Sarah Clapper is Miss Ohio

MANSFIELD - Sarah Clapper, 22, of Columbus was crowned Miss Ohio 2017 on Saturday night at the Renaissance Theatre.

She was overwhelmed as her name was announced as the winner. 

She said she almost gave up her dream of becoming Miss Ohio and Miss America when her mother became sick in July 2016.

"I knew that we don't always have second chances," she said at the press conference. "... So I knew I had to come back to the stage not just for my own personal dreams, but for all the individuals who don't feel as if they can dream.

"I dared to dream again by performing on the piano and I think the dreams are starting to come true," she said, fighting back tears.

Clapper was a double preliminary winner this week at Miss Ohio.

She won Friday night's preliminary talent award for her piano rendition of "White Water Chopped Sticks."

On Thursday night, she was the preliminary lifestyle and fitness winner at the Renaissance Theatre.

Clapper, 22, making her fifth trip to the Miss Ohio stage, said she suffered back injuries when she was a competitive gymnast in high school, so she can't run or do anything that compresses her spine.

The first three years she competed at Miss Ohio as a dancer, until doctors told her that her dancing days were over. So she turned to the piano, having learned from her aunt how to play by ear when she was young.

Her platform is "More to Me: Defining Value for Future Success," by which she hopes to help athletes after career-ending injuries.

The 22-year-old Clapper, a pianist, will compete for the title of Miss America in Atlantic City in September.

First runner-up was Miss Miami Valley Karolina Ulasevich of North Royalton.

Second runner-up was Miss Akron-Canton Matti-Lynn Chrisman of Cambridge.

Third runner-up was Miss Miss Montgomery County Hannah Zimmerman of Circleville.

Fourth runner-up was Miss Northwestern Ohio Amelia Hitchens of Newark.

In her fifth attempt to garner the crown, Clapper bested a field of 18 other contestants who competed in the statewide Miss Ohio Scholarship Program.

Clapper also was awarded the Childrens Miracle Network Award 

Rounding out the top 10 were:

Miss North Coast Paige Wiers of Willard; Miss Lake Festival Hanna Tumbusch of St. Henry; Miss Shawnee Stephanie Yasechko of Niles; Miss Oxford Caroline Grace Williams of Oxford; and Miss Greater Cleveland Madeline Carter of Mansfield.

Lwhitmir@nncogannett.com

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Twitter: @Lwhitmir