Madysen Gohl crowned Miss Nautical Coast 2021
by Richard Lamb–Advance Editor
As the Nautical City Festival is underway, a new queen will reign over the festivities. And, for the first time since the advent of the pageant, the queen is not called Miss Rogers City. In order to accommodate candidates from the entire county, the pageant is now called the Miss Nautical Coast pageant. And the new Miss Nautical Coast is Madysen Gohl, a resident of Presque Isle and a student at Alpena High School.
The contestants were judged in six categories. They each wrote an essay with a nautical theme (30 points), each did a piece of nautical artwork (10 points), had a personal interview with the judges (35 points), were judged on their participation in a meet and greet before the pageant (15 points), evening wear (25 points) and public speaking (10 points).
Madysen, 16, is the daughter of William and Shellie Gohl with plans to attend Grand Valley State University after high school graduation. She won the essay, interview, evening wear and shared the meet-and-greet award with first runner-up Raegan Comerford.
She is joined on the court by Comerford, the daughter of Erika and Phil Comerford. Ava Kelly, the daughter of Pennie and Allen Hoeft and Robert and Michelle Kelly is the second runner-up and winner of the nautical artwork and congeniality awards.
Other contestants in the Miss Nautical Coast pageant were Lylian Bickhardt, the daughter of Amanda Bickhardt, and Abby Muller, the daughter of Eric and JoAnne Muller.
The Teen Miss Nautical Coast award was shared by the two contestants. They were Sofya Hincka, the daughter of Tammy and Eric Hincka, and Hannah Meharg, the daughter of John and Valerie Meharg.
Pageant directors Missy Bannon and Nicole Bannasch came up with a different plan for the pageant, after lack of early signups caused the event to be moved from the high school to a smaller venue. The contestants did not compete in an opening dance number or a talent presentation. Instead a meet-and-greet format was used while staged at the Hentkowski Funeral Home.
“We were very excited with our turnout of approximately 120 people. We are so thankful that Matt and Laura Hentkowski opened up their funeral home for this event. It was unfortunate that we couldn’t have our traditional pageant, but we are thankful that we could have an event to crown our new Miss Nautical Coast and kick off our Nautical City Festival,” Missy Bannon said.
Bannasch said, “I think it was a fantastic event. It was completely different than any other year and I think everything ran very smoothly. The girls were excited and we were able to do some different things from before with the essays and artwo
MiKaela Bannon served as mistress of ceremonies for the event and kept things moving by using her pageant experience to expertly host.
The outgoing royalty, Miss Rogers City 2019 and 2020 Alayna Sorget thanked many people for her pageant experience.She along with Miss Nautical Coast 2019 and 2020 Madison Tulgestka, who also graciously thanked many who helped her in her long reign, assisted with handing out awards and crowning the new queens.
Also, a part of the awards and ceremonies were 2019 and 2020 Teen Miss Rogers City, Niya Hoffman and 2019 and 2020 Teen Miss Nautical Coast, Haley Grulke. Judges for the event were Andrea McNamara, Venessa Pender and Susan Beane. Linnea Hentkowski served as sound engineer.