VIN'S PEOPLE: Former Pine View School student from Nokomis crowned Miss USA 2023

Congratulations to former Pine View School student and Nokomis resident Noelia Voigt, who is the new Miss USA.

Representing Utah, Noelia, 23, was crowned on Sept. 29 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada, beating out runner-up Miss Hawaii Savannah Gankiewicz and second runner-up Miss Wisconsin Alexis Loomans for the coveted crown.

Noelia is the daughter of Jackeline Coromoto Briceño, a Venezuela native, and Jack Voigt, a former Venice High School and LSU baseball standout. Voigt was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 1987 and played seven major league seasons with the Orioles, Texas, Milwaukee and Oakland. He also had a 17-year coaching career, mostly in the New York Mets organization.

The next stop for Noelia, a former Miss Teen Florida winner, is the Miss Universe Pageant in mid-November in El Salvador.

· Good luck to Junior Leadership Manatee’s class of 2023-24.

The JLM program is a series of sessions giving interested high school juniors the opportunity to grow leadership skills, their knowledge of community and government resources, as well as meet community leaders to develop awareness of current issues affecting the direction of Manatee’s future.

Among students participating are Faith Allen, Lucy Anderson, Landon Bellows, Grant Bettle, Finnegan Bzura, Isabella Chacon, Brooke Cosentino, Jackson Dalglish, Addyson Danforth, Lawson Francis, Sebastian Gonzalez, Andrew Graham, Wayne Grant, Will Grant, Parker Hullinger, Amelia Hume, Liam Hurley, Aliciana Lopez, Amari Lopez, Abbey Jackson, Lauren Jolly, Callaway Johnson and Neelam Joshi.

Also there are Colson Kragt, Anthony Miceli, Jiles Kirkland, Ginger Matuszewski, Teagan Munce, Ashlyn Page, Alyssa Peterson, Abigail Pfeiffer, Andrew Pope, Victoria Portal, Matthew Przeklasa, Sarisa Ranajee, Rose Reece, Alexis Roberts, Alexandra Ryherd, Kyleigh Rydzinski, Samantha Signor, Alyssa Sparks, Isabella Tovar, Gavin Winterhalter, Tyler Vanzant and Isel Vela-Herrera.

They attend Braden River, Bradenton Christian, Community Christian, Florida Virtual School, Lakewood Ranch, Manatee, Palmetto, Pine View School, Sarasota Military Academy, State College of Florida Collegiate School, and Saint Stephen’s Episcopal.

· Linda Craig, a one-woman army at Manatee Operation Troop Support, is 39. Again.

· So is Denise Smith.

· Well done to Manatee High’s William Blaine, Lakewood Ranch High’s Sophia D’Orazio and Palmetto High’s Savannah Higgins. The trio were recognized by the Bradenton Rotary Club and Sons of the American Revolution for their contest essays, “What the Constitution Means to Me.”

The annual luncheon coincided with American Constitution Day commemorating the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution.

Blaine and D’Orazio tied for first, each receiving $2,500, to advance to the Florida Sons of the American Revolution constitutional scholarship competition.

Higgins received $1,000 for third.

· Sis Flanagan and Jim Simpson are 99 years young.

· And Father Fausto Stampiglia is just 88.

· Salutes to Lieutenant Richard Rietz, Deputies Joshua Groover, Paul McCartney, Carrie Renninger, Hurly Smith and Patti Smith. They are Manatee County Sheriff’s Offce Deputies of the Month for August for saving the life of a pregnant woman who was suicidal.

· Oh, no! Prine Elementary Principal Greg Sanders hit the Big 5-0!

· Last Sunday’s Stuff the Bus amassed almost 126,000 pounds of food donated at 19 Publix locations for the Food Bank of Manatee with Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee.

· And Damon May is 46.

Vin’s People runs Sundays. Email Vin Mannix at vinspeople@gmail.com. Or call 941-962-5944. Twitter: @vinmannix.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: VIN MANNIX: Pine View School alum Noelia Voigt wins Miss USA pageant