Northwest student Miss Lake of the Ozarks Queen of Queens | Local News

At age 5, Carli Maucher of High Ridge began competing in pageants all over the state. Now 19 and a Northwest High School senior, Carli, who has Down syndrome, recently added another title to her growing list of pageant honors – Miss Lake of the Ozarks Queen of Queens.

Some of Carli’s other accomplishments include winning the title of Pre-Teen Miss Amazing Missouri and competing in that pageant’s nationals in Chicago at age 7 and winning U.S. Miss Missouri last year.

Miss Lake of the Ozarks

Carli entered the first-ever Miss Lake of the Ozarks pageant that took place on Sept. 20 at the Cowan Civic Center in Lebanon. The pageant was divided into age divisions from “Tiny Miss” for those up to 12 months old through “Elegant” for those 50 and older. Carli competed in the Angel Teen division.

The different competition categories included People’s Choice, Casual Wear, Most Photogenic, Fashion Wear, Stage Shot, Best Hair, Best Smile, Most Promising Model, Fun Fashion, Glitz Photo, Natural Headshot, Black and White Photo, Face of the Year, Center Stage and Queen of Queens for the contestant with the overall highest scoring.

“My favorite category was Casual Wear. The theme was ‘Denim and Diamonds,’” Carli said. “My mom made me a (Kansas City) Chiefs diamond cowboy hat, and I wore rhinestone jeans, a shirt and a sleeveless jean jacket and white cowboy boots.”

Carli won all the categories except two and was named Queen of Queens for her high ranking. For earning the title, she received a specialized sash, a crown and a 3-foot-tall trophy, in addition to the trophies she received for each category she won.

“My favorite moment (of the pageant) was when they called my name for Queen of Queens,” she said. “I cried on stage while they were crowning me and putting my sash on. I also was surprised to win the other categories and see all of the trophies, crowns and medals.”

Carli said she competed in the pageant because she loves the feeling of being on stage. In addition to Miss Lake of the Ozarks, she competed in U.S. Miss Nationals in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and came in third runner-up. She plans to compete at nationals again in Kissimmee, Fla., in June 2026 and is looking for sponsors to help fund her trip.

Carli said her favorite part of competing in pageants is the new friends she makes and the support and encouragement she receives from her family and team.

“My director, Emilie Fitzwater, is the best. My mom helps a lot backstage with changing outfits,” Carli said. “Makeup and hair artists help me look my best before each area of competition. I also learn the best by watching YouTube videos of past contestants.”

Family

Carli said she is close with her family, including her mother, Stefanie Maucher, her father, Roger Maucher, and her brother, John Maucher. She also had a sister, Erika Maucher, who died in 2021, and a brother, Spencer Maucher, who died in 2022.

Carli’s first pageant was Rising Star Miss Amazing Missouri, which is specifically for people with special needs. In 2019, she decided to start participating in pageants for “typically developing” people and competed in Miss High School America. Also in 2019, she competed in Miss Amazing Missouri and won the title. However, she had to back out of the national competition for that pageant in 2021, when her sister, Erika, fell ill with COVID-19 and later died.

“My older sister, Erika, had Down syndrome and was always my biggest cheerleader. After she died, I didn’t compete for two years,” Carli said. “Her not being there gets me emotional backstage. I take a picture of her with me and pray with her every time before I go on stage for each area of competition.”

Carli said she always prepares both physically and emotionally for pageants.

“I practice a lot in my shoes, just walking around the house. I then practice in my dress and shoes,” she said. “I practice the walking patterns we are given. I practice my introduction speech and write it down.

“Emotionally, I pray a lot asking my sister to give me strength and to let her know how much I miss hearing her yell for me.”

Lessons

Carli said she balances pageant preparation with schoolwork, adding that school always comes first.

“I am a member of the National Honor Society, so my goal is to finish my senior year, keep my GPA up and work hard. I am thinking about going to UMSL and majoring in fashion,” she said. “I work just as hard on school as I do on pageant prep. I spend a lot of weekends on pageants, when not doing community service projects.”

Carli said she and all the pageant contestants are reaching for the same end goal.

“We are all the same, even though I am different,” she said. “I don’t compete against the other girls; I focus on competing against myself and getting better each time. My platform for U.S. Miss is ‘A Remarkable Sparkle,’ and I try to remind everyone that regardless of their ability, we all have a remarkable sparkle and to let it shine.”

Carli said participating in pageants means more to her than just receiving titles and crowns; it is about serving her community, making a difference, lifting up others and learning more about herself.

“I am strong. I am brave. I can stand next to my typically developing peers and feel like I belong and that being myself is enough,” Carli said.

Pageants, Carli said, can help with building confidence, public speaking and interviewing skills, all of which can benefit people throughout their lives.

She said pageants also can teach people to invest in themselves.

“Just go do it! You may not win a crown your first, second or even third time, but you will get better,” she said. “Take every pageant as an opportunity to learn and grow. Make friends and, most of all, have fun.”