Miss Ohio is on her way

Shelly Schultz, Zanesville Times Recorder Published 7:00 p.m. ET Aug. 25, 2018

(Photo: Chris Crook/Times Recorder, Zanesville Times Recorder)

CAMBRIDGE - Growing up, being a princess was the farthest thing from her mind. But on Sunday, Matti-Lynn Chrisman was all about the jeweled crown.

Chrisman, the area's first Miss Ohio, hosted dozens of local princesses at her Miss America send-off party in Cambridge.

"I was always the tomboy type," Chrisman said. "I just wanted to wear a ponytail and T-shirts."

Chrisman, 22, is the daughter of Matt and Terah Chrisman, of Zanesville, and Heath and Aimee Hayes, of Cambridge. It was a friend who was in pageants as a teen that convinced Chrisman to begin competing.

"I competed in my first pageant when I was 15," Chrisman said. "I won the Miss Muskingum Valley Outstanding Teen competition and it just grew on me."

Miss Ohio Matti-Lynn Chrisman poses for a picture with her friend Erin Daniels during a Miss American send-off party in Chrisman's honor last week in Cambridge. (Photo: Chris Crook/Times Recorder, Zanesville Times Recorder)

Chrisman competed in the Miss Ohio's Outstanding Teen Program for three years, then she competed once at Miss Ohio before serving as an entertainer dancing at the Miss Ohio contest. Last year, she competed at Miss Ohio for the second time and was named second runner-up.

It was her third attempt at winning the crown before Chrisman was named Miss Ohio earlier this year. She entered the competition as Miss Maple City.

As the Miss Ohio winner, Chrisman received a $10,000 scholarship, courtesy of the Natalie Ruth Plank Memorial Fund, as well as a 2017 Chevy Cruze to use during her reign, donated by Graham Chevrolet. Henri’s Cloud Nine will be providing Chrisman with her entire Miss America wardrobe. She also won the Paul Herlihy Spirit award for a returning contestant.

Chrisman is a Kent State graduate with a degree in musical theater.

She will compete for the crown of Miss America on Sept. 9, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

For her Miss Ohio talent, Chrisman sang "Life of the Party", from the Broadway musical Wild Party. She said the song captures her fun personality on stage, and she will use the same talent song for Miss America.

Chrisman has spent the past year as a local titleholder working with her personal platform, Pain Isn’t Always Obvious, which focuses on ending the stigma on mental health and suicide prevention.

"There are about five suicide deaths in the state of Ohio every hour," Chrisman said. "I refuse to live in a world where that many people go through a mental illness and that many people think that ending their life is actually a viable option."

Ohio is no stranger to producing Miss Americas. The first woman to ever don the crown as Miss America was Columbus native, Katherine Campbell. She won the competition in 1922 and again in 1923. Since then five more Ohio ladies have held the Miss America title - Marilyn Meseke of Marion in 1938, Jacquelyn Mayer of Sandusky in 1963, Laurel Lea Schaefer of Bexley in 1972, and Susan Perkins of Columbus in 1978.

However, Chrisman is the first local girl to make her way to the top of the state’s most prestigious pageant and wear the crown as Miss Ohio.

Chrisman said there are a lot of expectations and obligations that go along with wearing the crown. She has multiple appearances and speaking engagements every day.

The most critical role, however, is advocating for and helping to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network.

"My schedule is pretty hectic as Miss Ohio and I know it's magnified for Miss America," said Chrisman, who eagerly looking forward to the chance to represent Ohio and, hopefully, the rest of the nation.

The Miss America Pageant will be televised at 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, on ABC.

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