There's a Hooters International Pageant and a Greater Cincinnati woman got 2nd place

A star of the 2024 Miss Hooters International Pageant hails from Mason.

Sophia Zullo, an employee of the Hooters restaurant in the Cincinnati suburb, was crowned first runner-up and Miss Photogenic in the 27th annual contest among Hooters girls across the country and beyond.

The pageant took place in front of a public audience on Aug. 22 in Fort Worth, Texas, at the live music venue Billy Bob’s Texas.

"I am so grateful for this experience and the fact that I’ve accomplished so many things within the short 2 years I’ve been with the company," Zullo said in a Facebook post. "I am absolutely honored and blessed."

Zullo was one of 30 contestants selected from the 18,000 Hooters girls employed worldwide to compete for the Miss Hooters International Crown and a $30,000 grand prize. Her competitors came from various states, as well as Canada and England.

The event featured "iconic moments," including a choreographed opening number, swimsuit competition and Q&As posed by a panel of judges, according to a release from Hooters.

The women were evaluated on their responses to these interview questions, uniform and swimsuit rounds, personality and "overall contribution" to the Hooters brand.

Zullo is described on the Hooters website as having a "bubbly personality." She can be seen "traveling the country, volunteering or exploring new cuisines," the description reads. She is currently studying sonography to become an ultrasound technician.

According to her Instagram page, she is a 2020 graduate from Oak Hills High School, where she was a cheerleader. She also cheered at the University of Cincinnati during the 2020-21 season .

Zullo is also "Miss March" for the 2024 Hooters calendar. She placed third at last year's Miss Hooters International Pageant.

The winner of the 2024 competition was Cassidy Welch, a Dallas Hooters girl who finished first runner-up in last year's pageant.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: There's a Hooters International Pageant and a Greater Cincinnati woman got 2nd place