Thirteen local beauty queens were among those competing Saturday at the Capitol Theatre in Salt Lake City for the chance to become Miss Utah 2006 in the 68th annual event. Several claimed top prizes.
Katie Millar, 19, the daughter of Bret and Rita Millar of Highland won the Miss Utah crown and a $10,000 scholarship prize. Former Miss Spanish Fork, currently Miss Utah County, Carly Tooke, was named first runner-up, and Miss Orem, Brittany Harper, was named fourth runner-up. Miss Utah State Fair, Betsy Passmore, from Pleasant Grove, was also in the group of 10 finalists.
Millar, a senior at Brigham Young University majoring in neuroscience, will now go on to compete in the Miss America regional contest in Los Angeles in August. The winner of that event will compete against other regional winners in Las Vegas in January 2007 in the Miss America Scholarship Pageant for a total of $40 million in cash and scholarship money.
Millar's platform centers on the promotion of awareness of juvenile diabetes. She played the electric violin for her talent presentation.
Other Utah County contestants were Miss American Fork, Amber Holley; Miss Lehi, Heidi Lamb; Miss Payson, Whitney Lunt; Miss Pleasant Grove, Nicole Wilson; Miss Provo, Corine Foster; Miss Salem, Jennifer Nielson; Miss Santaquin, Rachel Sonderegger; Miss Spanish Fork, Jessica Waite; and Miss Utah Valley State College, Nichole Warner.
Other awards included the Miss America Scholarship award to Lunt, the Top Interview award to Millar, and the Spirit of Miss Utah award to Sonderegger in a tie with Miss Sanpete County.
Fifty-four contestants from all over Utah competed in talent, interview, swimsuit and evening gown segments for a panel of five judges.