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Manteca trio earn top honors
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Manteca continued its winning tradition at the annual California State Youth Accolades Scholarship Competition.

Three Manteca residents, Priscilla Ohnmacht, Colton Harris and Allison Nussbaumer, all placed in the top 2 for their age division. The prestigious scholarship competition, sponsored by Youth Focus Inc. of San Jose, took place recently at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

Ohnmacht, Miss Manteca 2014 earned the title of Golden State Ambassadress as the 1st alternate in the 16-21 age division and a $750 scholarship. Ohnmacht, a senior at Sierra High School, received a Victory Award for her personal best score in the area of Community Service which received a perfect score from the panel of judges. She joins a long line of Miss Manteca’s before her who have placed in the top 5 at the state competition and along with Amber Fonseca (Miss Manteca 2005) is only the second young woman from Manteca to earn the Golden State title.

Nussbaumer, Miss Teen Manteca 2014, earned a $500 talent scholarship and the title of Golden State Teen Ambassadress as the 1st alternate in the 13-16 age division. She is only the second young woman from Manteca to compete in the teen division and the first Miss Teen Manteca to do so. Cheyenne Milligan (Miss Teen Pumpkin Fair 2007) competed in 2008 also earning the teen Golden State title and was later appointed California State Teen Ambassadress in 2009. Nussbaumer, a junior at Big Valley Christian School in Modesto, received a Victory Award for her personal best score in the area of Personality Interview.

Harris, Manteca City Ambassador 2014, is now the third young man from our community to take home the 1st alternate title as Golden State Ambassador. His MYF predecessors Christopher Navalta (Teen Manteca City Ambassador 2005) and Horst Bauer (Manteca City Ambassador 2009) both earned the Golden State title for their age division and both also went on to earn the top prize as California State Ambassador. Harris, a graduate of Sierra High now attending the University of California at Riverside, received a Victory Award for his personal best score in the area of Community Service. He received a perfect score in this phase of competition and also earned the Joe Escobar Memorial Community Service Award.

Harris, Ohnmacht and Nussbaumer will serve together along with Golden State Jr. Ambassadress Sierra Shelley of Fremont as official state representatives and spend the ensuing year traveling to various communities throughout California in support of Youth Focus Inc.

Over $10,000 in educational scholarships were awarded in the competition. Other top prizes in the senior division went to Miss California State, Elaina Provencio of Riverside County and California State Ambassador, Lorenzo Rangel-Santos of Orange County. The 2nd alternates received the titles of Golden State Young Man and Young Woman of Achievement and included Payton Brazil of Los Banos and Tim Saculo of Santa Clara County. The top prize in the junior division went to Lauren Newell of Santa Clara County and the top prize in the teen division went to Brianna Brockman of Gridley.

All three age divisions are “open competitions” and no previous experience is required. Interested young men and women from all over California are invited to compete. For more information about Youth Focus Inc., contact Shim Lacy, Central Valley Field Director, at (209) 518-3915 or email shimlacy@gmail.com.