A panel of five judges crowned Ansley Hawkins as Miss Troup Teen and Hayley Henderson as Miss Troup County at Saturday night’s Troup County Scholarship Pageant at the Troup High School Fine Arts Auditorium.
The excitement and expectation built throughout the evening until finally the results of the pageant were announced. Both young women were taken by surprise when their contestant numbers and names were announced.
“I was very shocked and very happy, I didn’t understand what number they called at first,” Hawkins said. “Now, I have to get ready for the Miss Georgia Outstanding Teen pageant down in Columbus, Georgia.”
Hawkins, a Type I diabetic, is insulin dependant. She was diagnosed when she was 2 years old.
“My mother and I both are diabetic. My mother just had a kidney and pancreas transplant and people can’t believe how well she is doing,” Hawkins said. “Now, I will be able to further my platform on Diabetes awareness.”
A former national vice president for the March of Dimes Youth Council, Henderson plans to use her position to further represent the March of Dimes and The Children’s Miracle Network. In August, she will also start her masters degree at Columbus State University.
“My initial reaction was shock, being thankful and being thrilled,” Henderson said. “I am blessed to be able to spend an entire year representing and serving this great county.”
The contestants were judged on their interview responses, physical fitness and healthy lifestyles, talents and evening gown appearances. A people’s choice award in each division also gave the audience an opportunity to cast their vote for their favorite contestant.
Judges were Ann Duraski, an experienced voice instructor; Carol Eason, accomplished dance instructor and choreographer; Reggie Lewis, a seasoned pageant judge and actor; Nicole Philbrick, former Miss South Dakota and 2001 Miss America contestant; and Amanda Backstrom-Talbott, 2002 Miss Troup County.
Pamela Kennedy Stribling, the evening’s mistress of ceremonies, kept the program moving while allowing the judges the time to score the contestants in each of the separate areas. Stribling held the titles of Miss Troup County 1999, Miss Atlanta, Miss Georgia 2000 and competed in the 2001 Miss America Pageant. She currently serves as president of the Miss Troup County Board.
Between segments of the pageant, the audience was entertained by various individuals. Stribling and 2010 Miss Troup County Jessica Scott Bounds sang, the Salvation Army International Youth Orchestra performed, 2012 Miss Troup County Katie Grego played the piano and Miss Troup Teen 2012 Mitzi Anderson performed a dance number.
The Troup High School JROTC young men acted as the young women’s escorts for the evening gown segment of the evening.
The pageant’s executive directors, James and Judy Neighbors, both were pleased with the results of the evening.
“It was a great pageant. The girls were all beautiful, talented and intelligent, they all did an outstanding job and were a delight to work with,” Judy Neighbors said.
James Neighbors added: “We have been married 42 years this July, and we have been running these pageants for 38 of those years. All of these girls are our family.”
Results for 2013 Miss Troup County Scholarship Program
Miss Troup County
Interview Award
Hayley Henderson
First Runner-Up
Talent Award
People’s Choice Award
Katherine McCauley
Second Runner-Up
Stephanie Gargiulo
Third Runner-Up
Cori Beth Sutton
Miss Troup Teen
Ansley Hawkins
First Runner-Up
Talent Award
People’s Choice Award
Elizabeth Veal
Second Runner-Up
Caroline Carroll
Third Runner-Up
Samantha Arnold
Interview Award
Avery Hart
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