Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
NORTH WEBSTER - Caylyne DeGood, 18, became the 2003 Queen of Lakes Saturday, wowing the judges in a white, beaded, princess-style evening gown and yellow one-piece bathing suit with clear pumps.
Appearing in the contest as Miss Dewart Lake, the Syracuse native is the daughter of Scott and Mary DeGood.
The Butler University freshman was selected over 22 other contestants to win a $2,000 scholarship. Last year she was the Queen of Lakes first runner-up and recipient of the North Webster Lioness Club Community Service Award.
DeGood is the reigning Kosciusko County Fair Queen. The 2003 Wawasee High School graduate plans to study biology and take pre-medical courses at Butler. Her goal is to become a pediatrician with her own small-town practice.
She is 5 feet, 4 inches tall, has brown hair and green eyes.
The competition includes an appearance in a one-piece swimsuit as well as in a full-length evening gown.
The women are judged on poise and self-confidence, stance and hand position, carriage and body lines, appearance and figure. Prior to the evening pageant, each was interviewed by the judges and points were given based on attitude, ability to converse, friendliness and poise and self-confidence.
Four finalists are chosen and named Mermaid Princesses for 2003. Each receives a sash, tiara and flowers. The queen is chosen from the four finalists.
The first runner-up receives a $1,500 scholarship; second runner-up, $1,000; and third runner-up, $500. The scholarship funds are courtesy of the International Palace of Sports.
Annette Lamb of Milford was selected first runner-up and received an engraved silver tray as the North Webster Lioness Club Community Service award winner. Master of ceremonies Steve Ward said Lamb presented two typed pages of community service projects.
Lamb, 20, wore a strapless red gown with rhinestone trim. For the swimsuit competition, she modeled a coral suit with a halter neck.
She is the daughter of Bruce and Beth Lamb and appeared in the pageant as Miss Waubee Lake.
Lamb is a Purdue University student double majoring in elementary education and communications. She is 5 feet 8 inches tall, has brown hair and blue eyes.
Second runner-up is Natasha Duke, Vevay, a junior at Purdue University. She is an agricultural economics major with a minor in biology.
The 21-year-old , known as Miss Irish Lake during the pageant, is the daughter of Steven Todd and Jamie Lynn Duke.
She is 5 feet, 4 inches tall, has brown hair and hazel eyes. She wore a scarlet one-piece bathing suit and a taupe evening gown.
Third runner-up is Kimberly Miller of Warsaw, the daughter of Tony and Cathy Miller.
A student at the University of Saint Francis, Miller is 20 years old. She was Miss Chapman Lake during the contest.
She wore a blue swimsuit with silver trim and sparkling periwinkle blue evening gown with open back.
This year's contestants were Jessica Ringle, Mary Heintzelman, Kari Kuhn, Tara Eberhart, Lisa Wilkinson, Jessica Stansberry, Allison Scherer, Cara Windle, Christy Wilson, Kim Hoover, Ashley Gregory, Emily Rokosz, Cheryl Grady, Jennifer Workman, Chelsea Ross, Danyel Ott, Lisa Stachowiak and Ashley Frerick.
