'The Most Anticipated Event of the Year': Mr. OCHS Is Crowned

In an annual twist on beauty pageants, 13 male seniors competed Thursday night for the crown of Mr. OCHS.

The Performing Arts Center at the high school was filled to capacity with students, parents and other members of the public eager to watch the contestants poke good-natured fun at pageantry, themselves, the school community and anything else that might draw a laugh.

The contestants included:

• Dean Howey
• Brad Davidson
• Seth Miller
• Justin Healey
• A.J. Klein
• Kieran Keyser
• Javonn Parrish
• Twins Derrick and Shaun Brewer
• Steve Zellers
• Michael Wray
• Pat Birk
• Ryan Santiago

The show included choreographed dances and competitions in formal wear, personality interview, fitness competition, free expression/talent and casual wear.

Ocean City High School cheerleading coaches Kathy Sykes and Brenda Colon-Smith and their cheerleading squad were responsible for putting the show together and helping the pageant contestants rehearse.

A generous array of cash and merchandise prizes came from and Kevin Halliday, the Class of 2013, Custard Hut, , Family and Consumer Sciences Department, , Heritage Links Golf, , Kirk's Pizza, , , , Ralph's Bagels, , , TGI Friday's, and .

Judges included: Michael Martirone, an Egg Harbor Township High School social studies teacher; Liz Ullmer, a mother of four Ocean City High School grads and co-owner of Ulmer's Appliance Service; Cathy Finnegan, "Around Our Town" columnist for the Ocean City Gazette; and Antwan McClellan, a school board member, City Council candidate and 1993 winner of Mr. OCHS.

Some of our favorite one-liners:

• "I'd buy you a state championship."
  —Justin Healey on what he would do with a million dollars. His interviewer was John Bruno who has more than 300 wins in his 23-year career as OCHS boys' basketball coach.
• "I would go back to Hitler's birth ... self-explanatory."
  — A.J Klein on what he would change if he could go back in history. Klein had made his entrance to the competition accompanied by his "Jew crew."
• "Our goal is to prove gingers do have souls."
  — Part of the introduction for redheads Derrick and Shaun Brewer.

And the winners of the 2012 Mr. OCHS Contest were:

• Mr. Congeniality: Dean Howey
• Third Runner Up: Derrick and Shaun Brewer
• Second Runner Up: Ryan Santiago
• First Runner Up: A.J. Klein
• Mr. OCHS: Javonn Parrish