Allison Suckle said her mind went blank and then she began to cry after hearing her name announced Sunday as Miss Niles 2016.

“I was just so excited and happy because this is something I’ve dreamed about my entire life, so to actually be Miss Niles is such a great honor,” she said.

The Niles High School senior said she looks forward to using her time as Miss Niles to help out her community and to get to know more of the people in it.

“I am also really excited to participate in [Miss] Blossomtime [pageant] because everyone says that it is such a great experience,” said Suckle, whose parents are Carla and Jay.

It was the first time competing in Miss Niles for Suckle, who said she entered last year’s Miss Apple Festival Pageant, but did not win anything.

She said being a springboard diver helped prepare her for Sunday’s Miss Niles Scholarship Pageant, which was held at the Niles High School auditorium.

“I feel with diving you are in the spotlight — everyone there is watching just you because you are the only one being judged in that moment,” she said. “I think that really helped me with my confidence walking out on stage when everyone was looking at me.”

Suckle also credits her involvement with the National Honor Society and the Cass County 4-H Fair with helping her succeed.

“The National Honor Society has gotten me really involved in the community and taught me good work ethic,” she said. “Showing animals [at the fair] you always want to remain calm and collected and you learn how to handle yourself in stressful situations… judges like to talk to you and ask you questions when you are showing, so it really gets you thinking on your feet so you can form a complete response.”

Suckle used that experience during her on-stage questionin which she said she was asked what she would do as Miss Niles to improve her community.

“I talked about how cyber bullying was a real issue,” she said. “I’d like to be able to help people who are being cyber bullied and to help put an end to it because it is such a bad, negative thing.”

Upon graduation, Suckle said she plans to attend a four-year university to study nursing and eventually get a master’s degree in anesthesia.

By virtue of her win, Suckle will have the opportunity to compete this spring in the 2016 Miss Blossomtime Pageant, which is open to all community queens.

Allie Turtle, who finished as Miss Niles First Runner-Up, will have the opportunity to compete in the Miss Spirit of Blossomtime Pageant, which is open to all first runner-up finishers of community pageants

 

Full results

Miss Niles — Allison Suckle

Miss Niles First Runner-Up — Allie Turtle

Miss Niles Second Runner-Up — Emma Schmidt

Miss Niles Miss Congeniality — Emma Schmidt

Mr. Niles — Stingray Jaynes, Christian Cain

Little Miss Niles — Ella Hix

Little Miss Niles First Runner-Up — McKenna Albright

Little Miss Niles Second Runner-Up — Izabella Ledesma

Little Miss Niles People’s Choice — Chelsy Olson

Little Mr. Niles — Aiden Brazo