Two three-year veterans from the Jackson Metro area took the honors in the first night of preliminary competition at the 52nd Miss Mississippi Pageant in Vicksburg at the Convention Center.

If you go

The Miss Mississippi Pageant will continue tonight and Friday at 8.

Final competition is at 8 Saturday where 10 finalists will be announced.

Tickets are $25 for tonight, $30 for Friday and $50 for Saturday.

For more information, call 601-638-6746.

Miss Metro Jackson Katherine Barkett, 21, of Flowood, won the talent category of Group A, which makes up 35 percent of the composite score. She performed the song “Defying Gravity” from the Broadway musical “Wicked.”

“I just wanted to give it my best and, when I finished the song, I knew I’d given it my all,” she said. “I was just happy with myself tonight.”

Barkett, who said she loves to sing, is a senior at the University of Mississippi, where she is studying business- marketing communications.

Although she’s been in the state competition twice before, it was her first preliminary win. “I love singing so it wasn’t that hard to practice the song,” said Barkett, who said she had been practicing for eight months.

She competed as Miss Flowood in 2008 and Miss Rankin County in 2007 and will receive a $300 scholarship for her win.

Miss Riverland Diana Strickland, 24, of Jackson, was the Group B winner in swimwear, which is 20 percent of a contestant’s score.

She also took a preliminary win in swimwear last year, when she competed as Miss Hinds County. She competed as Miss Leaf River Valley in 2006.

“I’m excited,” said the certified personal fitness trainer. “I’ve worked really hard, but at the same time, this just validates my platform,” which is Get Active, Mississippi.

Strickland is a student at the University of Southern Mississippi, where she is working toward a doctorate in occupational therapy. 

She will receive a $200 scholarship for her win.

Preliminary competition will continue tonight and Friday.

Scores from all three preliminary competitions in talent, swimwear, evening wear and questions, including on-stage and off-stage interviews, will form a score that will determine 10 finalists, who will be announced at the beginning of Saturday night’s final competition.

The composite score is 30 percent of the overall score, talent is 30 percent, evening wear is 20 percent and swimwear is 20 percent.

The 10 finalists will compete in a televised broadcast on Jackson’s WLBT local cable Channel 3 and a new winner will be crowned by outgoing Miss Mississippi Christine Kozlowski at the end of the show.

Recognitions, along with many dance numbers, were plentiful in the first show of the pageant. Michael Young and 2006 Miss Mississippi Taryn Foshee hosted the program with a theme of “Star.”

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Contact Manivanh Chanprasith at mchan@vicksburgpost.com