LITTLE ROCK — The Miss Arkansas Pageant and Miss Arkansas’ Outstanding Teen Pageant will be held at the same time this year. The pageants will be held June 13-17 at the newly renovated Robinson Auditorium in Little Rock. Preliminaries for both pageants will be held at 7 p.m. June 13-15. Miss Arkansas’ Outstanding Teen finals will be at 7 p.m. June 16, and the Miss Arkansas finals will begin at 7 p.m. June 17. Doors will open at 6 each night.
Preliminary awards will be made in artistic expression (talent), lifestyle and fitness (swimsuit) and presence and poise (evening gown).
Several young women with ties to the River Valley & Ozark Edition coverage area will compete in the annual Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant.
Area contestants include the following:
• Miss Arkansas Tech University — Kelsey Stone of Russellville is the 20-year-old daughter of Kim and Dee Stone of Texarkana, Texas. She will present a vocal and piano performance of “Rise Up” for her talent, and her platform is “Healthy Habits 4 a Healthy Life.”
A nursing major at Arkansas Tech, she will compete in interview on June 11,
talent on June 13, swimsuit on June 14, and evening gown and onstage question on June 15.
• Miss Arkansas Valley — Carly Copeland of Clarksville is the 20-year-old daughter of Jody and Donna Copeland of Clarksville. She will present a vocal rendition of “A New Life” for her talent, and her platform is “Mentoring Matters.” An elementary education major at Arkansas Tech, she will compete in interview on June 12, swimsuit on June 13, evening gown and onstage question on June 14, and talent on June 15.
• Miss Central Arkansas — Hannah Burrow of Foreman is the 24-year-old daughter of Chad and Rachelle Burrow of Foreman. She will present a tap dance to “Play That Sax” for her talent, and her platform is “See the S.I.G.N.S.: Deaf Awareness.”
A family and consumer science major with an emphasis in nutrition at the University of Central Arkansas, she will compete in interview on June 11, evening gown and onstage question on June 13, talent on June 14 and swimsuit on June 15.
• Miss Conway — Megan McAfee of Gravette is the 20-year-old daughter of David and Sheryl McAfee of Gravette. She will present a vocal/piano rendition of “Another Day of Sun” for her talent, and her platform is “So the World May Hear: Changing the World for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired.”
She will compete in interview on June 12, swimsuit on June 13, evening gown and onstage question on June 14, and talent on June 15.
• Miss Diamond Lakes — Jade Collins of Hector is the 21-year-old daughter of Brant Collins and Lorrie Ellis of Little Rock and Russellville. She will present a vocal performance of “I Who Have Nothing” for her talent, and her platform is “Live The United Way: Creating A Brighter Future Through Education.”
A strategic communications major at Arkansas State University, she will compete in interview on June 11, talent on June 13, swimsuit on June 14, and evening gown and onstage question on June 15.
• Miss Lake Dardanelle — Raigan Alexis Purtle of Russellville is the 20-year-old daughter of Brian and Ryna Purtle of Russellville. She will present a lyrical dance to “Castle” for her talent, and her platform is “Mentoring: IOU (It’s OK to be Unique).”
A wellness science major at Arkansas Tech, she will compete in interview on June 12, swimsuit on June 13, evening gown and onstage question on June 14, and talent on June 15.
• Miss Natural State — Alexis Sanders of Conway is the 21-year-old daughter of Roosevelt and Vernetta Sanders of West Helena.
She will present a flute instrumental, “Sing Sing Sing,” for her talent, and her platform is “All Hands Down: Volunteer.”
A health education/pre-pharmacy major at UCA, she will compete in interview on June 11, talent on June 13, swimsuit on June 14, and evening gown and onstage question on June 15.
• Miss North Central Arkansas — Ebony Mitchell of Harrison is the 20-year-old daughter of Hulene Ongola of Alpena. She will present a tap dance to “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” for her talent, and her platform is “S.A.F.E. Connections.”
A business marketing major at UCA, she will compete in interview on June 12, swimsuit on June 13, evening gown and onstage question on June 14, and talent on June 15.
• Miss Ouachita River — Taryn Bewley of Conway is the 18-year-old daughter of Terry and Allyson Bewley of Russellville and Plainview. She will present a tap dance to “I’m a Star” for her talent, and her platform is “Reading Matters.”
A psychology major at the University of Mississippi Honors College, she will compete in interview on June 11, talent on June 13, swimsuit on June 14, and evening gown and onstage question on June 15.
• Miss Ozark Highlands — Rebecca Ward of Clarksville is the 18-year-old daughter of Billy and the Rev. Marci Ward of Clarksville. For her talent, she will present a vocal operatic selection, “O Mio Babbino Caro,” and her platform is “Importance of the Arts in Education.”
A music vocal performance major at Arkansas Tech, she will compete in interview on June 11, talent on June13, swimsuit on June 14, and evening gown and onstage question on June 15.
• Miss Ozark Mountain — Madison Oswalt of Harrison is the 18-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Oswalt of Harrison. For her talent, she will perform a jazz dance to “Gimme Gimme,” and her platform is “Volunteer With a Purpose.”
A pre-veterinary science major at Arkansas Tech, she will compete in interview on June 11, evening gown and onstage question on June 13, talent on June 14 and swimsuit on June 15.
• Miss Petit Jean Valley — Payton Marshall of Belleville is the 19-year-old daughter of Stacy and David Marshall of Conway and Belleville. For her talent, she will present a vocal rendition of “Love Yourself,” and her platform is “One Foot Forward.”
An English education and creative writing major at Arkansas Tech, she will compete in interview on June 12, swimsuit on June 13, evening gown and onstage question on June 14, and talent on June 15.
• Miss Sweetheart of Arkansas — Cameron Willis of Sheridan is the 20-year-old daughter of Jon Willis and Diana Willis of Bryant. For her talent, she will sing “All I Ask of You,” and her platform is “Table Talk: Breaking the Silence of Eating Disorders.”
A biology/pre-med major at the Norbert O. Schedler Honors College at UCA, she will compete in interview on June 11, evening gown and onstage question on June 13, talent on June 14 and swimsuit on June 15.
• Miss University of Central Arkansas — Kellie Collins of Dardanelle is the 20-year-old daughter of Jackie and Debera Collins of Dardanelle and San Mateo, California. For her talent she will sing “I Have a Dream,” and her platform is “Make-A-Wish.”
A biology major with a pre-chiropractic emphasis at UCA, she will compete in interview on June 11, evening gown and onstage question on June 13, talent on June 14 and swimsuit on June 15.
The live broadcast of the Miss Arkansas Pageant will begin at 7 p.m. June 17 on KATV-Channel 7, streamlining on KATV.com and the KATV Facebook page.
Tickets to the pageants are available through TicketMaster. Tickets can be ordered by phone at (800) 745- 3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com or at any TicketMaster outlet.
For more information, visit the website missarkansas.org.