Newcomer, vet take first night of pageant competition Dixie, North Central tops in preliminaries

Published 11:43 am Thursday, June 30, 2011

A newcomer and a veteran were the winners in the first night of preliminary competition at the 54th annual Miss Mississippi Pageant in Vicksburg.

Seventeen-year-old Miss Dixie Chassidy Sumler of Flora won the talent preliminary and received a $300 scholarship with her performance of “I Will Always Love You,” written and sung by Dolly Parton and also made famous by Whitney Houston.

“I’m excited to have won. I’m still shaking,” said Sumler, “especially since I’ve never been up here.”

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Sumler had participated in the Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen Pageant in 2009 and 2010, finishing in the top 10 both years.

“I am so grateful,” said the University of Alabama student who plans to study biology and Spanish

Miss North Central Mississippi Mary Margaret Roark, 20, of Cleveland won the swimsuit preliminary and received a $200 scholarship.

Roark, who tied for the swimsuit preliminary last year as Miss Meridian said, “Are you serious? Do you think I look the best?” Wearing a white, two-piece swimsuit, Roark said she is a huge believer in being fit for life.

“For lunch I had a McAlister deli sub and a cookie. I knew I needed the energy for tonight.”

Roark is studying communications at Mississippi State University and is enrolled in the MSU Shackhouls Honors College. She was second alternate to Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen 2007 and was among the top 10 in the Miss Mississippi 2010 Pageant.

The pageant, hosted by Nan Sumrall Kelley, first runner-up to Miss Mississippi 1985 Susan Akin, who went on to become Miss America, and Miss Mississippi 2006 Taryn Foshee, will continue with preliminary competition tonight and Friday at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

A composite score from the three preliminary competitions in talent, swimwear, evening wear and questions, including off-stage interviews, will determine who will be in the top 10, announced at the beginning of the finals on Saturday night. 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 top 10 will compete in all categories except for the private interview in a live televised showing on WLBT-TV3.