Thirteen women who want to be the next Jamie Watkins, now known as Miss Tennessee, will have their opportunity this weekend by winning one of four local preliminary titles in the annual competition sponsored by the Hamilton County Scholarship Association.
The Miss Hamilton County and Miss Tennessee Valley 2004 contest takes place Saturday evening at 7 at the Bond Auditorium located on the Chattanooga State campus.
On Sunday afternoon at 4, the competition concludes with the crowning of Miss Chattanooga and Miss Southeast Tennessee 2004.
The four new titleholders will advance to next year’s Miss Tennessee Pageant in Jackson where they hope to succeed Miss Watkins, the Soddy-Daisy resident who became the first Hamilton County resident in 14 years to win the state title. She was crowned in June.
Two-day tickets are $15 and one day admission is $10.
The entrants are Natalee Beeler of Powell; Robyn Forbess of Covington; Jenna Howard of Brighton; Stephanie Mallard of Chattanooga; Cleveland’s Lindsey Moffett; Jackie Patterson of Memphis; Charleston’s Jaclyn Roe; Chattanooga’s Lisa Saalwaechter (the outgoing Miss Southeast Tennessee who is eligible to compete for the other three titles); Rebecca Stewart of Nashville; Cleveland’s Megan Vining, Autumn Wiggins of Chattanooga, who is the current Miss Metropolitan; Old Fort’s Heather Wilcoxon and Alisha Williams of Chattanooga.
Miss Watkins, who has been preparing for next month’s Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City, will be a special guest both days performing and signing autographs. The UTC graduate is a former Miss Hamilton County and Miss Chattanooga.
There is added interest to this weekend’s contests and November’s Miss Scenic City preliminary due to the accomplishments of the outgoing titleholders. The reigning Miss Tennessee Valley, Ashley Brooks, was 1st runner up to Miss Watkins and won a state talent preliminary for an unprecedented third time. By virtue of her finish, the University of Tennessee graduate student in piano performance will represent the state at the National Sweetheart Pageant on Labor Day weekend in Hoopeston, Illinois. The Sweetheart contestants are top five finishers from Miss America state pageants throughout the country.
Cara Allison, Miss Hamilton County, was a top 10 finalist and swimsuit winner. Miss Allison is going to have a new title on August 30th when she marries Marcus Standifer. Miss Saalwaechter received a non-finalist award and Miss Chattanooga, Alia Crutcher, will continue her dance studies at Fordham University in New York. Miss Scenic City is the title Miss Watkins relinquished in June and Miss Wiggins was also a state talent preliminary winner.
In addition to preparing for the 2004 Miss Tennessee contest, the new titleholders will make numerous area appearances on behalf of DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and promote their chosen community service projects. The Interview and Community Service presentation will account for 40 percent of a contestant’s score.
Radio personality Jason Walker of 96 The Mountain, will be the emcee. Executive Directors are Julie Sanders for Hamilton County and Southeast Tennessee, Melissa McNew for Tennessee Valley and Jeff Hill for Chattanooga.