Miss Michigan Teen USA relishes winning local, prepares for national competition

Sure, it was special for the 17-year-old who won Miss Michigan Teen USA. 

But if you ask her dad, he thinks it might be more special for him.

"I've been proud of her her whole life," said Jacob Lubecki. "Everything she's accomplished, she's very driven and I don't want to use the word 'stubborn,' but she knows what she wants like all girls."

Alexis Lubecki is from Canton. Her emergence into the pageantry world has roots in growing up in a single-parent household. Drawn away by addiction, her mom wasn't in her life much.

"Not growing up with my mom, it was really hard and he felt I could gain some information from the strong women in pageantry," said Alexis.

She dipped her toes into the world of performance through competitive dance, which bridged her to pageants. Her aspirations of future glory were matched by her athleticism and accuracy. Her dad jokingly said he wanted her to play football.

"She can throw a football better than most boys. She's very tough, very strong, some people could say she's even more like a man," said Jacob.

It's not just raw talent and perseverance either. Hours of YouTube tutorials made her a master of makeup and hair styles. Her dad was with her every step of the way, sometimes spending late night hours looking for supplies to complete her outfit.

"He drove around for an hour going to Meijer, Kroger and finding duct tape," said Alexis, "...ended up duct taping the inside of the dress so I could walk."

Alexis first adorned the crown and sash last September when she won the Miss Michigan USA pageant. She'll be spending next weekend in Reno, Nevada, where the national competition is taking place. You can watch a livestream here