Pageants paving way for Roaring Spring teen’s future | News, Sports, Jobs

Resh, 18, of rural Bedford County near Roaring Spring has hit many milestones this summer. She served as valedictorian of her graduating class at Northern Bedford County School District and competed at the Miss Pennsylvania’s Teen competition in York, where she was named first runner up and earned a $2,500 scholarship.

Competing as Miss York County’s Teen, Jaylyn’s flawless baton twirling routines, her poise in answering the judges’ questions and her community outreach efforts to reduce food insecurity helped her land the first runner up spot to winner Lynzi Allen, Miss Philadelphia’s Teen. Allen will compete in the 2026 Miss America’s Teen Pageant competition to be held Sept. 2-7. Should Allen win, Jaylyn would assume her state duties.

Eighteen women competed in the Miss America’s Teen competition in June which is under the leadership of the Miss America Organization and aims to “promote scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living and community involvement for America’s teens,” according to its website.

Any Pennsylvania resident between the ages of 13 and 18 is eligible to compete at any of the sanctioned local pageants.

Northern Bedford County High School graduate Jaylyn Resh (left) is seen on stage with Lynzi Allen, Miss Philadelphia’s Teen at the Miss Pennsylvania’s Teen 2025 competition in June. Resh will pursue a major in financial technology at Virginia Tech this fall and will be the university’s featured baton twirler.
Courtesy photo

Jaylyn’s pageant competition road began less than a year ago when a Johnstown dress shop clerk suggested it to her when helping her purchase her baton twirling outfits.

“She suggested it to me as a way to earn scholarship money,” Jaylyn said. She will pursue a major in financial technology at Virginia Tech this fall and will be the featured baton twirler on the Hokie’s home football field which holds more than 66,000 fans. She’ll make her debut on Aug. 31, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, when the Hokies take on the South Carolina Gamecocks before 77,000 fans.

During the pageant competition, women are evaluated on their talent, answers to judges’ questions, fitness and evening gown presentation. The field is cut to nine contestants who then re-compete in the categories. Then, the top five are selected.

“I was the first one called for the top five. I was in absolute shock,” Jaylyn said of exceeding her goal of being in the top nine. “The other girls have been in it for a long time and I didn’t really have any experience, so it was amazing.”

The top five contestants were then asked an additional question. For Jaylyn, her question was “As the winner, what would you do that would make you unique?”

Her response focused on her community outreach initiative called Feeding Futures.

“It’s all about providing and helping those who are food insecure get the nutrition they need. I said that what I would do that is unique, would be to connect to the Pennsylvania Agriculture Surplus System. That system connects agriculture production with those suffering from food insecurity.”

Jaylyn, through Feeding Futures, helps at area food banks and food drives. Last Thanksgiving, her efforts secured enough turkey with all the fixings to provide dinners for 150 people at her church in Everett.

The event brought home to her that “you don’t know what somebody is going through. I feel there are a lot of problems that are sometimes hidden and we need to bring light to them,” she said. Many of those came to the dinner looking down. “It was amazing. When you handed them the meal and told them there was no cost and watched them leave with a smile when they came in with a frown.”

Twirling talent showcased

The youngest daughter of Steve and Susan Resh of Roaring Spring, Jaylyn started taking baton twirling lessons at age four.

“My mom was a twirler and like any young mom, she wanted to see her little girl do what she did,” Jaylyn explained. “She took me to my first lesson and I loved it. I hit it off. It was something that came pretty easy for me.”

Those early lessons were given by Marsena Fickes of Hollidaysburg and then she took lessons from Jon Burkin for eight years before moving to online lessons with private coach Missy Townsend of Franklin, Ohio.

Megan McGeary-Porter of Altoona choreographed Jaylyn’s talent routine in which she uses three batons. McGeary-Porter, who earned the title Miss Majorette of America in 2012, works as twirler consultant for the Miss America Opportunity. Last year’s Miss Pennsylvania Page Weinstein won the preliminary talent portion at the national pageant. Weinstein also went viral with her baton twirling to AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck.”

For Jaylyn, her song went in a totally different direction — the classic “Fifth Symphony” by Beethoven to showcase her elegant long, ballerina-like lines and her strength.

“Jaylyn has a classic style in twirling — it’s soft and powerful at the same time, which seems like an oxymoron but she’s both of these things. We wanted to showcase that. Beethoven’s Fifth is a powerful classical piece and we incorporated her grace and power into it,” McGeary-Porter said.

McGeary-Porter has worked with Jaylyn since she was 10 years old.

“She is so aesthetically pleasing to watch. We tried to highlight her flexibility and her tall and ballerina-like lines as much as we could in the classic piece. The way she performs it looks effortless. She’s a good mix of difficulty but she performs difficulty with ease,” McGeary-Porter said.

“I think she was successful her first time — above being talented and strikingly beautiful — is that she is one of the most brilliant kids I’ve ever met. She uses her brain in her performance, she’s aware of her body and where her baton is at all times.”

Townsend also points to Jaylyn’s self-motivation as another key to her success.

“Jaylyn is very self-motivated and has the drive to be as perfect as possible,” Townsend said in a phone call from the national baton twirling championships at Notre Dame, where she had 45 students competing.

“She is a very hard worker and is in the gym daily to practice,” Townsend said. “She is a coach’s dream because she works hard and takes constructive criticism … and is willing to go out of her comfort zone and doesn’t give up if it doesn’t go right the first time.”

Jaylyn demonstrated this when her plans to enter the Miss Butler County’s Teen competition in November were derailed by illness. She then pivoted to the Miss York’s Teen pageant, where she won in January.

In York in June, a spirit of kindness and helpfulness permeated pageant week, she said. On arrival day, she and the others enjoyed the day at Dutch Wonderland Amusement Park, where the girls met and got acquainted.

“I was kind of shocked at first at how kind everybody is. You would never be able to tell that we were all competing against each other. We’re helping each other with our hair, zipping up our dresses and our makeup. Everybody was so kind. I’ve made some lifelong friends. We all stay in contact through a group chat — we’re constantly texting each other.”

The women spent long days rehearsing and learning the choreography for the group numbers in the pageant’s multi-night festivities.

“You get to see all of the background things that go into creating the pageant,” she said.

The weeks since the pageant have been filled with travel and preparations for her freshman year at Virginia Tech, which she chose for its academic rigor, football environment and location that isn’t too far from home. She’s especially looking forward to choreographing her own baton twirling routines, she said.

In addition to classes and twirling, she plans to further pursue the scholarship opportunities offered through the Miss America pageant system. When she turns 19 later this year, Jaylyn will be eligible to compete as Miss Virginia for next year’s Miss America scholarship contest.

Staff Writer Patt Keith is at 814-949-7030.

The Resh file

Name: Jaylyn Resh

Age: 18

Residence: Roaring Spring area

Family: Parents, Steven and Susan; and sister, Greenlee, 22

Education: Valedictorian, Northern Bedford County High School, Class of 2025; attending Virginia Tech this fall where she’s be the featured twirler

Community service: Feeding Futures; multiple school clubs; captain of the varsity soccer team, captain of the cheer team; treasurer of Future Business Leaders of America and president of the National Honor Society

Awards and honors: Miss York County’s Teen; first runner up in the Miss Pennsylvania’s Teen 2025