Miss Mississippi State University to be crowned Oct. 17

Contact: Mary Pollitz

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Nine undergraduate students are seeking the title of Miss Mississippi State University on Thursday [Oct. 17].

The event takes place at Lee Hall’s Bettersworth Auditorium at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for the public and $10 for current MSU students, and are available at https://msstate.universitytickets.com/ or from the Center for Student Activities in Colvard Student Union.

The winner of the Miss MSU pageant advances to the Miss Mississippi Pageant, with that program’s winner eligible to compete for Miss America. Miss MSU receives a full-tuition scholarship, with the first, second and third runners up receiving $1,000, $750 and $500 scholarships respectively.

Since its inception in 1959, eight Miss MSU title holders have been crowned Miss Mississippi, with one being crowned Miss America. The winner of this competition serves as an ambassador for the university—representing MSU during speaking engagements, appearances and performances on campus and throughout the community.

This year’s contestants include:

AIKEN, South Carolina—Avery Gray, senior, geosciences major

BOONVILLE— Jaycee Drew Janzen, senior, marketing major

BRIDGEPORT, Alabama— Reese Smith, sophomore, business administration and foreign language major

FAYETTE, Alabama—Abby Berthoud, freshman, wildlife fisheries and aquaculture major

GREENVILLE— Skylar Harden, senior, interdisciplinary studies major

MADISON, Tennessee— Aniyah McKissic, junior, music education

NEW ALBANY— Rylie Ozbirn, junior, elementary education major

VICKSBURG—Sarah Randolph, senior, biological sciences major

WAYNESBORO— Karolina Heathcock, senior, wildlife fisheries and aquaculture major