Mardi Gras Royal Court 2020

The Mistick Krewe of Okeanos, delivered the Carnival spirit and traditions to the to San Marcos with its 8th annual Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday. Since the parade fell on Feb. 22, George Washington’s birthday, the Krewe selected the parade theme “Okeanos Salutes America’s Heritage” and invited participants to decorate their entry in the spirit of the theme.

The Krewe also used the parade as an occasion to honor residents of San Marcos who have dedicated their personal time and efforts toward making the community a better place by naming them King and Queen of Carnival. This year, Robert Cotner and Linda Pennington were crowned as King and Queen of Okeanos IX and lead the parade on the Krewe’s signature royal float.

King & Queen Okeanos IX

Linda Pennington has served the San Marcos community almost all her life being a tireless volunteer. Pennington has served as president of the Advisory Board for the Central Texas Medical Center Hospice as well as chair of the Hospital Gala and helped establish the Pennington-Nash Hospice Room at CTMC. While at Texas State University, she served as president of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority and was chosen to be a past president and Woman of the Year of Beta Sigma Phi Women’s Friendship and to Service Organization. She is an active member of the First Methodist Church and is on the Board of Trustees. As a lifelong advocate for historic preservation, she is an original member of the Heritage Association of San Marcos. She has been honored as a member of the San Marcos Women’s Hall of Fame and now as a Queen of Carnival.

Robert Cotner has a long history of service, having served as chairman and member of the Board of Directors of Sights & Sounds of Christmas, chair of the City Electrical Board, chair of the City Cemetery and as a board member and past president of the Texas State Alumni Association. He has been a dedicated member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, having served as governor of PKA in Texas, and the Alumnus of the Year Award is named after Cotner because of his service. He is a recipient of the Julian Edward Woods Civic Duty Award. Cotner was also the past president of the Heritage Association of San Marcos and has been honored as Heritage Member of the Year as well as Volunteer of the Year during his tenure.

From left to right are debutantes Bree Snead, Dani McNabb, Grace Baker and Victoria Polhem.

Debutantes

Also featured in the parade were four debutantes from local families including Grace Baker, Dani McNabb, Victoria Polhemus and Breonna Snead. This was the third that debutantes have been apart of the Krewe of Okeanos’ annual Mardi Gras celebrations. Each year the Krewe selects four young outstanding women to be presented at the Twelfth Night Ball. While the tradition of presenting debutantes can be seen as outdated and old-fashioned, each of the women presented are modern women with ambitious goals that are selected based on their accomplishments, both academically and altruistically.

Debutante Grace Baker is the daughter of Ginny and Brian Baker of San Marcos. Grace is a sophomore at San Marcos High School where she actively participates in student council and class fundraising activities. She is a second-year member of the Diamond Line Dance Team and is a member of the National Honor Society. She enjoys movies, dancing, shopping and travel. Grace’s career goal is to become a teacher. Grace was presented by her father and was escorted by her brother Harrison Baker.

Debutante Guiliana “Dani” McNabb is the daughter of Monica Malorgio and Billy McNabb of San Marcos. Dani is a student at San Marcos High School and is the current president of the Student Council. Her activities include playing tennis and piano. She also enjoys reading, writing and working out. Dani hopes to one day travel internationally and experience the different cultures of the world. Dani was presented by her father and escorted by Sebastian Russo.

Debutante Victoria Polhemus is the daughter of Rocoio Polhemus of Kyle and Myrick Polhemus of San Marcos. Victoria attends San Marcos Academy where she has served as freshman class secretary, sophomore class president and junior class president. She is a National Honor Society member and is currently ranked third in her class. Victoria participates in the Leo Club. volunteers at the Buda library and is a San Marcos Academy Student Ambassador. She enjoys piano and has achieved the highest rating (Superior Plus) for three years at the University of Texas Music Festival. She is a three-year recipient of the Second Mile Award at the Academy. After college, and possibly law school, Victoria hopes to enter politics with the goal of becoming a senator. Victoria was presented by her father and escorted by Maxwell Watson.

Debutante Bree Snead demonstrates her Texas Dip curtsy during the Twelfth Night Carnival Ball.

Debutante Breonna “Bree” Snead is the daughter of Trish Bode and Bryan Snead of Austin. Bree is a senior at Vandergrift High School. She is passionate about the environment and plans to attend Texas State University majoring in Wildlife Biology. Bree is the president of the Debate Club and has participated in several theatre productions from acting on the stage to costume design. She was a participant in the National Student Leadership Conference on Intelligence and National Security last summer. She also works in the summer as a manager for a lifeguard company. Bree was presented by her father and escorted by her brother Nicholas Snead.

For more information about the Mistick Krewe of Okeanos, go to their website.