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Sharer Wins Pageant

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By DAVE NICHOLSON, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 23, 2008

PLANT CITY - Katie Sharer, who endeared herself to many as the 2004 Florida Strawberry Festival queen, has added another crown to her collection.

Sharer, 20, won the title of Miss Winter Park at a pageant Jan. 12. She will compete for Miss Florida this summer.

Sharer has wanted to be Miss America for years. If she wins Miss Florida, the Miss America pageant awaits in a year.

"She's very beautiful. She works very hard," said Becky Bangert, executive director of several pageants, including Miss Winter Park.

If her dream comes true, Sharer wouldn't be the first Miss Winter Park to take the Miss America crown. In 1993, reigning Miss Winter Park Leanza Cornett took the prestigious title, Bangert said.

Sharer was a local pageant winner for years before she won the Florida Strawberry Festival queen as a 16-year-old high school junior. Her other crowns include Little Miss Plant City, Florida Strawberry Festival Junior Royalty queen, Miss Tampa and Miss Florida Hometown U.S.A.

She is graduating in April from Paul Mitchell The School, where she is studying cosmetology. She also has been working as a wardrobe coordinator for fashion and pageant photographer Deb Knoske.

Her platform as she pursues Miss America is Go Serve, a charitable organization she founded. Go Serve matches volunteers with charities that need help. She developed the idea with the help of her brother, Matt, and mom Vicki.

Sharer was named Miss Winter Park at the same pageant where two other women who will compete for Miss Florida were crowned: Miss Orlando, won by Lisa Van Alstine of Lake Mary, and Miss City Beautiful, won by Ashley Panaggio of Ormond Beach.

Miss Orlando is only open to women in the Orlando area, but Miss Winter Park and Miss City Beautiful pageants are open to women outside the area, Bangert said. The pageant was held at Trinity Preparatory School in Winter Park.

Other titles handed out during the pageant included Miss Orlando Outstanding Teen, Ashley Paine of Longwood; Miss City Beautiful Outstanding Teen, Ashley St. Cyr of Lady Lake; Miss Winter Park Outstanding Teen, Kaitlyn Chana of Longwood; and Miss Orange County Outstanding Teen, Rebecca Chisholm of Daytona Beach. The winners in the teen competition will advance to the Miss Florida Outstanding Teen pageant, Bangert said.

Reporter Dave Nicholson can be reached at (813) 865-4432 or dnicholson@tampatrib.com.

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