Cranberry sends 2 to compete in USA pageants
Cranberry Township is home to both of Pennsylvania's representatives to the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA contests this summer.
Sheena Monnin was chosen Miss Pennsylvania USA during a combined pageant in Pittsburgh in December. She is the daughter of Phillip and Shari Monnin.
She will represent the state in the 2012 Miss USA Pageant in Miami this summer, which will be broadcast on NBC. The winner then will compete in the Miss Universe pageant.
During the same December event, Julia Belechak was named Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA.
She is the daughter of Joe and Michelle Belechak.
She will compete in the Miss Teen USA pageant this summer in the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas.
The two weren't aware they were both from Cranberry Township until after the December contest, said Julia's mother Michelle Belechak.
“Sheena lives not more than three miles from us, “ she said, “You could walk to one another's house, they're so close.”
And they weren't the only contestants hailing from Cranberry, she said.
One of the top 15 finishers in the Pennsylvania Teen USA event, Alexandria Pacinda also is from Cranberry, as is the fourth runner-up in Miss Pennsylvania USA, Kelly Cundiff. Both attend Seneca Valley High School.
“It's crazy to me that all these girls are from right here,” Michelle Belechak said.
But as for both Monnin and Julia, the immediate future holds a lot of miles, said Kaitlyn Pieri, director of administration for Pageant Associates which oversees the pageants.
“Both are traveling at appearances and events, representing their titles,” Pieri said. “They both participated in the First Night event in Pittsburgh.”“They have both been shopping around for their evening gowns for their upcoming national competitions,” Pieri said.Both Monnin and Belechak's upcoming national competition will consist of personal interview, swimsuit and evening gown segments.Regardless of how each fares in the upcoming national contests, both Belechak and Monnin will be able to further their educations, Pieri said. As part of their prizes, they've both been awarded four-year academic scholarships to Lindenwood University in Missouri.Holder of a bachelor's and master's degree, Monnin would like to return to school to earn a doctorate in theology.Belechak attends Vincentian Academy in the North Hills. She plans to graduate from college with a degree in broadcast journalism and become an entertainment news reporter.The Miss USA, Miss Teen USA and Miss Universe pageants are a joint venture between Donald Trump and NBC Universal.
