BRUSSELS – A record amount of scholarship and prize dollars were awarded Saturday night as Faith Blackley, Hanna Mertens and Elise Jackson won the top honors in the 28th annual Miss Door County Scholarship Program pageant.
Blackley was crowned Miss Door County 2025, Mertens was named the first-ever Miss Cherryland 2025 and Jackson was crowned Miss Door County’s Teen 2025 during the Feb. 1 event in front of a sold-out audience at Southern Door Community Auditorium. Blackley and Mertens advance to compete in the Miss Wisconsin pageant and Jackson in Miss Wisconsin’s Teen, both of which take place June 18 to 21 in New Berlin.
Contestants received a total of $17,650 in prizes and college scholarships, a record for the Door County event, which also saw a record number of contestants, 10, for Miss Door County’s Teen.
Blackley earned a $3,000 scholarship for winning the Miss Door County title and another $1,400 in scholarships and prizes. She won the fitness, talent and evening wear parts of the competition along with the People’s Choice Scholarship and a STEM scholarship.
She is a graduate of Southern Door High School and a current freshman at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College with an intended major of mechanical engineering. For her talent, Blackley sang the 17th-century solo madrigal “Amarilli, Mia Bella.” As Miss Door County, she will promote her community service initiative, “Preserve Today, Protect Tomorrow – Promoting Environmental Sustainability,” throughout her reign.
Other Miss Door County contestants Isabella Dereszkiewicz-Hodowany, Ellie Engerson and Amolia Jefferson won $750, $500 and $500 in scholarships and prizes respectively, with Dereszkiewicz-Hodowany winning the interview portion of the contest.
As winner of the inaugural Miss Cherryland contest to represent Northeast Wisconsin regions besides Door County, Mertens won a $1,000 scholarship along with $500 in other prizes and scholarships. She won the fitness and evening wear parts of the competition and the Women in Healthcare Scholarship.
Mertens is a senior at Bellin College in Green Bay and in May will earn her second bachelor’s degree in radiologic science with the goal of becoming an X-ray technologist. She performed a jazz dance to the song “Sax” by Fleur East for her talent. She will promote “Heart to Heart: Teaching the Importance of Cardiac Care” for her community service initiative.
Also competing for Miss Cherryland were Chloe Staudenmaier, Brooklyn Heyn and Ntuhkem Fonkem, who won $600, $500 and $300 in scholarships and prizes, respectively. Staudenmaier won the Peninsula Pride Award and Heyn was named Miss Congeniality.
Jackson earned a $2,000 scholarship for winning the teen competition and another $525 in scholarships and prizes. She was named Miss Teen Congeniality, won the fitness and talent parts of the competition and tied for first in the interview portion.
She is a sophomore at Southern Door High School and hopes to pursue a career in math or science. She played Beethoven’s “Fur Elise” on piano for her talent and will promote “Next Gen Civics: Igniting Youth Engagement in Civics” for her community service initiative.
Ophelia Linnan was named first runner-up for Miss Door County’s Teen. She earned a $700 scholarship as first runner-up and $825 in other scholarships and prizes, winning the evening gown competition and tying Jackson for first in interview, as well as earning the Spritka Sister and Make An Impact scholarships.
Teagan Williams and Briana Barganz were named second and third runners-up, respectively, winning scholarships of $600 and $500, respectively. Among other teen contestants, Abbigail Reseburg, Skyler Kopkey and Brynleigh Ash won $300 in scholarships, with Reseburg winning the nonfinalist talent award, Kopkey winning for nonfinalist interview and Ash winning for nonfinalist evening gown. Contestants Anna Dalke, Sayde Jeanquart and Jakayla Steinhorst each won $250 scholarships.
For more information on the Miss Door County Scholarship Program, visit missdoorcounty.org.
