Ten U of A Students and Alumnae to Compete for Miss Arkansas Title

Photo Submitted

Back, left to right: Tracy Neal, Kacey Keefe, Helen Wisner, Simone Mullinax, Sloane Roberts, Dorothy Shepherd, Amy Crain, Kimberly Smith, Rosalyn Taylor, Erica Durr. Front: Anna Clair Hay

Of the 46 young women who will compete for the title of Miss Arkansas July 13-16 in Hot Springs, 10 will have University of Arkansas student or alumna included in their biographical information.

The contestants, and their respective titles from around the state, are:

• Miss University of Arkansas Kacey Keefe – senior
• Miss Northwest Arkansas Tracy Neal – senior
• Miss South Central Arkansas Kimberly Smith – graduate
• Miss Greater Hot Springs Amy Crain – graduate
• Miss Lakes of the Northwest Helen Wisner – graduate student
• Miss White River Simone Mullinax – graduate student
• Miss Ouachita River Sloane Roberts – sophomore
• Miss National Park Mikaila Wilson – sophomore
• Miss Heart of the Ozarks Rosalyn Taylor – senior
• Miss Apple Blossom Dorothy Shepherd – senior

“Having so many U of A students participating in this year’s pageant is a real testament to the caliber of students we have here on our campus,” said Toni Bahn, director of the Miss University of Arkansas pageant and director of special events for the department of intercollegiate athletics. “The time and commitment that goes into preparing for this competition is plentiful, and the contestants are involved in many community appearances and service projects throughout the year. At the same time, they continue to perform well in the classroom and in their many extracurricular activities on campus. These young ladies have been outstanding ambassadors for the university through their positions as Miss America local titleholders. I wish them all the best of luck.”

In order to compete in the Miss Arkansas scholarship pageant — whose winner goes on to represent the state of Arkansas in the Miss America scholarship pageant — you must win one of 46 preliminaries held throughout the year. The Miss University of Arkansas preliminary is the state’s largest and holds the reputation as one of the most competitive.

Nine of the 10 contestants are pictured above, along with Erica Durr, a student in the university's School of Law who placed in the Top 10 at the Miss Louisiana pageant last month. Also pictured is Anna Claire Hay, Miss University of Arkansas’ Princess, who is able to spend time with the Miss University of Arkansas titleholder throughout the year and learn from her experiences.