Eyeing The Crowns For Miss Texas And Miss Teen Texas Competitions In July

By Don Maines

A dozen Houston-area college students will be among the 39 contestants ages 17-24 vying for a chance to become Miss America when the 77th Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant is televised this month from Allen, near Dallas.

“It’s the biggest Houston-area contingent in years,” said Tammye Markle of Montgomery, who schedules all Miss Texas appearances as her business manager.

Three nights of preliminary competition in swimsuit, evening gown and talent, along with 10-minute judges’ interviews, will narrow the field to 15 contestants who will compete in the telecast on ABC Channel 13 Digital, to begin at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 7, from the Allen Event Center. From the Top 5, the successor to Miss Texas 2011, Kendall Morris of Ennis, will be crowned.

Adrianna Nelson, the reigning Miss Houston, was first runner-up last year.

Other returning contestants include Callie Thompson of Katy, Allison Seward and Rachael Turner of Sugar Land, Elizabeth Gardner of Missouri City, Rachel Garrett of Kingwood, Ashley Simien of Magnolia and Friendswood’s Michelle Hanson.

First-time contestants include Mikaley Brooks and Zoe Cadore of Houston, and Angelic Ortiz and Whitney Wylie of The Woodlands.

Because every town and city doesn’t have a local preliminary to the state pageant, the Miss Texas Organization allows any Texas resident to enter “open” pageants, explained Markle, which is how Thompson, for example, won this year’s Miss Austin crown even though she’s a student at Texas A&M University in College Station.

Markle, who is one of five members of the state pageant’s Leadership Team, hopes to encourage more volunteers to become executive directors of local preliminaries. The Leadership Team oversees the Miss Texas Organization, along with state executive director Michelle M. Metzger and four
others who comprise the board
of directors.

“There is a sense of pride in being a local director and preparing titleholders for the state competition,” said Markle. “There are many positives and pluses to serving your community and helping young women grow educationally and socially.

“As big as Houston and its surrounding counties are, we should have 20 to 30 titles,” she said.

Markle previously served as a local director for 10 years in Houston, The Woodlands and Montgomery County. Two of her titleholders won Miss Teen Texas; two others later became Miss Texas.

Onstage talent is a unique aspect of the competition to become Miss America, explained Sheila Milner, executive director of the Miss Houston Organization.

In addition, contestants also champion a cause throughout
their year of service. For example, Nelson’s platform, “Just Living Safely — The Dangers of Drunk Driving,” is a direct response to
the death of her fiancée, who was killed in 2010 by a teenager who was intoxicated.

Performing a production number in the telecast will be younger girls, called Lone Star Princesses, who are mentored by the Miss and Teen contestants.

For further information, visit the official website, misstexas.org.

In addition to the Miss Texas contest, the Miss Teen Texas competition will be held July 4-7 in Allen.
Its winner will be announced and crowned during the July 7 telecast. The winner will represent Texas
at the 2012 Miss America’s Outstanding Teen National Competition Aug. 14-18 in
Orlando, Fla.

Teen contestants, ages 13-17, will compete in interview, aerobic wear, evening gown and talent.

Among this year’s Teen contestants are Houston-area students Mary Kate Baker, Elizabeth Buzbee, Ashlyn Connor, Tiffany Dimaano, Edmie Gonzales, Normani Hamilton, Angela Heinrich, Brandee Mills, Niki Noblett and Margana Wood.

 

1 ADRIANA NELSON

Miss Houston

AGE: 24

SCHOOL: Houston Baptist University

TALENT SELECTION:

Vocal: “How Great Thou Art”

PLATFORM: Just Living Safely-Dangers of Drunk Driving

 

2 RACHAEL TURNER

Miss Harris County

AGE: 21

SCHOOL: Belmont University

TALENT SELECTION:

Vocal: “Ah! Joie de Vivre”

PLATFORM: Beauty Itself: A Journey Starting with Self-Love

 

3 CALLIE THOMPSON

Miss Austin 2012

AGE: 21

SCHOOL: Studying for Bachelor’s Degree at Texas A&M in College Station

TALENT SELECTION:

Dance: “Abraham”

PLATFORM: Asthma: Living Without Limitations

 

4 ALLISON SEWARD

Miss Ellis County

AGE: 20

SCHOOL: Texas Christian University, Neeley School of Business, Accounting and Finance double major

TALENT SELECTION:

Vocal: “Malaguena (piano)”

PLATFORM: Children’s Literacy – Tomorrow’s Leaders are Today’s Readers

 

5 ZOE CADORE

Miss Sugar Land

AGE: 22

SCHOOL: Spellman College graduate

TALENT SELECTION:

Dance: “Imagine”

PLATFORM: Every Child Has A Dream-Enhancing the Lives of Children Through Artistic Mentorship

 

6 MIKALEY BROOKS

Miss Woodlands 2012

AGE: 18

SCHOOL: Alief Taylor High

TALENT SELECTION:

Dance: “Ne me quitte de pas”

PLATFORM: Mission: Possible

 

7 WHITNEY WYLIE

Miss Katy

AGE: 19

SCHOOL: Sam Houston State University- Major in Mass Communications with Broadcast Emphasis and Political Science Minor

TALENT SELECTION: Baton Twirling

PLATFORM: Progress For Parkinson

 

8 RACHEL GARRETT

Miss Kingwood

AGE: 23

SCHOOL: Southern Methodist University

TALENT SELECTION:

Vocal: “You’ll Never Walk Alone”

PLATFORM: Healthy Kids for a Healthy Tomorrow

 

9 ELIZABETH GARDNER

Miss West Texas 2012

AGE: 22

SCHOOL: Working on graduate degree at Texas Southern University in Houston

TALENT SELECTION:

Dance: “I Will Always Love You”

PLATFORM: “Great Expectations” in the community — working with the young people in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America

 

10 MICHELLE A. HANSON

Miss White Settlement 2012

AGE: 23

SCHOOL: Dallas Baptist University 2010; Bachelor’s Degree, Biblical Studies

TALENT SELECTION:

Dramatic Vocal: “Papa, Can You Hear Me?”

PLATFORM: Turning Coal into Diamonds: Finding the Treasure in Adversity

 

11 ASHLEY SIMIEN

Miss Southeast Texas 2012

AGE: 23

SCHOOL: Graduate of University of Texas – Arlington Sam Houston State University (Post-Bacc)

TALENT SELECTION:

Dance: “Note to God”

PLATFORM: Care 4 Kids: Pediatric Cancer Awareness

 

12 ANGELIC ORTIZMiss Sam Houston

AGE: 21

SCHOOL: Sam Houston State University

TALENT SELECTION:

Dance: “Que Rico Suena Mi Tambor”

PLATFORM: Fine Arts Education for Youth

 

 

13 NIKI NOBLETT

Teen Miss Sugar Land

AGE: 17

SCHOOL: Bellaire High

TALENT SELECTION:

Vocal: “Colors of the Wind”

PLATFORM: Niki’s Camp

 

14 ASHLYN CONNOR

Miss Teen Friendswood

AGE: 14

SCHOOL: Strack Intermediate

TALENT SELECTION:

Vocal: “Mama Who Bore Me”

PLATFORM: Bare Necessities

 

15 BRANDEE MILLS

Miss Teen Fort Bend County

AGE: 14

SCHOOL: Virtual Academy Homeschool

TALENT SELECTION:

Acro Dance: “Amazing Mayzi”

PLATFORM: Early Childhood Education

 

16 NORMANI HAMILTON

Miss Teen Clear Lake

AGE: 16

SCHOOL: Virtual Academy- Homeschooled in Pearland

TALENT SELECTION:

Vocal: “Home”

PLATFORM: Normani’s Diary of Silent Voices, “Every Voice Should be Heard”

 

17 TIFFANY DIMAANO

Miss Southeast Texas’ Outstanding Teen

AGE: 14

SCHOOL: St. Agnes Academy

TALENT SELECTION:

Vocal: “Just Around the River Bend”

PLATFORM: Listen! The Power of D.E.A.F.

 

18 MARY KATE BAKER

Miss Teen Woodlands

AGE: 17

SCHOOL: Cy Ranch High School

TALENT SELECTION:

Dance: “Valerie”

PLATFORM: Accept and Respect

 

19 ANGELA HEINRICH

Miss Teen Harris County

AGE: 17

SCHOOL: Clements High School

TALENT SELECTION:

Vocal: “Think of Me”

PLATFORM: CSI- Computer Safety Intelligence

 

20ELIZABETH BUZBEE

Miss Katy’s Outstanding Teen

AGE: 15

SCHOOL: Friendswood High School

TALENT SELECTION:

Vocal: “I Enjoy Being A Girl”

PLATFORM: Promoting Best Buddies International

 

21 MARGANA WOOD

Miss Teen Houston 2012

AGE: 17

SCHOOL: Lamar

TALENT SELECTION:

Dance: “Aqua Vitae”

PLATFORM: Nice Girls Rule

 

22 SARAH LAMBECK

Miss Teen Deer Park

AGE: 13

SCHOOL: Fairmont Junior High

TALENT SELECTION:

Clogging: “Greased Lightnin”

PLATFORM: CSI- Computer Safety Intelligence