Miss Morgantown Elizabeth Romanek as she is crowned Miss West Virginia 2026 by Miss West Virginia 2025 Courtney Bearer, in Martinsburg on Saturday. Romanek is a graduate of Wheeling Park High School.

MARTINSBURG — Elizabeth Romanek beamed Saturday evening as she was crowned the winner of the Miss West Virginia Competition.

Her win was not a surprise to many, after the Miss Morgantown contestant won the talent portion of the competition during its preliminary round. Her talent, a jazz routine to Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” was precise and dynamic — as was the case with the rest of her presentation on the competition stage.

For Romanek, the impression she hopes to make, during her tenure as Miss West Virginia, will be one of genuineness.

“I hope people will remember my authenticity and positivity,” Romanek, who is a 2024 West Virginia University alumna, a Wheeling Park High School graduate and the assistant director of admissions and recruitment events at Bethany College, said. “In every single room I step in, I try to lead with confidence and being true to myself, every single time, no matter what that looks like. I want people to remember me for me — I never want to put a show on for anyone.”

Her fellow winner of the night, Miss Clarksburg Winterfest’s Teen Zoe Little, certainly was not putting on a show when she fell to the floor in shock, after being named Miss West Virginia’s Teen 2026.

“With the sisterhood here today, we all represent wonderful platforms and possess some incredible attributes,” Little said. “We are confident, young individuals who are excited to represent the state of West Virginia on the national stage.”

The Huntington native entertained the audience with a technically-demanding, energetic baton twirling performance to Shakira’s song, “Zoo,” from the movie “Zootopia 2.” She also moved many in the audience, with the discussion of her platform, Project Girl Code — a peer-led initiative fighting back against relational bullying.

“I know what it’s like to feel bullied. I know what it’s like to feel alone. I will never let a young girl feel alone,” Little said, adding she can best do this, by serving as a listening ear to girls across the state. “As the next Miss West Virginia’s Teen, I promise you, I will listen to young girls. I will tell them how to be a friend and how to be confident — through Project Girl Code, I do that every day.”

Along with making many appearances across the state in their new roles, the two winners will also soon be making plans to take the trip of a lifetime together, at the end of the summer. Romanek and Little will be competing in the Miss America Competition from Aug. 28 to Sept. 6, for the titles of Miss America and Miss America’s Teen, in West Palm Beach, Fla.