MISS FLORIDA USA PRELIMINARY REPORTS

*Miss Ft. Meyers USA & Teen USA Titles added to December 11^th Miss Sarasota USA:

We have added the Ft. Myers title to our December 11th date to allow Katy more time to focus on her big wedding day:) We will only take 20 Miss contestants & 20 Teen contestants! Sounds crazy, but this is our plan. We wanted to give six young woman the training and opportunity to compete at a the best pageant system "Florida USA"!!!

Our staff will have a workshop November 20th at Southside Gym in Sarasota. For information please e-mail me. If you mail in your application and entry fee and win another title before our pageant, we will refund your money. GOOD LUCK to all the contestants!!!!

*Written by our friend Marianne Oden!

PRELIMINARY PAGEANT NEWS!

» Miss Tallahassee USA To Be Televised: For the second year The Miss Tallahassee USA & Miss Tallahassee Teen USA Pageants will be broadcast in the Capital City. NBC40 in Tallahassee will air the telecast on a week delay basis on Saturday November 13^th. Check out this link for more information. http://www.leadingladymagazine.com/misstallahassee/home.php.

» Miss Tampa/St. Petersburg USA Seminar Day This Saturday!

If you are interested in competing in the Miss Tampa USA/Teen USA and Miss St. Petersburg USA/Teen USA Pageant on December 4 and 5, 2004, Citrus Productions is hosting a training/information session at John Robert Powers on Friday, November 12, 2004. We will cover modeling and interview. The address is the following: 5660 West Cypress Street, Suite G, Tampa, FL 33607. The time is from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Please arrive when you can! Miss Tampa USA/St. Petersburg USA will crown two Miss and two Teens and we hope to secure enough delegates to crown three young ladies in each division. The Christmas themed pageant hopes you all will attend! Call 407-896-5787 or e-mail director@missvermontusa.com with any questions!

» Miss Polk County USA/Teen USA Pageant Prep Day

Join the Win the Crown girls, Julie Broughton and Shannon Williams for an afternoon of pageant fun December 11^th! This workshop will answer all of your questions and help you get ready for the upcoming Miss Polk County USA/Teen USA pageants. Our new titleholders will be crowned the weekend of January 15^th and 16^th 2005 at the Embassy Suites I-Drive in Orlando.

This complimentary orientation will feature fitness & nutrition specialist Patrick Diver of Lifetime results. He’ll tell you about the most effective way of training to be swimsuit ready by competition day. We’ll show you examples of appropriate wardrobe options for all budgets. Make up artist George T. Reed will also demonstrate techniques for stage and interview application.

The reigning Miss Polk County Teen USA Tatiana Schoeppler will be on hand to chat answer your questions. She’ll tell us about her experience preparing for the state competition, and how it felt to place 3^rd runner up out of 56 contestants!

In addition to all this, we’ll give you an edge on securing sponsorship to cover your pageant expenses. You won’t want to miss our interview prep session as well as lessons on stage presence/modeling. Again, there is no charge to you for this workshop! For more information, please contact us at directors@winthecrown.com or call (407) 877-0468.

» SPONSOR ALERT! PRINCESS PAGEANT ROOM SALE

Victor Rossi, of www.victorrossi.com has decided to release the first trunk show of the year to Princess Pageant Room. We are so excited to have hiis new line for the weekend of Nov. 18-22! Please call for an appt. to come see his new and different line. All the pageant stores in the southeast wanted this account and we are thrilled to be the exclusive to offer it! He had two dresses at the emmy's, has wardrobed several Miss USA and America girls. He is in the same family as the owener of Sheri Hill/Jovani and Claires's...However, his dresses are half of thier price! Can't wait to see you! Debby Tuck 334-596-4673.

THE ROAD TO HOLLYWOOD

Miss Tallahassee USA & Miss Tallahassee Teen USA

November 6 & 7, 2004

The Capitol City was all abuzz as the second annual Miss Tallahassee USA & Miss Tallahassee Teen USA Pageants ruled the pageant world this past weekend! Throw in a soon to be aired television show this event felt bigger then most states in the Miss USA system. Pageant fever has overtaken our state capital!

The pageant started with a preliminary competition for the USA delegates on Friday night at The Augusta Conradi Theatre on the campus of Florida State University. Twenty six delegates competing for the title hit the stage in both Swimsuits & Evening Gowns. Then it was interview judging Sunday morning before the judging panel of: Brian Rowland, Presidnet of Rowland Publishing, Lee Ann Leonard of BeachTV and Paradise Found Resorts, Cheri Grubbs of Hilton Inc., Felina Martin of Eventions, and Ken Armstrong of the United Way of the Big Bend lent their expertise for the weekend.

Then Sunday night it was time for the lights and cameras as the final competition was underway. After the production number was taped for the camera’s it was time to get the competition underway! The evening began with the twenty-six USA delegates and eleven teen delegates introducing themselves in black dresses of their own choosing.

Co-hosting the televised show for the evening would be Tallahassee City Commissioner Andrew Gillum and Miss Florida USA 2005 Melissa Witek who handled the duties like seasoned veterans. Up first the announcements of two special awards that qualify the delegates for both state pageants. Miss Amity in Teen USA was Alyx Reynolds while the USA winner was Chelsea Waggoner. Then the Miss Photogenic winners were Sally Wusstig and Holly Grissom. The People's Choice winner was Amanda Willis in the Miss USA Pageant.

After handing out the hardware it was time to announce the semifinalist for Miss Tallahassee USA, in no particular order the names were read: Holly Grissom, Kimberly Anderson, Megan Henry, Sheena Monnin, Elise Miller, Diana Polston, Chelsea Waggoner, Aaren Edens, Jami Lynn Daniels, Keturah Hudson, Amanda Willis, and Jessica Seamans! They will join the Miss Tallahassee Teen USA delegates for the remainder of the evening’s competition.

Up first was the interview competition. With the questions in a crystal bowl it was up to the ladies to pick their own. With recently crowned Miss Panhandle USA Brook Francis and Miss Panhandle Teen USA Tricia Forbes handling the bowls it was up to Ms. Witek to handle the duties. The Teen USA delegates were up first then followed by the USA delegates. This years titleholders will have to think on their feet often as they will become official spokespersons of The Big Bend United Way.

The Gold's Gym Swimwear Competition then followed with each delegate in swimwear and sarong from California Waves. Then the evening gown competition followed to complete the semifinal competition. Now it was time to announce the finalists for both competitions. In the Miss Teen USA division qualifiers were Sarah Zurrell, Cassidy Johnson, Alyx Reynolds, Sally Wusstig and Melissa Burtschell. In the Miss USA division it was Diana Polston, Kimberly Anderson, Sheena Monnin, Megan Henry and Chelsea Waggoner.

After one last round of interviews it was time for the entire cast to return to the stage for the final walk of two great titleholders. Up first for her final walk was Sarah Clemmons, the first Miss Tallahassee Teen USA. Following her was Rosanna Lauwrie, Miss Tallahassee USA and second runner-up in the Miss Florida USA 2005 Pageant. They both thanked their families, friends and Leading Ladies! It was quite a special year for these amazing young women.

Then the final results were handed to Commissioner Gillum and the results for Miss Tallahassee Teen USA 2006 were:

4^th Runner Up is Sarah Zurrell.

3^rd Runner Up is Melissa Burttschell.

2^nd Runner Up is Cassidy Johnson.

1^st Runner Up is Sally Wusstig.

The New Miss Tallahassee Teen USA is Alyx Reynolds!

Before crowning the new Miss Tallahassee USA a special winner was announced. The recipient of the second entry into Miss Florida USA was to be awarded to the winner of The Leading Lady of The Year Award, the winner was Kimberly Richardson of Tallahassee. Congratulations and see you at state this summer!

Then it was time for The Miss Tallahassee USA results, and they were:

4^th Runner Up is Diana Polston

3^rd Runner Up is Chelsea Waggoner

2^nd Runner Up is Sheena Monnin

1^st Runner Up is Megan Henry

The New Miss Tallahassee Teen USA is Kimberly Anderson

Congratulations to Ms. Reynolds & Ms. Anderson as they represent our states capital in next years Miss Florida USA and Miss Florida Teen USA Pageants. Also congratulations to The Leading Ladies of The Panhandle on producing the only televised preliminary pageants in The Miss USA system. Can’t wait to see the show this weekend on NBC-40 in both Tallahassee and Thomasville, GA. this Saturday at 6:00pm.

Up next on The Road To Hollywood is a trip down the I-4 corridor and the Miss Seminole County pageants this Sunday at 6:00pm. See you in Maitland!

STATE PAGEANT ELIGIBILITY STATS

Miss Florida USA 2006

Delegates Entered: 4

Delegates Eligible: 23

Miss Florida Teen USA

Delegates Entered: 4

Delegates Eligible: 20

Every week more delegates become eligible to compete at state. The season started with qualifiers from the past year. All of each pageants top15 qualify along with Miss Amity & Miss Photogenic. Each preliminary pageant qualifies delegates as “at large” status with their finalist, amity, photogenic and peoples choice awards.

This weekend – 1 entry Miss USA 1 entry Miss Teen USA to be awarded.

THE ROAD TO MISS USA UPDATE:

THE ROAD TO PALM SPRINGS UPDATE

Brink divides her time between Miss California Teen, athletics

By Matt Zimmerman; Staff writer/ www.presstelegram.com

She’s a gimpy-ankle, self-described "pageant rookie" and reigning Miss California Teen. Five-foot-seven middle blocker, starter for Valley Christian High volleyball and soccer teams, and of course, "Hutch." She’s a high school student and scholar athlete of the year for having the best grade-point average among those who participated in two or more varsity sports.

Stephanie Brink is all these things, and all at the same time. Sort of!

"All three of them make me who I am, (but) I think it's my qualities," Brink said. "I try to do my best, I'm a leader, I try to live for God. I think that those things are what I first and foremost am. The roles that I play are just: from 8-3 I'm a student, from 3-5 I'm a volleyball player, and when I have appearances I'm Miss California Teen. I'm always those things, but I couldn't say that I'm more one than the other."

Brink, a senior at Valley Christian, had never competed in a beauty pageant before entering last October's Miss Greater Lakewood Pageant. Having played the violin since the fifth grade and singing "since probably when I could talk," Brink enjoyed being on stage and thought the idea sounded like it could be fun.

Winning is indeed fun, as Brink well knows from being a starter on a Crusader volleyball team seeking a fourth consecutive CIF Southern Section playoff quarterfinal appearance, and a player on a Valley Christian soccer team that reached the CIF-SS semifinals last season.

And after she was named Miss Greater Lakewood, it was on to Fresno for the Miss California Teen Pageant during Labor Day weekend of this year. "My parents stress to take it in, have a wonderful experience … but don't be focused on winning, don't make that your ultimate goal," said Brink, whose father Dan is pastor at Rosewood Christian Reformed Church in Bellflower. "Because if I have that as my goal … I've seen it, where girls, it doesn't happen, and they're broken. I went in thinking, 'I would love to have it, but I don't need it to validate who I am or anything like that. It would just be a wonderful experience."

As Brink competed for Miss California Teen, she thought most of her teammates didn't know. But when she returned to volleyball practice the day after winning, the Crusaders wasted no time congratulating her and asking questions. "We were like, 'Cool, we have Miss Teen California," ' said senior outside hitter Melissa Boer "It's still Steph, doing that pageant stuff. She's not all like, 'I'm Miss Teen California," or anything. She's not like that."

As for her post-Miss California Teen days, Brink had been considering attending college elsewhere. Her two older brothers, Nathan and Aaron, are both attending college in Grand Rapids, Mich., and their parents Dan and Cheri are from that area and have family there.