By Caleb Clark
Athletics Communications Student Assistant

AKRON, Ohio – University of Akron sophomore dance team member Bridget Linton will compete in the Miss Teen USA pageant on Saturday, after being named Miss Ohio Teen last fall. The pageant will be held at Atlantis resort in the Bahamas and be webcasted live on MissTeenUsa.com.

There will also be a vote for Miss Photogenic at PeoplesChoice.com, and one can vote as much as they wish, with the voting ending the night of the 24th.

Linton will join 50 other contestants who won the Miss Teen USA pageant of their respective states (including the District of Columbia) in a pageant derived of a bathing suit, evening gown and interview rounds that will show off the contestant's health, elegance and public speaking.

Unlike many contestants who compete in the Miss Teen USA pageant, Linton is fairly new to the pageant world.

"I never competed in a pageant until this year," Linton said. "I was chosen as a Princess for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Court and had a great experience with that.

"Shortly after, I met Mrs. Ohio United States and she recommended that I compete for the state title of Miss Ohio Teen USA. I looked into it a little more and decided I would give it a try. That was truly the best decision I could have ever made."

Although new to the pageant world, Linton has been showcasing her talents for a while as an Irish dancer. Currently, Linton serves as an instructor at her Irish dance studio. Unfortunately, there is no talent portion of the Miss Teen USA pageant, so she will not be able to show off her dancing prowess.

However, Linton does get to showcase her dancing skills at men's and women's home basketball games.

"The dance team has been by far the best part of college," Linton said. "I have had the time of my life being apart of such a wonderful team. All of the girls have become like sisters to me and I know we will be friends for a lifetime. 

"Also getting the opportunity to travel to Daytona to compete at Nationals was amazing, especially since it was the first time Akron has ever competed in anything. I can now say I was part of a team that will go down in history as the first one to ever compete not only in a competition, but a national one."

Along with pageants and dancing, Linton has to go to school and balance her time wisely.

"This has definitely been one crazy and hectic year trying to balance everything, but it really helped with my time management skills," Linton said. "Being a full time student, attending dance team practices and games, working at my Irish dance studio, all while training for the biggest competition of my life can get to be pretty stressful.

"I have learned to just take everything one step at a time and work out my schedule the best that I can. There have been a lot of late nights getting everything finished and ready, but here I am in the Bahamas enjoying every minute of it and on July 24th, hopefully all of my hard work will have paid off."

After school Linton wishes to continue in her major of study in broadcast journalism.

"In the future, I see myself reporting the news from all over the world," Linton said. "I would like to start out locally, then go national, and then world news. 

"I love meeting new people and traveling and I feel this field is perfect for me. I enjoy being in front of a camera and if I get to do something I love while traveling and meeting new people, I couldn't ask for anything better."

"This entire year has made me grow as a person and I have developed a strong confidence," Linton said. "I am proud to represent our beautiful state and hopefully I will get the chance to represent our nation."