ASHLAND ― Miss Shawnee Teen Cicely Esterline, 17, of Circleville, won Miss Ohio Teen on her second time vying for the title.
She won a $2,500 scholarship for winning the title June 19 and a chance to compete at Miss America’s Teen in West Palm Beach, Florida in September. Seventeen contestants competed in various segments of competition including health and fitness, talent and interview.
“I’m still in shock,” she said. “I don’t think I can even believe it right now.”
A high school senior at Ohio Connections Academy and a college credit plus student at Southern State Community College, Esterline also won the talent award for her lyrical dance performance to Mariah Carey’s “Hero.”
She dedicated the performance to veterans in honor of the country’s 250th anniversary.
Her social impact initiative is “Boots to Bravery: Supporting and Honoring Our Nation’s Heroes.”
An advocate for veterans, she said her grandfather is a Vietnam veteran during the press conference after the show.
Her dream is to attend law school. She said she would love the opportunity to perform in a professional ballet company. Her hobbies include competitive dancing, performing and storytelling. She said she loves ballet and has been dancing for 13 years, 10 of those years competitively.
As a young girl in Daisies/Girl Scouts, she sent a Girl Scout package of cookies overseas.
“That’s just what sparked it, and then it continued through 4-H and I got my entire county involved in placing flags at veterans’ graves,” Esterline said.
Esterline said she has met some of her best friends at the Miss Ohio Teen program.
She wanted to be Miss Ohio Teen because she loves the organization, which she said is the largest provider of scholarships to young woman in the United States.
The friendly teen winner said she was going to eat some cake in the lobby and then maybe go to Rooster’s or Buffalo Wild Wings to eat afterward.
She said her biggest advice to other girls competing is to take every chance.
“I almost didn’t compete again this year,” she said. “I took the chance and I said yes, and I won Miss Shawnee’s Teen and now I won Miss Ohio’s Teen,” she said.
Giving up her crown was 2025 Miss Ohio Teen Ali Payton, who won the fitness award on the Miss America stage last year and placed as a Top 10 semi-finalist.
Payton tap danced on stage and gave her farewell address, a teen night tradition.
While waiting for the scores to be tabulated, Miss Ohio Olivia Fosson, who gives up her title June 20, chatted about Payton’s accomplishments on stage.
Special entertainment was provided by Studio 66 Dance Company.
Hearts of Ohio, formerly known as Little Princesses, performed group dance numbers with Payton and each of the 24 young girls took to the microphone to introduce and share something about themselves. The girls also paraded across stage in ball gowns, twirling about.
Runners-up named
Fourth runner-up was Miss Lake Festival’s Teen Claire Kuehne of Celina, winning a $700 scholarship.
Third runner-up was Miss Columbia Homecoming’s Teen Lindi Flaig of Piketon, receiving an $800 scholarship. She also won a $250 Paul Herlihy Memorial Award, given to a contestant who exemplifies the spirit of the Miss America organization.
Second runner-up was Miss Portmouth’s Teen Lexie Claxon of Minford, receiving a $900 scholarship.
First runner-up was Miss Chillicothe’s Teen Katherine Green of Hicksville, receiving a $1,000 scholarship. She also won the interview award.
The Miss Ohio stage moved this year to Ashland because the Renaissance Theatre in Mansfield is being renovated.
Contact Lou Whitmire at 419-521-7223. She can be reached on X at @lwhitmir.
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Miss Ohio’s Teen 2026 is 17-year-old dancer from Circleville
Reporting by Lou Whitmire, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Lou Whitmire, Mansfield News Journal | USA TODAY Network
