Elizabeth Mendel, a 22-year-old from Cape May Court House, was crowned Miss New Jersey on Saturday and will be honored with a parade in Middle Township tonight. Mendel, a graduate of Middle Township High School, is the third Miss New Jersey from the school in the past four years.
The parade, which is set to start at 7 p.m., will run from Middle Township High School to Elementary School #2. The community is coming together to celebrate Mendel's achievement and her upcoming representation of the state at the Miss America competition in January 2025.
Mendel, who previously held the title of Miss South Jersey, won the evening gown preliminary round on her way to the Miss New Jersey title. She is also an advocate for eating disorder awareness, having personally experienced the struggles of an eating disorder. She plans to use her platform as a title holder in the Miss America Opportunity to spread awareness about eating disorders.
"Having personally experienced the struggles of an eating disorder, I understand the challenges of being knowledgeable about my illness yet unable to recover alone," Mendel said. "The shame, inadequacy, and loneliness I felt during that time motivated me to use my platform as a title holder in the Miss America Opportunity to spread awareness about eating disorders to hundreds of individuals, young and old."
Mendel's victory continues a recent trend of Miss New Jersey winners from Middle Township High School, with Augostina Mallous taking the crown in 2022 and Alyssa Sullivan-Cristelli in 2021.