRSTEN HAGLUND will be emceeing. The entire program will be televised on WLIO NBC Lima (August 21st at 7:00 PM) and WLIO FOX (August 29th at 11:00 PM). Additionally, FOUR POINTS MAGAZINE is covering our event!
For a walk down memory lane, noting my involvement over the years with the Miss West Central Ohio Scholarship Program, take a look at the photos posted below:
Named Miss West Central Ohio 2007 (My very first local preliminary competition in the Miss America Organization!)
After being crowned Miss Lima Square Fair 2009, with our emcee MISS AMERICA 1988 KAYE LANI RAE RAFKO-WILSON
All blog entries from August 2009 - July 2010 have been deleted due to issues with my last computer; I was lucky to salvage as much as I did, in the first place! If you are interested in learning more about my 2009 - 2010 highlights, please do not hesitate to contact me (via the Contact and Booking section of my website). I would be happy to provide you with past blog entries and any additional information that you might be require.
Such events include but are not limited to:
July 2010: Performing several songs as the feature soloist with the Lima Symphony Orchestra over the Fourth of July weekend.
June 2010: All things Miss Ohio 2010: my experience, post-competition media tour, etc.
June 2010: The Dance Centre Recital and Maeva Naylor’s “50 Year Celebration”, where I emceed, performed a segment of my Karen Carpenter Tribute Show and was the feature soloist in the closing production number with Maeva Naylor and all of her former, male dance students.
December 2010: Official CD release party and promotional gala on behalf of my platform of childhood obesity.
December 2010 - June 2010: My involvement and partnership with “Breakfast in the Classroom” in the Lima City Schools.
February 2010 - May 2010: All things “Wish Upon A Song” related, as the new TV show host (WLIO NBC Lima/FOX).
February 2010 - June 2010: My “Five-Month Fitness Challenge” in the Lima City Schools
January 2010: Miss America Week 2010 in Las Vegas.
August 2009 - July 2010: Numerous keynote/public speaking engagements, emceeing opportunities, fundraising events, as well as vocal performances throughout West Central and North Central Ohio.
August 2009 - July 2010: interviews and public speaking engagements on WLIO NBC Lima/FOX/ABC/CBS and The Holly Geaman Noon Show
