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Junior miss Katie Lamberth was named the winner of the 2010 Junior Miss. Competition.

Lamberth named county Jr. Miss

By Laura Johnson | Alex City Outlook

Published Monday, October 26, 2009

Benjamin Russell High School student Katie Lamberth was named Junior Miss in Tallapoosa County Sunday in front of a crowd of family and friends.

She was just one of six local contestants who entered the scholarship program. Blythe Brock, Katie Iddon, Abby Fox, Michele Maxwell and Hannah Bush also took part in the event.

“It’s just been a wonderful experience,” emcee Jimmy Yates said during the ceremony. “Our contestants have been working very hard.”

The girls moved through a fitness routine, a talent competition, and completed a choreographed evening gown competition that included a self-expression statement during Sunday’s competition. Prior to the on-stage performance, the contestants underwent an academic review and interview session.

They practiced for three weeks to learn the choreographed routines, which were incorporated in each on-stage division of the competition. But the real work began four years ago when each of the girls was a freshman in high school.

That’s because 25 percent of their score was based on their academic achievements as high school students. An academic judge determined those scores based on the girl’s classroom grades and standardized testing scores.

Junior Miss is often mistaken for a traditional pageant but stands apart from them because of the academic element, Barbara Yates, Jr. Miss co-chair, said of the Tallapoosa County competition.

But academics or no, Lamberth said what she most anticipates about serving as Junior Miss in the coming year is making new friends and achieving self-development goals.

“I think (serving as Junior Miss) is going to be very helpful as far as self presentation,” Lamberth said.

She will go on to complete in the state competition in Montgomery. There, she will stay with a host family for a week while she prepares for the competition with other contestants from across Alabama.

During that time she will have no access to cell phones and no verbal contact with friends and family in Alexander City. Instead, she and the other contestants will focus on getting to know each other and preparing for the competition.

“I think going to state to meet all the girls is the most exciting part,” Lamberth said.

Lamberth received a $1,000 scholarship for winning first place in the competition. She will be eligible for additional scholarships as a contestant at the state level and if she wins there, she will be eligible for the $150,000 cash scholarship awarded to the winner of the national title.

Other contestants came away with titles as well. Abby Fox was the scholastic winner, Kattie Iddon was named first runner up and Hannah Bush received the spirit of Junior Miss award. Lamberth was also the self-expression winner.

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