Preliminary competitions for the Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen Pageant came to a close Saturday night with four teens being name preliminary winners.

The event was held at the Vicksburg City Auditorium and during the first competition, which was held at 2 p.m., Miss Brandon’s Outstanding Teen Tori Johnston won talent and Miss Amory’s Outstanding Teen Helen McDougald won the evening gown/onstage question preliminary.

For the evening competition, Miss Northland’s Outstanding Teen Presley Caldwell was the talent winner and there was a four way tie in evening gown/onstage question between Miss Natchez Trace’s Outstanding Teen Hailey Pushis, Miss Brandon’s Outstanding Teen Tori Johnston, Miss Dixie’s Outstanding Teen Carol Trent Imbler and Miss Southern Magnolia’s Outstanding Teen Mattie Grace Morris.

Today, the final competition will kick off at 2 p.m. with the top 10 being named at the start of the pageant.

These teens will compete again in all phases of the competition except for the judges’ interview and one teen will be crowned the 2018 Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen.

Jennifer Tillotson, who is the producer of the teen pageant, said rehearsals leading up to the show went well.

“The rehearsals have gone wonderful, very smooth,” Tillotson said.

“We have such a wonderful team working and that’s what makes our rehearsals go so well.

“From our choreographer Taylor Thomas Hosemann to our sound technician Kimble Slaton and our army of volunteers back stage and in the dressing rooms, they make it all work,” she said.

“Light of the World” is the theme for this year’s teen pageant, and musical selections reflected this ideal.

“Every day each one of us has an opportunity to light up the world for somebody,” Tillotson said. “These girls, they all have a tremendous opportunity to accomplish this while working on their platforms or speaking to audiences or even one on one talking to young girls.

To showcase the theme, the opening song in the production is “Brand New You.” Tillotson said, the lyrics of this song talk about how each person is uniquely individual.

“So during the competition each of the contestants were allowed to pick their own outfit — any style any color to wear to express their own individuality,” she said.

For the lifestyle and fitness number, “The World Is Ours” was selected.

Tillotson said this song suggests the world is what we make it.

“What a Wonderful World” made famous by Louis Armstrong is played during the evening gown competition.

“This song talks about the different colors, and it is so beautiful with the girls parading in their evening gowns,” Tillotson said.

“A Million Dreams” and “Come Alive” are the two numbers performed for the finale and once again, Tillotson said, these songs are talking about how it is up to us to make a difference in this world or to “light up the world.”

Serving as emcees for the production are Austin Crabtree and 2018 Miss Mississippi Anne Elizabeth Buys. Entertainers for the show include 2017 Miss Mississippi’s Outstanding Teen Holly Brand, Loryn Hollis, Sam Lovern, the MMOT dancers, Alana Latorre, Hannah Middleton, Alexandria Scott, Madalyn Burke, Madeline Stokes, Capri Miller and the MMOT Petite Magnolia Princesses.

Judges are Kelsi Crain White, 2010 Miss Louisiana; Priscilla Turner, general manager and charter coordinator for JPS Aviation in Monroe; Sandon Williams, educator with the Arkansas Department of Career Education in Little Rock; Kevin Hill, who serves on the board of directors for the Miss Alabama Scholarship Pageant and Dr. Steve Katz, who is a piano instructor who has toured Europe and America as a pianist.

For those who are interested in attending today’s final competition and do not already have a ticket, the cost is $40.