She had a little luck sewn into her gown
OCEAN CITY – Stella Fleming believes the charms she sewed into her dress gave her good luck Friday night on stage at the Ocean City Music Pier.
That luck, combined with winning three of the four main competitions, led her to being crowned Little Miss Ocean City 2024.
Close family friend Mikenzie Helphenstine “passed away last year and on the back of my dress I have an M-H sewn into it with a bunch of charms,” Stella said after the competition. “And I think that that gave me good luck.”
Helphenstine, a popular teacher and coach, succumbed to cancer in 2022 after battling it for years.
One of the little silverly chairs said, “”Made with love.” One said “Sister” and another said “Mother.” The fourth was a tiny horseshoe.
Fleming had an inkling the title was coming her way as mistress of ceremonies Natalie Ragazzo was reading off the list of award winners.
After running through a series of awards, Ragazzo came to the ones that counted the most.
First Stella received the Talent Award worth 25 points.
And then, through tears, accepted the Interview Award, worth 35 points.
After Tierney Kane received the Scholastic Award, worth 20 points, Ragazzo called out Stella’s name again. This time it was for the Poise and Composure Award.
As Stella went back to her place among the other 17 contestants, a few things began running through her head … and causing a bit of rumbling in her stomach.
“I felt pretty good. I was really excited,” she said about the awards. “I felt like I was going to throw up on the stage. That’s why I had to leave the stage.
“After that, I was like, ‘You know what? I’m fine. I won all these awards and maybe … maybe it will come true.
“And it did. It came true.”
After Ragazzo ran through the other finalists – fourth runner up Mila Delanzo, third runner up Dorothy Heywood, second runner-up Lynnie Becker and first runner up Harper Juelg, Stella burst into tears as Ragazzo called her name as the winner.
Those tears kept on flowing as she was crowned by 2023 winner Lyla Clark with help from Junior Miss Ocean City 2023 Antonella DiAntonio and Miss Ocean City 2024 Lola DeMacro, and they didn’t stop as she walked the runway in her crown, got hugs from her family, was mobbed by the other contestants and had her photos taken afterwards.
Winning the title, Stella, who is entering fifth grade at Ocean City Intermediate School next month, said, “feels really, really, really exciting and I feel so happy and proud of me. It’s just really exciting and happy.”
Asked what she was looking forward to most as the newest crown-head and ambassador for America’s Greatest Family Resort, she didn’t have to look far ahead. “Probably tomorrow at Junior Miss,” she said, laughing. “I really, really, really want to see who is Junior Miss.”
The next one that sprung to mind will come near the end of her term as Little Miss Ocean City 2024: “Night in Venice. I love boats. They’re so fun. I am just so excited to be on a boat with a crown and pretty dress and wave to everyone.”
Stella will have plenty to do over the next year with DeMarco and the new Junior Miss Ocean City. They attend a wide array of city events throughout the year.
Her family was just as excited.
“This is so insane,” said big sister Makenna, a recent Junior Miss Ocean City and student at Ocean City High School. “Stella has been working towards this for so long. She is just the sweetest girl inside and out. She has such an amazing personality. She is going to have best time this year.
“And I cannot be more proud of her,” Makenna added. “She has worked so hard for this. And she’s always just fun to around. She’s going to have a great year and she’ll be a great role model for the little girls around here. I’m really excited.”
Dad Conor Fleming looked a bit stunned. Referring to Makenna’s title, he said, “The shock of the first one really hasn’t worn off yet, but I’m really happy for Stella. She is so excited to be Little Miss Ocean City. She put in a lot of hard work. Kristie (Fenton) puts on a really great show every year. I’m just really happy for Stella.”
Asked if there was any chance he could beat Ray Clark, father of Little Miss 2023 Lyla Clark, as a pageant dad, Conor laughed and replied, “Zero chance.”
“I don’t know,” said his wife, Alisabeth, laughing about the potential of topping Clark. “I disagree.” (Ray Clark was joyfully supportive of his daughter, attended many events with her and took part in some of them, including a pie-eating contest, and posed with his own crown with the other queens for his daughter’s farewell video.)
Alisabeth added it’s “very exciting” having another queen in the family.
“Stella genuinely is just thrilled to just be a part of this. She always looked up at Makenna as her bigger sister and now she has her moment. She’s a humble little child. It’s great,” she said.
Alisabeth is looking forward to attending all of the events with her daughter “and letting her have her time. She watched Makenna do it and now it’s her turn.”
Little Miss Ocean City
2024 Awards
Miss Congeniality: Harper Juelg
Miss Photogenic: Tierney Kane
Spirit Award: Mila Delanzo
Hostess Award: Madison Keenan
Originality Award: Rose Bickings
Compassion, Kindness and Sincerity: Tierney Kane
Mini golf Third Place: Stella Fleming
Mini Golf Second Place: Gisele Ardelean
Mini Golf First Place: Waverly Dunn
Essay Third Runner Up: Nora Dinsmore
Essay Second Runner Up: Meadow Ottinger
Essay First Runner Up: Kippin Halliday
Essay Winner: Tierney Kane
Talent Recognition: Elizabeth Canale
Interview Recognition: Nora Dinsmore
Scholastic Recognition: Meadow Ottinger
Poise and Composure Recognition: Waverly Dunn
Talent Award: Stella Fleming
Interview Award: Stella Fleming
Scholastic Award: Tierney Kane
Poise and Composure Award: Stella Fleming
Fourth Runner Up: Mila Delanzo
Third Runner Up: Dorothy Heywood
Second Runner Up: Lynnie Becker
First Runner Up: Harper Juelg
Winner: Stella Fleming
– STORY AND PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
