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Five teens compete for Miss Niagara 2023 votes

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NIAGARA, Wis. -- A new Miss Niagara will be chosen when voters go to the polls Tuesday.

Niagara High School students, along with city and town of Niagara voters, will choose from among five students recently selected by high school students to be the 2023 finalists.

Originated and sponsored by the Niagara Lions Club since 1968, the new Miss Niagara will have her coronation at the Niagara Lions Community Picnic on Saturday, June 24, when she will be presented with a crown and sash from the current Miss Niagara Abigail Tripp.

Candidates this year are juniors Emma Brasure, Aiva Champeau and Annika Sweig; and sophomores are Mallory Sanicki and Justine Geldmeyer.

-- Emma Brasure, 17, is a junior and the daughter of Tom and Ann Brasure. Her older siblings include Michael and Olivia, plus a younger brother, Reid. Brasure is a personable young lady who has distinguished herself in academics and co-curricular activities. She is an excellent student whose name is consistently found on the school's High Honors list. Brasure is a member of the National Honor Society and was on last year's Miss Niagara court. While she does well in all her classes, she lists her favorite this year as health occupations at the Dickinson-Iron Intermediate School District's Career and Technical Education Center in Kingsford. This class offers the skills needed to enter the health care profession. Brasure gets full college credits for the class.

Brasure enjoys athletics, participating in volleyball, basketball and track. She also is active in theater, forensics and student government, having served as vice president of her class and as a member of the student council.

Brasure named her mother, Ann, as her mentor or role model. "My special person is my mom because she works hard. She is always busy trying to do whatever she can to provide for us and make us happy," Brasure explained. "She has taught me the value of helping others and having a good work ethic.

Brasure also attends American Martyrs Parish in Kingsford. She volunteers at various school concessions, middle school volleyball camp and games, the Salvation Army, the Niagara candlelight memorial and the annual Lions Club Community Picnic. She recently did a service trip to Costa Rica.

Brasure works part-time in the kitchen at Pine Grove Country Club. She loves living in Niagara, where "everyone helps one another." She enjoys spending time with family, playing board games, hanging out with friends, traveling and playing sports.

After high school, Brasure plans to attend college to become a registered nurse in pediatrics or plastics, a pediatric oncologist or an anesthesiologist.

-- Aiva Champeau, 16, is a junior and the daughter of Joe and Shanna Champeau. She is the youngest of three children, with a brother, Camryn, and a sister, Elsa.

Champeau is a very strong student whose name can be consistently found on the High Honors list. While she enjoys all her classes, Champeau said her favorites this year are psychology and English III.

Champeau is highly active in school activities as well as being deeply involved in sports and community service volunteer work. She is a good athlete who has participated in softball, volleyball and basketball. She has played on traveling teams in both softball and volleyball. Her current traveling softball team with Impact Sports Academy is in De Pere, Wis. Champeau received the coaches award and was honored as a second-team and M&O all-conference utility and infield player in softball.

Champeau is active in student government serving with the student council, class secretary last year and has been recently inducted into the National Honor Society.

Champeau said her dad has the honor of being her mentor or role model. "He has supported me with sports and also pushes me to be my very best," Champeau said. "He is very considerate and has always been there for me." She added, "I will forever be his little girl."

Champeau has been involved in her church as well as community service. She assists at fundraisers for the Knights of Columbus, Lions Club Community Picnic, school events, outdoor clean-ups and various events at church activities.

Champeau maintains a very busy schedule -- she enjoys baking, reading, outdoor activities and spending time with her family and friends. She attends St. Mary's Catholic Church in Norway, including religious education.

Champeau works at Storheim's and Pizza Pete's in Iron Mountain.

She plans to continue her athletic and academic career in college, majoring in psychology with a minor in business.

-- Annika Sweig, 17, is a junior and the daughter of David and Heather Sweig. Her younger siblings include Elesia and Landon.

Sweig is an honor roll student and lists her favorite classes as health occupations, Spanish III, geometry and advanced biology. Her extracurricular activities include volleyball and forensics, and she is a member of the student council as well. Sweig has earned varsity letters in volleyball and track. She was class secretary during her freshman year. She received student of the semester award for her work (all three class blocks) in health occupations.

Sweig named Spanish teacher Nicole Connors as her mentor or role model, saying Connors "is always there for me, always listens to what I have to say and tells me how proud she is of me." Sweig added that "she is so sweet and caring to everyone and inspires me to be just like her." In addition, Sweig said her mom is also a role model who "inspires me to be the best person that I can be and pushes me to accomplish great things. She has helped me in pursuing career choices."

Sweig volunteers at basketball games and other extracurricular activities, along with dinner events at St. Anthony's Catholic Church.

In her leisure time, Sweig likes to listen to music, and practice volleyball with her sister. She also enjoys running on the treadmill, reading, swimming, volunteering and hanging out with friends. She loves spending time with family and values their time together.

Sweig plans to attend the University of Wisconsin Madison to pursue a career as registered nurse in obstetrics or as a physician's assistant in cardiology.

-- Mallory Sanicki, 15, is a sophomore and the daughter of Mark and Amanda Sanicki. She is big sister to Bristol.

Sanicki's school activities including athletics and student government. She is a talented athlete who participates in basketball, volleyball and softball. She is also a member of the student council, Badgers United, forensics and theatre.

Sanicki is an honor roll student, secretary of the sophomore class and has achieved varsity letters. In her freshman year, she was second team all-conference in volleyball and basketball.

Sanicki said her dad is her role model. "He has always pushed me to be the best person I could be in sports and in everyday life," she said. "He always says how proud he is of me for the woman I am becoming, and he is my biggest fan in the crowd during sporting events."

Sanicki volunteers in the community. She also helps at the Aurora Mud Run sponsored by the Niagara Lions Club. She works at the Big Red Barn and does lawn work for her dad's rentals as well as for other homeowners in the community. She is a member of the Badgers United, a local area youth group.

For her hobbies and activities, Sanicki loves being outdoors and spending time with family and friends. She enjoys riding ATVs, swimming at the cottage, riding jet skis, tubing and fishing in the summertime. She likes to ride snowmobiles and hunt with her dad and sister as well.

Sanicki plans to pursue a degree in the sonography field with intention of becoming a traveling ultrasound technician.

-- Justine Geldmeyer, 15, is a sophomore and the daughter of Scott and Carrie Geldmeyer. Her older siblings are Ashley and Joseph, along with younger sister, Emma.

An excellent student, Geldmeyer's favorite classes are Spanish and art. She is a member of Badgers United, the student council and Hi-Q. Geldmeyer also participates in One Act, theatre and forensics.

She has studied tap, jazz, hip-hop and lyrical at Julie's Top Hat Dance Studio. Geldmeyer recently joined the Northern Michigan Dance Academy to learn ballet.

She has received a silver medal in the state forensics competition as a freshman. She has received either the highest or high honors in each quarter and semester during the school year. She has also received the student of the week award. Geldmeyer has been class president in her first two years of high school.

Geldmeyer identified her 17-year-old brother, Joe, as her mentor or role model, as "someone who I look up to. He is someone that I can talk to and go to for advice or just a laugh. I admire his work ethic and how he makes decisions in the best interests of all involved. He always pushes me to try my hardest no matter what."

Geldmeyer volunteers in the food booths at the annual Lions Club Community Picnic and at the Aurora Mud Runs. She is a member of St. Anthony's Catholic Church. She served for many years as an altar server and volunteers at church fish fries, pasty sales and funeral dinners. Her faith is particularly important to her.

Geldmeyer enjoys performing, being on stage and taking part in both dance and theatre. She helped with the Veterans Day program and spoke at the Martin Luther King Jr. presentation at Niagara High School.

Geldmeyer works part-time for the school district at Badger Care. She lists her hobbies as baking, hunting, being outdoors, ATV riding, weightlifting and spending time with family and friends.

Geldmeyer intends to pursue a four-year college major in political science and minor in either psychology or sociology. She then plans to go on to law school toward becoming a lawyer.

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Photos provided by Karen's Studio.

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