McCain Auditorium was filled with laughter and screams of excitement on Tuesday night for the 7th Annual Miss K-State Competition.
Miss K-State 2018 Charlsie Fowler, 2018 K-State graduate, handed her position over to Cassandra Beattie, graduate student in kinesiology, who was crowned Miss K-State 2019. Beattie represented the 1863 Barbell Club, an organization she started just last semester.
Though Beattie took the crown, other award winners included:
- Team Sprit Award: Katie Hutson, freshman in psychology
- Fan Favorite Award: Lilly Hall, sophomore in philosophy
- Social Media Award: Maddie Frankhauser, freshman in nutritional sciences
- Miss Congeniality: Mardi Traskowsky, senior in milling science and management and agricultural economics
The Miss K-State Competition, hosted by Delta Upsilon in collaboration with the Women of K-State, focused on showcasing the “pride, personal ambitions, talents, and intelligence” of K-State women according to the Miss K-State website.
“The Miss K-State Competition is all about uniting us as a Wildcat family, no matter which organization that we’re a part of,” said Gabe Serano, senior in computer science, and vice president of philanthropy for Delta Upsilon.
The 20 participants, representing a variety of organizations, competed in four themed rounds: wildcat pride, talent, career and question, before the final walk and awards ceremony.
“It was a fun event that really showcased some of the talent we have here at K-State,” Kali Poenitske, freshman in pre-professional elementary education said. “It was a really positive environment full of K-State pride.”
During the short intermission between the talent and career rounds, the audience was treated to a performance from the Swingin’ Spurs country dance team and a question and answer with the judges.
“I always want the students to be empathetic, compassionate, and open to meeting new people,” said Debra Bolton, director of intercultural learning and academic success and Miss K-State judge. “I am really glad to be part of this competition and I look forward to seeing more of the students on campus exercising their talents and reaching out to others.”
Related:
From the East Coast to the Little Apple: Dance instructor shares passion at K-State
“This is extremely competitive right now and there’s a lot of talented amazing young women out there,” said Miss K-State judge Mike Dibbini, head coach of the K-State soccer team.“It’s a great opportunity to give back and support this event.”
The other two judges for the event were Kylie Moody, managing director for Academic Student Services and Women of K-State Representative, and Sarah Barr, attorney with Student Legal Services.
Following the intermission, the last two rounds featured the ten remaining contestants demonstrating their future career plans, ranging from jobs in accounting and architecture to kinesiology and law.
Next, the contestants answered questions about their organization or their experience at K-State.
Questions varied, going from “What do think Miss K-State should represent to the young women in the Manhattan community?” to “What would you say to a fellow Wildcat who does not feel connected to the K-State family?”
Finally, all 20 contestants returned to the stage for the final walk and awards ceremony.
“I thought the pageant was an amazing fundraiser and really represented the diverse K-State community well,” Gibson Hoefgen, freshman in open option, said. “The hard work and commitment that went into this production was very evident and I enjoyed getting to learn about the different programs and opportunities for involvement here on campus.”
