Herald Journal, June 28, 2004
Miss Minnesota is from Waverly
By Ryan Gueningsman
The City of Waverly has always been able to boast several things – good fishing and being the home of former US Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey, just to name a few.
Now, Tiffany Ogle is giving Waverly residents another reason to be proud.
The hometown girl was recently crowned Miss Minnesota and will be competing in the Miss America Pageant in September.
“I really hope to put Waverly back on the map,” Ogle said. “Those are my roots and who I am. When we had the Hubert Humphrey museum opening, I got to write an article for the newsletter, and I said ‘That’s my goal – to put Waverly back on the map.’”
Ogle’s mother Norma recently sold her home in Waverly and is living in the Twin Cities, but is planning on moving back to Waverly in the near future.
Her brother, Scott, has a trucking business, and her other brother, Ryan, owns Ogle Drywall and is also doing some real estate property management.
Ogle’s father, Jim “Fuzzy” Ogle, is originally from Waverly, but passed away about two years ago.
Throughout her high school years, Ogle worked at Pete’s Grocery, was on volleyball and softball teams, and took stats for basketball. She graduated from Howard-Lake-Waverly-Winsted High School in 1998, and is currently living in St. Louis Park. She works for Caryn International, a model and talent scouting agency based in the Twin Cities.
Ogle competed with 13 other contestants for the Miss Minnesota crown, and will have the opportunity to represent Minnesota at the Miss America Pageant in September in Atlantic City, N.J.
“To qualify for the Miss Minnesota pageant, you have to win a local,” Ogle said. There are 12 local pageants in Minnesota, with two of them having double titles. Ogle won Miss Metropolitan in February. Several portions of the competition included an interview about social issues, and a platform statement.
“It’s all about local events and how aware you are about what’s happening in the state and the nation,” she said.
Her platform is “Gone in 60 Seconds – Preventing Childhood Abduction.”
She has been a volunteer with the Jacob Wetterling Foundation, and cites that as an inspiration to get involved in the Miss Minnesota Pageant. Ogle became acquainted with the Wetterlings when she lived next to them while attending college at St. Benedict.
“I went to college at St. Ben’s and St. John’s, and the Wetterlings were my neighbors at St. Joseph,” Ogle said.
Ogle has done speaking engagements, as well as other volunteer work for the Jacob Wetterling Foundation.
While in college, Ogle also did volunteer work with the Red Cross at homeless shelters, as well as renovating an old movie theater in St. Cloud into a homeless shelter. She has also been involved with Sharing and Caring Hands.
“I did a lot of that in college because it goes along with a psychology major, too – learning about why people are where they are,” she said.
She graduated from college in May 2002 with a double major in psychology and communications, with a concentration in theater.
Now Ogle works at Caryn International, which is recognized by world-famous agents, casting directors, and personal managers as having top-quality models and actors, trained and ready to work in major markets throughout the world.
Ogle does not represent models and talent, but rather prepares them with auditions, manages them, and establishes a connection with an agent for them.
“A lot of people I work with are new. One of the boys I work with was the state fair singing winner, and he just recently sang with Stevie Wonder in Los Angeles,” she said.
Seann William Scott, known to many people as Stifler from the “American Pie” movie series, and from Minnesota, worked with Caryn.
After being crowned Miss Minnesota – what’s next?
Ogle said she will be doing three or four appearances a week from now until Sept. 1, when she leaves for Atlantic City for the pageant.
“Until then, they pretty much own me,” she said laughing. Some events include speaking engagements, parades, performing her talent, and opening events that she may be asked to host.
Ogle also will be doing weekly mock interviews and working with a vocal coach to prepare for the pageant. She coordinates this practice with her local committee, the Miss Twin Cities Metropolitan Committee, and the Miss Minnesota Board, and a personal coach.
One thing that comes with winning a major pageant like this is instant fame.
“My mom has a picture of the first autograph I signed at the pageant, and it’s like, instantly, people think you are a celebrity and you’re totally not. You’re the same person you were the day before or a week ago, and all the sudden your signature means something, she said.
“It’s really weird. It’s funny. I think it’s kind of like what your 40th birthday is like. Everybody is like ‘You’re over the hill now, how do you feel?’ You don’t feel any different. You’re the same person.”
Ogle has already been doing a lot of work with local radio stations and television, and is looking forward to working with Clear Channel Broadcasting for several promotions.
When Ogle leaves for the Miss America pageant, she, and the other 51 candidates will fly into Washington D.C. first to go to the White House to meet with President George W. Bush and the senators. From there, they fly to Atlantic City.
“I don’t know a lot about it yet, but I know there’s not a whole lot of practice time,” she said. “I think you get to practice your talent on the stage one day during the three weeks you are there.”
Ogle doesn’t know what events she will be participating in while she is in Atlantic City, but knows the competition will be a week long. Monday through Wednesday is preliminaries, with one day being evening gowns, one day talent, and the last day swimsuit and casual wear. The contestants are assigned by number what they do on a given day.
The Thursday before the Miss America pageant is going to be an interview, and Friday is a huge parade.
“There is a minimum of 27,000 people that come to watch that,” she said. “It’s only three to five miles but it takes four or five hours to get through the parade.” Candidates receive a car, in addition to police escorts at all times.
One judge at the Miss Minnesota pageant, who has judged 66 state pageants, approached Ogle afterwards and told her that he thinks she has a good shot at Miss America.
“That was kind of neat because he has been in the system for so long. I’ll shoot for that, but I’m not quite expecting it,” she said laughing.
Ogle planning to be home for Waverly Daze
Ogle said she is going to be in the Waverly Daze parade Sunday, July 11, and also plans on attending the coronation of the new Waverly ambassadors.
To inquire about inviting Ogle to an event, contact Lori Ziebarth at loriz@missminnesota.org or at (612) 701-9120. She arranges all of Ogle’s events and appearances. At each parade, Morrie’s Mazda, and Walser Chrysler Jeep donate cars.
Ogle said she has also had some inquiries about making a donation to the Jacob Wettering Foundation. She said that people can go to www.jwf.org, and follow instructions from there.
For more information, and to follow Ogle on her journey to the Miss America pageant, visit the following web sites: www.missminnesota.org and www.missamerica.org.
The Miss America pageant will be on ABC Television at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18.
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