Two Monroe County women earned runner-up titles in the 2025 Miss Michigan and Miss Michigan Teen programs June 13-14 at the Frauenthal Theater.
Madalyn Popuard, 23, of Monroe was third runner-up for Miss Michigan on Saturday, June 14. She also received the 2025 Legacy Award.
Rachel Ingels, 18, of Temperance was third runner-up for Miss Michigan Teen on Friday, June 13. She also received the Philanthropist Scholarship at the program. Ingels is the reigning 2024 Miss Monroe County Teen.
Poupard was Miss Monroe County 2019 and is the current Miss Washtenaw County. She said the Miss Michigan 2025 program was her final competition.
“My goal was to hold the two titles that mattered most to me: Miss Monroe County (my hometown title) and Miss Washtenaw County (my home away from home), and I feel that I am at peace and ready to see what’s next for me beyond competing,” Poupard said.
Poupard, the daughter of Scott and Sara Poupard of Monroe, is a graduate of St. Mary Catholic Central High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2024 from the University of Michigan. She’s a registered nurse in the NICU at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor.
Her Miss America Social Initiative was “Pause Before You Post.” Her talent was a jazz dance to “All That Jazz.”
“I wouldn’t change a thing about how I performed; it just felt like me,” Poupard said. “I met some of the most incredible women and truly just had a blast.”
Reese Johnson of Monroe also made the top 11 for Miss Michigan. Johnson was Miss Monroe County 2023 and is the current Miss Lighthouse Coast.
Also competing for the Miss Michigan 2025 title were Elora Russell, Miss Monroe County 2024, and Payton Perry-Radcliffe, Miss Jackson Crossroads 2024 and Miss Monroe County 2022. Hannah Palmer of Brighton was crowned Miss Michigan 2025.
Libbie Tacia of Big Rapids was crowned Miss Michigan Teen 2025. Third runner-up Ingels of Monroe is the daughter of Steve Ingels of Temperance and the late Michele Ingels. A 2024 graduate of Bedford High School, she will attend Michigan State University in the fall.
Ingels’ Miss America Social Initiative was “Sprouting Young Minds Through S.T.E.M.” Her talent was a tap dance to “Watch My Feet.”
Also competing for Miss Michigan Teen from Monroe County were Kaelyn Maniaci, Miss Lake Erie Teen, and Serenity Perkins, Miss Ontario Teen.
“All the girls did a phenomenal job at Miss Michigan and Miss Michigan Teen. I’m so proud of all of them,” said Dione Oerther, executive director of the Miss Monroe County Scholarship Program.
Several Monroe County girls accompanied the local Miss Michigan and Miss Michigan Teen contestants on stage. They were: Lillian Henry, Tiny Miss Monroe County Mini 2024; Nova Hoffman, Little Miss Monroe County Mini 2024; Peightynn Howard, Junior Miss Monroe County Mini 2024; Adalynn Henry; Genevieve Perkins; Hayden Henry; and Hadley Young.
Miss Monroe County Scholarship Program
The 2025 Miss Monroe County Scholarship Program has set several dates in August.
The Miss Monroe County Mini 2025 Showcase is Aug. 11. Miss Monroe County’s Teen 2025 competition is Aug. 13. The Miss Monroe County 2025 competition is Aug. 16. The programs will take place at the La-Z-Boy Center/Meyer Theater at Monroe County Community College, 1555 S. Raisinville Road in Monroe.
The Miss Monroe County Mini Program is for girls ages 5-12. Miss Monroe County’s Teen is for ages 13-18. Miss Monroe County is for ages 18-28.
The deadline to sign-up for the 2025 programs is June 20. To register, visit the Miss Monroe County Scholarship Program’s website. To learn more, call Oerther at 734-735-6224.
— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@monroenews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Two Monroe County women are runners-up for Miss Michigan and Miss Michigan Teen
Reporting by Suzanne Nolan Wisler, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
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