Buys named Miss Mississippi

Published 10:10 pm Saturday, June 24, 2017

: Anne Elizabeth Buys is crowned Miss Mississippi 2017 by Miss Mississippi 2016 Laura Lee Lewis during the Miss Mississippi Pageant at the Vicksburg Convention Center in Vicksburg, Miss., on Saturday, June 24, 2017 (Courtland Wells/The Vicksburg Post, via AP)

The wait is over. Miss Vicksburg Anne Elizabeth Buys was crowned the 2017 Miss Mississippi Saturday night at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

“I am so excited,” Buys said. “God is so good. I owe all the glory to him. Without him, I would not be here. I am so excited to represent Mississippi and to be the 60th Miss Mississippi crowned in Vicksburg, my hometown, the place I call home.”

Buys is a true product of the Miss Mississippi Pageant organization, first serving as a Miss Mississippi Magnolia princess. She then went on to win the crown of Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen in 2013, and last year, she was named first-runner up to Miss Mississippi.

Buys said she could not wait to go to Atlantic City and make the state proud.

“I will be willing to do anything it takes to win the crown. I want to do everything bigger and better,” she said.

The newly crowned Miss Mississippi said she felt like she performed well in all phases of the competition.

Following Wednesday night’s preliminary competition Buys was named the winner of the swimwear competition and on Thursday, she tied in the preliminary phase of the competition, where she performed en pointe to “Viva” by Bond.

Along with the Miss Mississippi title and crown, Buys receives a $10,000 scholarship.

Saturday night’s top 10 contestants competed in the final round of competition on a point system based on interviews with the judges, talent, swimwear, evening wear and on-stage question.

Miss Dixie Holly Harrington of Tupelo was named first runner up and was awarded a $7,500 scholarship; Miss Meridian Tanner Fant of Meridian was second runner up and was awarded two $2,500 scholarships totaling $5,000; Miss Jones County Brooke Bullock of Petal was third runner up and was awarded a $2,500 scholarship and Miss All-America City Asya Branch of Booneville was fourth runner up and was awarded a $2,500 scholarship.

Rounding out the top ten were Miss Desoto County Charley Ann Nix, Miss Hattiesburg Mia Hall, Miss Neshoba County Fair Miriam Grace Seale, Miss Mississippi State University Molly May and Miss New South Callie Danielle Brown.

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.’