Fifty pageant titleholders from across Utah concluded their second round of preliminary competition at Capitol Theatre Thursday night, taking one contestant one step closer to the title of Miss Utah 2016.
The Miss Utah pageant, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, kicked off Wednesday with the first round of preliminary competition. Preliminaries continued Thursday and will conclude Friday night. On Saturday, Miss Utah 2015 Krissia Beatty will pass on the title to a new queen.
Titleholders competed in lifestyle and fitness, talent, on-stage question and evening wear Thursday. Each contestant also had a private interview with the judges prior to the beginning of competition Wednesday.
Miss Nebo, Brynn Christensen, won the lifestyle and fitness competition Thursday night, and Miss Utah County Lizzy Palmatier took home the award for her talent number.
After winning the award Christensen said, "It felt amazing to be standing up there with so many other mentally and physically strong women."
Christensen, a junior studying public relations at Utah Valley University, will get $100 for this award. She is competing under the platform, "Stand Up Utah: Bullying Prevention."
Palmatier, won the talent competition for her rendition of "Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, by Camille Saint-Saens, on violin.
"I felt terrified after flinging my bow across the stage that I’d lost it, but I guess I handled it well so I’m grateful for that," she said.
Palmatier, a junior studying violin performance at the University of Utah, will get $100 for this award. She is competing under the platform, "Foster Care: Let's Do This."
Jessica Craig, Miss Orem, was honored for raising the most money for the Miss America Day of Service, which was held in April. She received a $200 scholarship for her fundraising efforts.
Miss Utah contestants raised more than $2,100 for the Children’s Miracle Network as part of the Miss America Day of Service event, and made more than 3,500 items to donate to Primary Children’s Hospital.
Each contestant also participated in a Power 2 Become shoe drive, with a goal of collecting 1,000 pairs of used shoes each. The shoes help with raising funds to build wells in Burkina Faso. The title holder who gathered the most shoes received a trip to Burkina Faso, paid in full, to help with efforts there, and the titleholder who came in second in the shoe drive received partial airfare to help with the trip.
Miss Richfield Rachelle Kunzler gathered 10,726 pairs of shoes, taking the first-place spot in those efforts, and Miss Herriman, Tanesha Bland, gathered 7,370 pairs of shoes, claiming the second-place spot.
In Wednesday’s preliminary competition, Miss Greater Salt Lake Natalie Barker took home the preliminary award in the lifestyle and fitness category and Miss Orem, Jessica Craig, won the preliminary award for her talent number.
Preliminary competition concludes Friday night at Capitol Theatre.
Miss Utah County, Lizzy Palmatier was the preliminary Talent winner for her classical violin performance of “Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso.” She will receive a $100 scholarship for her award. Lizzy is a junior at the University of Utahstudying violin performance. Her platform is titled, “Foster Care: Let’s Do This.” She said, “I felt terrified after flinging my bow across the stage that I’d lost it, but I guess I handled it well so I’m grateful for that.”
Article author Jackie Hicken is on the board of the Miss Utah Organization.