Miss Mississippi first runner-up in 2016 Miss America Pageant

Published 12:15 pm Monday, September 14, 2015

: Miss University of Southern Mississippi Hannah Roberts plays the violin in the talent competition at the Miss Mississippi Pageant on Wednesday, June 24, 2015, the first of three days of preliminary competition at the Vicksburg Convention Center in Vicksburg, Miss.

Representing the state with dignity and beauty, 2015 Miss Mississippi Hannah Roberts was named first runner-up to Miss America last night in Atlantic City.

Roberts is the daughter of James and Danna Roberts of Mount Olive.

“We are ecstatic. It’s been a roller coaster of emotions all week. We would just like to thank all the state of Mississippi and to say thank you for letting our daughter represent this great state,” James Roberts said.

Miss Georgia Betty Cantrell was crowned the winner during the 95th installment of the national pageant during the Sunday night’s telecast on ABC.

Second runner-up was Miss Colorado Kelley Johnson; third, Miss Louisiana April Nelson; and fourth, Miss Alabama Meg McGuffin.

Along with Roberts’ family, Vicksburg supporters and members of the Miss Mississippi Pageant Board attended the 2016 Miss America Pageant.

“Wow, she [2015 Miss Mississippi Hannah Roberts] was awesome. She has worked hard all week long and is deserving of what she got,” said David Blackledge, executive director and chairman of the Miss Mississippi Pageant Board.

“This is a great showing for Mississippi and we are so excited,” Blackledge said.

Including Roberts, 52 women competed for the national title.

Three preliminary competitions were held prior to the final competition and crowning, with contestants competing in talent, swimsuit, evening gown, on-stage question and judges’ interview.

During Wednesday night’s preliminary competition, Roberts was named as one of the five STEM scholarship winners, where she was awarded an additional $5,000 in scholarships to the $25,000 as first runner-up.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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