Four compete for title of 2022 Somerset County Fair Queen

Four young women will compete for the title of 2022 Somerset County Fair Queen Sunday evening. The winner will reign over the 122nd annual Somerset County Fair.

The program begins at 4 p.m. and is followed by the annual Farmers and Merchants Parade in front of the grandstand. The contestants must be between 16 and 20 years of age and not married. The new queen will be crowned by reigning 2021 fair queen Brooke Cornell, who is a junior at West Virginia University.

Bruck Ohler

Bruck Victoria Ohler, 17, is the daughter of Carey and Bradley Schilling and Jason Ohler, Central City. She attends Hyndman Charter School.

Her high school achievements include spearheading the first Ag Literacy Week program at HHCS, secretary of the National Honor Society, Outstanding Young Woman Scholarship Program, Phi Theta Kappa college honor society, student council, Scholastic Quiz Team captain, cross country team captain for Hyndman, football cheerleading, and track and field for Shade-Central City High School. She is listed on the distinguished honors honor roll, attended Camp Cadet, was a school representative for the Fall Foliage Queen Program and received the SMACK Award for cross country. Ohler participated in competitive cheerleading, youth leadership and varsity volleyball for Hyndman.

Her hobbies include caring for her herd of boar goats and several cows, helping on the family farm, baking, hunting and fishing. She is the Hooversville Hayseeders 4-H Club secretary, and volunteers with the food distribution and backpack program at the school. She is a Somerset County Junior Fair Board member, enters the baked goods and craft judging, and showed meat goats at the county fair.

Ohler has been listed on the dean's list for fall 2021 and was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa College Honor Society. She was a volunteer assistant in the queen program at the American Legion Fair, baked for a Wounded Warriors fundraiser hosted by the American Legion Fair, hosted a fundraiser to collect monetary donations for the PA Friends of Agriculture and is a volunteer greeter at Patriot Park. She has placed flags on graves for Memorial Day, volunteers at the food bank, volunteered for food distribution during COVID, sewed more than 150 masks that were donated to the elderly during COVID, and prepared backpacks for the student backpack program at the school. She helped with a senior citizens tea, with the Hornet Tree Program by preparing gift donations for underprivileged children and is a Salvation Army bell ringer. She is a member of the Laurel Highland Church of God youth and received the YLBC scholarship.

Ohler was an administrative assistant this summer at Hyndman Charter School where last year she was an elementary summer camp assistant.

Jennifer Countryman

Jennifer Countryman, 16, is the daughter of Mike and Carol Countryman, Berlin. She is a student at Berlin Brothersvalley High School. In school she was selected to attend the AIM STEM program at USCGA, a Keystone Girls State participant, National Honor Society treasurer, LEO treasurer and class treasurer. She participates in volleyball, basketball and softball. She received second-team all-county volleyball and basketball honors, was selected student of the month and is ranked sixth in her class.

Countryman enjoys scuba diving, travel volleyball, fishing, hunting, sewing and cooking. She is a member of the Somerset County Junior Fair Board and chairwoman of the Zach Glessner Memorial Breakfast. In past fairs she's won Best of Show junior clothing, junior champion goat showman, been a livestock sale runner, 4-H Dairy Bar worker, booth and parade participant, pet parade participant, lamb exhibitor and goat exhibitor.

She is president of the Milksquirts 4-H Club, chairwoman for installing a pollinator garden at the community grove, 4-H Camp counselor, Farm City day teacher, baked desserts and is chairwoman for the firemen's Ladies Auxiliary, "WAR" sale at the school and volunteered for the Relay For Life basket fundraiser, 9/11 Bike Race and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church bake sale. Countryman also participated in the pet parade at Meadowview.

She is employed at Riggs Industries and May Hill Farm.

Emma Martz

Emma Martz, 19, is the daughter of Philip Martz and Goldie Smith-Martz, Berlin. She graduated from Berlin Brothersvalley High School in 2021, where she was a member of the National Honor Society, high honors student, FFA Chapter chaplain, yearbook vice president, chorus librarian and was in the musical. She participated in track and field districts, district chorus and went to state competition in basketball.

Martz enjoys writing, riding bikes, reading, listening to music, singing and theater. She is a board scholar, president of Phi Theta Kappa, a member of Sigma Alpha Pi, was listed on dean's list, was a member of the student senate, Caring for Cubs Education Club and community service committee.

Martz participates on the Somerset County Junior Fair Board, received division reserve champion steer, reserve champion meat chickens, worked in the Dairy Bar, the Zach Glessner Memorial Breakfast, and participates and helps in the Berlin Community Fair. She makes desserts for the Berlin fire hall, planted and maintained flower beds at the Berlin Grove, helps with the Cambria County Victim Services, is project manager for Berlin Food Pantry's donations and the community garden at Tableland. She helps with the Next Step Center, brings gifts and sings for the local nursing homes, played Mary at the Drive Through Bethlehem program and served at the Johnstown Family Kitchen.

She is employed as home, pet and childcare for family and friends.

Alyssa Richard

Alyssa Richard, 16, is the daughter of Donna Richard and Jason Richard, Somerset. She is a student at Somerset Area High School, where she is the 10th-grade class president, received the ninth-grade highest French grade, varsity letter in cross country, swimming and track and field. She was a state qualifier in cross country and swimming. She received the President's Award for 100 hours of service and SAAT team stretch leader.

Richard enjoys weightlifting, reading, baking, fishing, swimming and journaling. In past fairs she has worked in the Dairy Bar with her 4-H club, entered numerous arts and crafts, helped to create her club's booth in the Junior Activities Building, showed dairy cows and rabbits. She serves as a mentor in a child's life and is a junior counselor and serves meals and facilitates at Outdoor Odyssey. She serves Christmas and Thanksgiving meals to the Coleman Towers residents, helps with homecoming and prom shop at Dressed, donates and sorts canned goods for the Interact Club, packages meals for the homeless at the Spark Conference, sings to shut-ins and elderly, is on the tech crew for Potter's Players and does face painting for the Trunk or Treat at PHUMC.

Richard babysits in her spare time.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Who are the 2022 Somerset County Fair Queen candidates?