We asked and, boy, did we receive. Our call for readers to select the seven wonders of Centre County prompted a barrage of votes. Some nominated parks, places or people. Others tabbed churches, theaters, mansions and festivals. In a proud moment for sandwich makers everywhere, a baked tuna hoagie earned a nod.

But now, the polls are closed, the final results tallied. The envelope, please.

Our first certified wonder is ... Mount Nittany. No surprise there: Jutting into the Centre Region like a green finger, it’s our most prominent landmark, the inspiration for Penn State’s athletic teams and a favorite of local hikers. As for the rest of the magnificent seven, hold tight: They’re coming soon.

We’ll reveal them this week, one each day. We’re not trying to be cruel, honest. We just want this celebration to last for a while.

In the meantime, let’s look at some of the worthy contenders.

No doubt about it, many of you cherish State College. Among its nominees were The Tavern, State Theatre, Memorial Field, the Diner, Schlow Centre Region Library and the Hiester Street murals.

Not to be outdone by their upstart neighbors, Bellefonte’s fans offered the Centre County Courthouse, the Garman Opera House, the Big Spring, Talleyrand Park, Bush Arcade, the Gamble Mill restaurant, the Match Factory, Union Cemetery and the Reynolds Mansion.

A few lobbied for the town’s Victorian Christmas, possibly in a transparent bid to get on a certain jolly old elf’s nice list. Switching to the naughty, one vote touted the State Correctional Institution at Rockview as a wonder. Just a guess here, but the plug probably didn’t come from behind bars.

Fans of Boalsburg offered plenty of suggestions — from the village itself down to the 14th hole at the Elks Country Club. Shout-outs also went to the Columbus Chapel, Boal Mansion, the Pennsylvania Military Museum, Duffy’s Tavern, Boalsburg Playhouse, the Memorial Day monument, Tait Farm, the Diamond and, no bull, the giant steer atop Kelly’s Steak and Seafood.

Over near Centre Hall, the Mount Nittany Inn is gone — the victim of not one, but two fires — but efforts have begun to rebuild it, and the hilltop view remains as impressive as ever. The same goes for the Jo Hayes Vista above Pine Grove Mills.

Philipsburg’s giant wooden Santa almost disappeared because of wear. Today, all 37 restored feet of him lights up a park in December, a true wonder to several of you.

Nice try, again, to curry a little favor up north.

But it’s not like Saint Nick has a lock on popularity in Philipsburg. Votes were cast for the Rowland Theatre, the Halehurst Mansion, the Rowland Mansion, St. Paul’s Church, the Union “Old Mud” Church and the town’s historic architecture in general.

Speaking of history — and many did — the contenders list included Curtin Mansion, Boogersburg School, Egg Hill Church and Lemont’s own restored Grain Elevator and Coal Sheds, better known as the Granary.

No category, though, topped the great outdoors for enthusiasts. With all the votes for state parks, lakes, canyons, forests, natural areas, nature centers, trout streams, caves and valleys, Mother Nature has to be smiling. OK, she might quibble with the dams and the Jacksonville Quarry, and Indian Caverns and Stone Valley technically are not ours, but we just might be spared a flood or two. Good job.

Penn State received nearly as much love. There were the usual suspects, of course — Old Main, the Nittany Lion Inn and Paterno Library, among others. But sneaking on the list were elm trees, deer pens and underground tunnels, a darkhorse candidate for the finalists.

Evidently, your sense of wonder encompasses the full range of county life. Music struck a chord — the Essence of Joy choir at Penn State and the Valley Jazz Orchestra, to name two picks — as well as humanitarian groups such as Centre Volunteers in Medicine and the Second Mile Foundation. Joe Paterno got votes, as did Interstate 99 acid rock, sprawl and home prices.

And they say sarcasm is passé.

Tsk, tsk: Why end with such a sour taste? We don’t have to when we’ve got Meyer Dairy and Creamery ice cream, grilled stickies and, yes, Bonfatto’s baked tuna hoagie — all treasures in the eyes of some. Chew on this, too: Thanks to you, we now know how lucky we are to live in a beautiful, vibrant, downright wonderful community.

No wonder you all appreciate it.

Chris Rosenblum can be reached at 231-4620.