27 Contestants to View for Miss N.J. Title

OCEAN CITY — Twenty-seven local titleholders from throughout the State will compete for the Miss New Jersey crown Thurs., June 17-Sat., June 19. The pageant will be held in the Music Pier Auditorium, Boardwalk and Moorlyn Terrace, with shows starting 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for preliminaries and Saturday’s final may be ordered by calling Mary Lou Cake, 856-424-3564.
The winner will travel to Las Vegas in January to be in the Miss America Pageant that will be telecast nationally by ABC TV.
“This year we have 16 young ladies returning with 11 coming to the states for the first time,” notes Louis Barthold, Pageant Director. Talents include one monologue, two baton twirlers, three pianists, ten dancers and 11 vocalists.
Former Miss New Jersey and popular stand up comic, Dena Blizzard will emcee. Michael Ciuffo directs the pageant. Tricia Bowman Branch, Miss New Jersey 1988, a native of Ocean City and Erica Scanlan Harr, Miss New Jersey 2004 will be co-hosts.
Entertainers include John Zisa, an American Idol finalist, Georgine DiMaria, Miss New Jersey 2006, Ashley Shaffer, reigning Miss New Jersey and Andi Babusik, reigning Miss New Jersey Outstanding Teen.
The contestants include last year’s first runner-up Ashleigh Udalovas, 21, Miss All-State of Millville, and her talent is dance; Lindsey Petrosh, 21, Miss Atlantic County, Egg Harbor City, who attends Rowan University and whose platform is Just Say Yes, Lindsey is a vocalist; Maggie May Sabota, 22, Miss Atlantic Shore, Upper Deerfield, who attends Elizabethtown College. Her program is Lyme Disease Prevention, she is a vocalist.
Christine Giardina, 21, Miss Avalon of Manalapan, attends New York University, her program is Second Hand Secrets: Lung Cancer Awareness and her talent is dance; Madison Houck, 22, Miss Bergen County area of Clifton, whose platform is Senior Quality of Life, Music Movement, a vocalist.
Kayla Ghanavati, 21, Miss Cape Shores of Seaville. Kayla attends the College of New Jersey, platform is Hope, Helping Out People Everywhere. She is a vocalist; Brandi Sanguinetti, 22, Miss Cape May County of North Wildwood. She attends the College of New Jersey and her platform is Kick Butts, Say No to Tobacco. She is a vocalist.
Contestants also include Vanessa Baez, 21, Miss Central Coast of Bloomfield. She attends Montclair State, her platform is Raising Medical Funds Through Charitable Organizations, she is a vocalist; Katie Berry, 21, Miss Columbus Day of Mt. Laurel, attends Fordham University, her platform is Unmasking the Stigma, she is a dancer; Brianna Durand, 23, Miss Coastal Shore of Milmay, attends Fairleigh Dickinson, her platform is Domestic Violence, she is a vocalist.
Holly Hunsberger, 20, Miss Cumberland County of Bridgeton, attends West Virginia University, platform Random Acts of Kindness, talent-vocal; Brenna Welsh, 22, Miss Eastern Shore of Delanco, attends Fairleigh Dickinson, platform- National Organization of Rare Disorders, talent-piano; Jeannie Revier, 23, Miss Gateway of Howell, attends George Washington University, platform-Mentoring our Youth, talent-baton.
Also competing Kaitlin Davis, 23, Miss Gloucester County of Millville, graduate of Fordham University, platform-Youth Enrichment through the Arts, talent-vocal; Chelsea Lee Ray, 22 Miss Heartland of Williamstown, College of New Jersey, platform-Action For Healthy Kids, talent vocal; Kathryn Nicolle, 18 Miss Liberty of Wenonah, Dickinson College, platform-Reading for the Right Reasons, talent-dance; Courtney Charatsaris, 21, Miss Mercer County of Totowa, Montclair State University, platform-Care for a Cure, Cancer Awareness and Research, talent-vocal.
Carissa Palumbo,19, Miss Middlesex County Area of Wayne, Rowan University, platform, Queen of Hearts Foundation, talent-monologue; Hilary Levin, 20, Miss Monmouth County of Freehold, Syracuse University, platform-Healthy Living for Healthy Children, talent-baton; Michelle Goldberg, 21, Miss Northern Lakes of Rutherford, Rutgers University, platform- Let’s Get Moving on Fitness and Nutrition, talent-dance.
Entrants also include Nychole Hunt, 20, Miss Queen City of Scotch Plains, Union County College, platform-Sickle Cell Anemia Awareness, talent-vocal; Ciara Oro, 20, Miss Salem County of Salem, Salem Community College, platform- Self Esteem Awareness, talent-dance; Kate Bozzelli, 20, Miss Seashore Line of Linwood, Drexel University, platform, The Road to Safe Driving, Talent-piano.
Krysten Moore, 20, Miss South Jersey of Mahwah, University of Massachusetts Amherst, platform, The Education and Prevention of Childhood Bullying, talent-dance; Roopali Pendse, 22, Miss Stars and Stripes of Morris Plains, Rutgers University, platform-Encouraging Higher Education, talent-dance; Melissa Ruiz, 23, Miss Tri County of West Deptford, Rutgers University, platform-Alzheimer’s Disease, talent-dance and Nicole Washington, 20, Miss Union County of Scotch Plains, Seton Hall University, platform-Adoption Reform and Education, talent-dance.