Miss Madison County Allison Kellogg was crowned Miss Mississippi 2003 Saturday night in Vicksburg. (C. Todd Sherman The Vicksburg Post)

[6/28/03]The third time was the charm for Miss Madison County Allison Kellogg as she was crowned Miss Mississippi 2003 Saturday night at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

“I have been wanting to be Miss Mississippi since I was a little girl,” said the 22-year-old Madison resident who was first runner-up in 2002 when she competed as Miss Midsouth. “I would have pageant parties at my house and wear paper crowns and my mother’s heels.”

In 2001, during her first state competition, Kellogg also represented Madison County.

Saturday night’s first runner-up, Miss Dixieland Robyn Davis, who has been in the pageant five times, said this year’s competition was her last.

“I’ve been in this spot (first runner-up) twice, and it is a little sad,” the 24-year-old said. “But I have earned a lot of scholarship money, and I plan to study advertising and public relations at the University of Alabama.”

As first runner-up, Davis, a magna cum laude graduate of Mississippi University for Women, will receive an $8,000 scholarship.

Kellogg will receive $16,000 in scholarships.

Kellogg was crowned by Miss Mississippi 2002 Jennifer Adcock, a replay of a 1999 pageant in which Kellogg succeeded Adcock as Miss Junior Miss.

The new Miss Mississippi’s father, Steven Kellogg said after the crowning he couldn’t be more proud.

“She has lived her platform,” said Kellogg.

Each contestant is required to outline a platform of volunteer work to be performed throughout the reign, and Kellogg said she will promote after-school programs for youths 5 to 17 years old.

Kellogg is graduate of the University of Alabama with degrees in dance and public relations.

During the talent competition, Kellogg performed an interpretive ballet.

She was one of seven preliminary competition winners, capturing the swimsuit title and a $300 scholarship Friday night. She was also a preliminary winner in swimsuit competition last year.

As Miss Mississippi, Kellogg will represent the state in the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City in September. Mississippi has had four women crowned Miss America, the last one in 1985.

The second runner-up in Saturday night’s competition was Miss New South Misty Rea, 24, who will receive a $6,000 scholarship; third runner-up was newcomer Miss Grenada County Kristian Dambrino, 17; and fourth was Miss Dixie Jalin Wood, 21.

Other winners in the Top 10, each of whom will receive a $2,000 scholarship, were:

Miss University Jennifer Jernigan, 20, a marketing major at the University of Mississippi. She is from Madison.

Miss Mississippi State University, Jessica Rene Sparks, who will attend the University of Mississippi Medical Center in August. The 20-year-old is a native of Belmont.

Miss Mississippi College Jessica Hill, 21, is a nursing student at Mississippi College. She plans to obtain her master’s degree as a nurse practitioner. Hill is from Grenada.

Miss Southern Magnolia Kim Blackwell, a student at Mississippi State University majoring in communications and broadcasting. The 22-year-old is from Meridian.

Miss West Central Mississippi Laranda Latricia Moffett, a 23-year-old student at Mississippi State University majoring in communications. She is from Bay Springs.

The Miss Mississippi Pageant, the 46th in Vicksburg, drew a capacity crowd of 1,700 to the Vicksburg Convention Center for the fourth and final night of the week’s competition.