A veteran and a newcomer were the winners in the second night of preliminary competition at the annual Miss Mississippi Pageant Thursday at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

Miss Tombigbee Alivia Paden Roberts from Shannon won a $500 scholarship with a classical ballet performance to Antonio Vivaldi’s “Storm.”

Roberts said she wanted to perform en pointe to show case her technical strengths.

“Pointe dancing has always been my absolute favorite. I started taking point early in the fifth grade,” Roberts said. “I knew when I eventually got to the level where I could do Miss Mississippi I really wanted to do something where I could showcase the effort I have put into taking dance.”

Roberts said in high school she studied dance at Tupelo Ballet under the instruction of Sharon Long and is currently continuing her studies at the Starkville Academy of Competitive and Performing Arts while a student at Mississippi State University.

Roberts said she has been dancing for 16 years and sometimes practices seven days a week.

This is Roberts first year to compete in the Miss Mississippi Pageant. She has also been a contestant in the Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen Pageant and was named third runner up in 2013.

Miss Riverland Laura Lee Lewis, a 22-year-old from Brookhaven won the swimsuit preliminary competition and a $400 scholarship.

Lewis, who wore a two-piece white swimsuit, credited her grandmother for instilling the value of staying fit.

“My grandmother taught me at a young age to eat healthy and pick up a carrot instead of a cookie,” Lewis said.

To help maintain her figure, Lewis said she works out with personal trainers at the Madison Healthplex Performance Center.

“I go to the gym once a day every day, and I also go home and exercise,” she said.

In addition to her exercise program, Lewis said her program for a healthy lifestyle also includes being a “clean eater.”

“I eat grilled chicken, vegetables, fruits and natural foods. I think it is much healthier for your body to stay on those types of foods,” Lewis said.

This is Lewis’s fifth attempt at the title. Last year, she was first runner up to 2014 Miss Mississippi Jasmine Murray. In 2009, she was crowned Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen.

Roberts and Lewis joined Wednesday night’s preliminary winners in a lineup of 30 women who head into the final preliminaries Friday. A winner is to be crowned Saturday. Wednesday night’s preliminary winner in the talent phase of the competition was Miss University of Southern Mississippi Hannah Roberts. Miss Hattiesburg Ivey Swan won the swimsuit preliminary.

The final preliminary competition will be held Friday at 8 p.m. at Vicksburg Convention Center. A composite score from the three preliminary competitions in talent, swimwear, evening wear on-stage questions and off-stage interviews will determine who will be in the top 10, which will be announced at the beginning of the final competition on Saturday night. The pageant will be capped off Saturday when the new Miss Mississippi will be crowned.

Tickets are $40 for Friday and $50 for Saturday.