A 19-year-old pianist from Orem is the new Miss Utah after defeating more than 60 contestants Saturday night in a standing-room-only event at Mountain View High School.
Miss Orem, Amanda Moody, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Del Moody, played Ballade No. 4 by Chopin to best the field of 10 finalists who included four competitors who placed in the top five in last year's contest.Moody also won the talent contest in preliminary judging Wednesday evening. She will now compete in the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City this fall.
Selected as first runner-up is Miss Salt Lake County Fair, Tausha Bunker, the daughter of Robert Bunker and Kassi Bergquist. Bunker sang an opera number.
Second runner-up is Miss Color Country, Tracy Kennick, daughter of Bill Kennick and Connie Marsing. She also played the piano.
Miss Utah Valley, Nanette Pearson, daughter of Barry and Linda Pearson, was named third runner-up, with a classical ballet dance as her talent number.
Following the lead set by the 1994 Miss America pageant judges in their selection of a hearing-impaired queen, Heather White-stone, judges for the 1995 Utah pageant chose Lisa Jolley, Miss North Ogden, daughter of Robert and Sherry Jolley, as the fourth runner-up. Jolley is hearing-impaired, yet played a piano selection for her talent number and answered her interview questions by voice rather than by signing.
Others in the top 10 included: Miss Iron County, Rebecca Lyn Weidner; Miss Weber County, Michelle Burton; Miss Cache Valley Logan, Maia C. Brindley; Miss Salt Lake Valley, Heidi Ayako Pease; and Miss Utah State University, Leslie Jean Heal.
Judges' awards were given to five contestants who excelled but did not place in the top 10: Miss Provo, Wendy Anderson; Miss Beaver County, Gloria Dawn Craw; Miss Salem, Jamie Blanchard; Miss Draper, Alena Glauser; and Miss Emery County, Rachel Huntsman.
And 10 more young women were lauded for coming in with scores for evening gown competition, talent, judges' interviews and swimsuit competition closest to the finalists.
They included: Miss Davis County, Laura True: Miss Brigham City, Marlene Reeder; Miss Springville, Amber Folster; Miss Utah County, Nicole Jensen; Miss Kaysville/Fruit Heights, Jelina McEntire; Miss Utah Valley State College, Raychellene Jasper; Miss Manti, Nikki Peterson; Miss St. George, Suzanne Reed; and Miss Utah State Fair, Jessica Luekenga.
Winning notice for outstanding community service projects were: first - Miss Sandy, Tiffany Ann Bosen, for her push to reopen a Boys & Girls Club in Sandy; second - Miss Southern Utah State University, Meshia Ann Johnson, for her efforts to educate the public on the hazards of secondhand smoke; third - Miss Duchesne County, Micki Kathleen Marshall, for increasing the roster of foster-care providers; and fourth - Miss Roy, Sara Hoellein, for her campaign on earthquake awareness.
Last year's Utah winner, Jennifer Kearns, won national recognition for her community-service campaign in her hometown of Vernal for pushing to increase the percentage of seatbelt wearers.
The local Miss Utah pageant is the largest state competition in the United States, said directors Norm and Rosanne Nielsen. Across the nation, $24 million in scholarships is awarded to pageant winners, selected on the basis of their talent, public poise and physical fitness.
Seats for the local pageant had been sold out since April 27, Nielsen said. "It's the best show in town."