The four Elk Rapids queens pose wearing their new crowns. Little Miss Elk Rapids Emma McGuire, Young Miss Elk Rapids Scarlett Zerafa, Miss Pre-teen Elk Rapids Hannah Beaudry and Miss Teen Elk Rapids Jessica Deering were named at the Feb. 3 Young Miss Elk Rapids Pageant held at Peterman Auditorium. For more photos of the event, see pages 6-7A in The Town Meeting's print edition, available on newsstands now. Photo by Lori Eickholt

Elk Rapids superintendent Jon Hoover and Miss Elk Rapids Lyndsay Israel served as the evening's emcees. All eyes were on Hoover as he announced the name of 2007's Little Miss Elk Rapids.

"Emma McGuire," Hoover said, as a round of applause erupted.

Next came the announcement of Young Miss Elk Rapids.

"Scarlett Zerafa," Hoover said, adding an extra comment especially for her.

"Is it safe to say you're 'thrilled.' about your win?" Hoover asked, referring to her talent performance, a dance to the song "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. Zerafa nodded and smiled.

Then came the announcement for Miss Pre-teen Elk Rapids.

"Hannah Beaudry," he said as another round of applause erupted.

There was a momentary pause as the first three girls adjusted new crowns and sashes and received hugs from fellow contestants.

"Miss Teen Elk Rapids 2007 is Jessica Deering," he concluded as loud cheers came from her friends seated at back of the auditorium.

Marcia Price and Carolyn Hoover served as co-directors of the pageant, which took place Feb. 3 in Peterman Auditorium. Price said this year's group of girls "displayed a lot of varied talent."

During the talent portion of the competition, McGuire sang "On Top of Spaghetti" while dressed in a chef's hat and apron. She accompanied the song with moves related to each verse. During an afterglow party, she said her grandmother, Marjorie Veliquette, helped her with her costume. McGuire is the daughter of Patrick and Sara McGuire.

Zerafa, daughter of Richard and Deb Zerafa, said she was in disbelief when she heard her name called as Young Miss Elk Rapids.

"I was so excited," she said. "It was so awesome. I thought one of the other girls was going to get it."

Zerafa's memorable "Thriller" performance in the talent round had her wearing a puffy, black, sparkled outfit dancing in front of spooky Halloween-inspired decor. She said the performance took two weeks of practice, and she watched Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video to mimic some of the moves.

"I really like Michael Jackson music," she said of her choice for the pageant.

Beaudry, daughter of Jill Beaudry, related to Zerafa's shock of winning.

She also chose to dance for her talent. Performing to Nicole Nordeman's "Every Season," she utilized colored scarves to coordinate with the four seasons.

Preparation was key to success, she said.

"I did a lot of preparing before the pageant," she said.

"It was very nerve-wracking. Any free time I had, I spent practicing my dance."

Her mom said participation in the pageant takes a lot of time, but she was willing to offer all the support her daughter needed to try it out.

"I'm very excited," she said of her daughter's win. "It's going to be a neat year for her."

Hannah Beaudry said the moment she won felt "like it wasn't real."

Deering shared her sentiment.

"I was shocked," she said of when Hoover announced her name. "I did not know that was going to happen."

Deering, daughter of Elizabeth Ann Ruttledge and Allen Brunson, performed "My heart Will Go On" in the talent round. While wearing an evening gown, Deering sang her song from the deck of the "Titanic." Following the plot of the movie "Titanic," Deering -- after her performance -- looked at the audience mischievously and dropped a necklace into the imaginary ocean floor in front of the boat.

Price said all 26 of this year's entrants did well. From the opening number choreographed by Judith Veliquette -- a pajama dance to the song "Celebrate" -- to their private interviews, which accounted for 40 percent of their total scores, the girls did "great," she said.

A farewell video portraying a year in pictures of the 2006 Young Miss Elk Rapids winners was shown at the pageant. Jenna Hubbell, Alyssa Veliquette, Shania Lark and Nicole Jarvis narrated the video.

Hubbell had a message for this year's group of contestants. "Crown or no crown, through this experience you have gained self-esteem, poise and friendships," she said.

Hoover made a similar statement at the beginning of the pageant.

"Every single one of these girls are winners," he said.