Moorpark Residents Win County Pageants

Could a Moorpark resident become this year's Miss America? After Saturday night's Miss Ventura County pageant, it's possible.

Megan Wisler, of Moorpark, was crowned the winner in this stepping stone to Miss California, then the national pageant. Olivia Sichmeller won the title of Ventura County’s Outstanding Teen.

A full house packed the High Street Arts Center to cheer on participants as they were judged on talent, fitness (with sportswear for the teens and bathing suits for the older contestants), responses to questions dealing with societal issues and poise in formal wear.

Dresses ranged from tight and form fitting to ball gown style and talents took the form of short dramatic monologues, modern jazz dance and an alto sax and guitar performance. For their talents, Sichmeller performed a dramatic piece about being a 'tween, where she's "too old for this and too young for that" and Wisler sang a piece from a Puccini opera.

After the pageant, Wisler said she was excited and looked forward to establishing a project she calls VSA, or Very Special Arts.

"It's to help bring the arts to people with disabilities," she said.

Along with the titles and crowns, pageant winners receive scholarships.

Additional honors were awarded as follows:

Outstanding Teen competion— Catlin Smith, Spirit award; Olivia Sichmeller, Talent award; Samantha McCormack, Photogenic award; Aleina Remigio, Academic award. First runner-up for the Outstanding Teen contest was Samantha McCormack.

Miss Ventura County—Kayla Bailey, Spirit award; Erica Ruiz and Megan Wisler, Talent award; Kimberly Avery, Photogenic award; Arame Fall, Academic award; Kayla Bailey, Miss Congeniality (voted on by the contestants themselves). First runner-up was Charlotte Bashner, and second runner-up was Kayla Bailey.