HAGERSTOWN -- Hagerstown resident Gretchen Schoeck won the Newcomer Talent award and a $100 scholarship Thursday night during the second preliminary round of competition for the Miss Maryland Scholarship Pageant.
Miss Black Eyed Susan, Schoeck, 18, performed Beethoven's Sonata Opus 13 Movement 2 on piano.
Unlike the previous evening's first preliminary, there were no ties Thursday night.
Miss Allegany County Louise Schlegel of Silver Spring, Md., earned a $200 scholarship for winning the talent competition for the second round of the preliminaries. Schlegel sang "If I Had My Way." On Wednesday night, she was a co-winner for lifestyle and fitness in swimsuit.
Thursday night's swimsuit competition was won by Miss College Park Heather Molnar, who earned a $100 scholarship with the win. Molnar, of Parsonsburg, Md., was co-winner of Wednesday's talent competition. She sang "It's All Coming Back To Me Now."
On Saturday, the contestants will learn which 10 advance to the semifinals that are held that night. The top 10 will compete in talent, evening wear and physical fitness in swimsuit, with Miss Maryland 2008 being crowned at the end of the program.
