Sloane Roberts Crowned Miss Arkansas 2012

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Sloane Roberts, Miss Arkansas 2012

Sloane Roberts, a University of Arkansas senior, won the title of Miss Arkansas 2012 Saturday night at the 75^th Anniversary Miss Arkansas Scholarship Pageant. The pageant took place at Summit Arena in Hot Springs in front of a crowd of more than 2,500 people.

Roberts, who competed as Miss Heart of the Ozarks, is a communications major in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, a member of Chi Omega fraternity and was Miss Arkansas’ Outstanding Teen 2008. For her talent selection, she performed an acapella tap dance. Her platform is “Love Always Hopes: Preventing Child Abduction.” She is the daughter of  John and Michelle Roberts of Rison.

Roberts won a $20,000 scholarship and more than $50,000 in awards, wardrobe, transportation and gifts. She will represent Arkansas at the 2013 Miss America Pageant in Las Vegas and will make appearances across the state promoting the Children’s Miracle Network, the Arkansas Children’s Hospital and her personal platform. She will speak in support of the goals of the Miss Arkansas and Miss America system.

Roberts was crowned by the outgoing Miss Arkansas, Kristen Glover, of Stuttgart.

More than $88,000 in scholarships were awarded Saturday night to various contestants in decisions made by a panel of five judges.

Eight of this year's contestants were University of Arkansas students and alumnae, and five of them, including Roberts, placed in the top 10. Miss Arkansas' 2nd runner-up, Bethany Whitfield, is a student in the university's School of Law. The 3rd runner-up, Rosalyn Taylor, is a Fulbright College alumna. Simone Mullinax, also a Fulbright College alumna, was a semi-finalist, and Tracey Neal, a graduate student in the College of Education and Health Professions and holder of the Miss University of Arkansas title, was a semi-finalist.

Placing in the top 15 were Sarah Elise Gafvert, a senior in the College of Education and Health Professions, and Helen Wisner, a Fulbright College alumna.