DULUTH — Denfeld High School senior Maria Oppelt was not expecting to feel a crown placed atop her head as she stood with her fellow contestants on July 31 inside Mr. D's Bar & Grill. Oppelt entered the Miss West Duluth pageant with a couple of her friends to spend time together and have fun.
"We'd been practicing together the day of, going over the spontaneous questions and everything," Oppelt said. "But it's still kind of nerve-wracking when you're finally standing up there and the people are behind you waiting to crown you. So I wasn't expecting it, but I'm so grateful and I'm excited to see what happens in the next year.
" Miss West Duluth is a scholarship pageant sponsored by the Irving Community Club held during the annual Spirit Valley Days celebration. Contestants are judged on an essay, interview, a description of a casual outfit, a formal outfit and a spontaneous question asked on stage during the pageant. Miss West Duluth receives a $500 scholarship and Miss West Duluth Princess receives a $300 scholarship.
Oppelt credits some of her success to her answers to the spontaneous question and the essay section. She was asked what kind of local business she'd like to see in West Duluth and answered that she'd like to see another restaurant or community place. "I talked about how we need more places where we can come together and how, because I work at a restaurant, I always see connections being made while I work," Oppelt said.
"I like that we are more judged on how we .