OCEAN CITY — When Lyla Clark started competing for the title of Little Miss Ocean City, she had little experience with pageants.
The rising eighth-grader at Ocean City Intermediate School is a field hockey and lacrosse athlete. Her family agreed those were her priorities.
“At first it was a hard transition from sports to pageants. I didn’t really know what I was doing at all, but after the first year (competing) I really got the hang of it,” she said. “Each year I would come back better and better and finally my third year I was crowned Little Miss Ocean City.”
The pageant is for girls ages 8 to 11.
It has been almost a year since Lyla was crowned, which means her reign is almost up.
“I have made so many fun memories at the Wacky Wednesday events. I know when I first won (the title) I talked about how excited I was to go to all of them. I just loved having fun and being silly with Grace (Oves) and Antonella (DiAntonio). It’s something I will never forget,” Lyla said.
Oves gave up her title as Miss Ocean City last weekend when she crowned her successor and DiAntonio, the reigning Junior Miss Ocean City, will crown her successor this coming weekend, the day after Lyla does the same.
“I also made some great memories at my favorite event, which is the doughnut-eating contest. It was so fun. I had an amazing time watching all the kids race to finish their doughnuts and actually I even got to compete against Antonella and Grace, which was super funny,” she said.
Fun comes with being Little Miss Ocean City, but serving is a learning experience as well.
“This title has taught me to go out and be myself and also find my voice,” Lyla said. “I feel like this title has impacted my life by making me a better person and really helped me with my public speaking skills as well as helped me go out into the world and be me.”
Not only has Lyla grown as a person while being Little Miss Ocean City, she has also become an ambassador for the community.
“I feel like it’s important to be involved in the community because you can help make the world a better place for others and yourself,” she said. “I just love Ocean City — I love the community.
She said her favorite thing about Ocean City is the boardwalk.
“There is so much you can do up there. You can go shopping, eat food and go down to the beach. To me it’s just the best place in Ocean City,” Lyla said.
As the end of her year as Little Miss Ocean City nears, she can’t help but feel upset.
“I’m really sad to give up this title. I know I can’t take the title with me but I can take all the memories I have made with me, especially all the amazing memories I have made with Grace and Antonella,” she said. “But I am really just so excited to see another girl get to experience this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
She would also like to offer some advice to the next lucky girl who will wear the crown and sash.
“Sometimes events can just be crazy busy and overwhelming, but really take it all in and take the time at each event to just make a memory,” Lyla said.
The Little Miss Ocean City pageant is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18, at the Music Pier at Moorlyn Terrace and the Boardwalk. Tickets are available at the box office.
There are 18 girls who will compete for the title this year, taking part in interview, talent, evening gown and on-stage question categories. They are Gisele Ardelean, Lynnie Becker, Rose Bickings, Elizabeth Canale, Mila Delanzo, Nora Dinsmore, Quinn Dorr, Waverly Dunn, Stella Fleming, Kippin Halliday, Dorothy Heywood, Harper Juelg, Tierney Kane, Madison Keenan, Leni Levchuk, Meadow Ottinger, Ashlynn Ruskoski and Randy Scarborough.
By CAMRYN SCHULTHEIS/For the Sentinel