Another pageant goes to a Staples-Motley graduate

STAPLES -- There must be something in the water over at Staples-Motley High School.

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First in June, Jillayne Mertens, 18, a 2000 Staples-Motley High School graduate, was crowned Miss North Dakota.

Now Julia Nytes, 18, Staples, was selected out of 80 other teen-age contestants ages 13-18 to become the 2001 Miss Teen of Minnesota. Nytes graduated from Staples-Motley High School June 1.

Ironically, Nytes was awarded her new title at the scholarship pageant held July 15 at St. Cloud State University by the then reigning Miss Teen of Minnesota, Crystal Hamling, who is a junior at Staples-Motley High School.

The title of Miss Teen of Minnesota is held by its recipient for two years, so Hamling was awarded the title in 1999. Nytes will give up her title in 2003.

Nytes was asked by pageant officials to run in the pageant, based on her academic achievements. She was also encouraged to enter by Hamling.

Nytes had a grade-point average of 3.975 and was ranked fourth out of 141 students in her graduating class. She's been active in tennis, speech, choir, Spanish Club, student council, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Students Against Destructive Decisions, National Honor Society, One Act Play, Sacred Heart Parish Peer Ministry team, Dollars For Scholars, Lamplighter community theater productions and worked as the school's newspaper photographer.

"I was really drawn to this program because it was based on academics and achievement," said Nytes. "It was a good experience because it sort of capped off my high school experience. I really feel my high school experience was a success and now I'm ready for college."

Nytes will be a freshmen at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus, at the Carlson School of Management this fall and plans to major in international business with a minor in Spanish.

She will submit a videotape of herself along with additional paperwork to the pageant in order to compete in a six-state regional competition. Then if she is chosen based on her videotape and other information she provides, she will go on to compete in the national competition to become Miss Teen of America.

Nytes received a 1,000 cash scholarship, a $500 savings bond and $250 to present to her school to be used for whatever she chooses.

Each candidate in the Miss Teen of Minnesota 2001 state pageant was scored in six areas, including scholastic record; achievement and service to school and community; personal development of hobbies; talents and skills; general awareness written test; personality projection in formal wear; and the judge's interview.