Public Project
Katelyn Lewis crowned 2018 Miss Missouri
The Mexico Ledger
Jun 17, 2018 at 10:57 AM
After months of preparation and a week of intense rehearsals and competition, Katelyn Lewis has been crowned Miss Missouri 2018.
Lewis, from Lake St. Louis, previously held the title of Miss Fleur De Lis. Her platform is “Your Digital Compass,” which focuses on leaving a positive footprint online. This is her fourth year competing for the title.
“I’m just really blessed and happy and humbled to be here with my whole family and directors,” she said. “I feel like so many people have followed me on this journey and I can honestly not believe what just happened. This is amazing. I can’t wait to wake up tomorrow and hit the ground running.”
Lewis will begin preparations for the Miss America pageant this week with meetings, official photography sessions and other obligations. In addition to the official prize package, Lewis will receive a $13,000 college scholarship.
She will compete for the title of Miss America 2019 from Sept. 5-9 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
First runner-up and winner of a $6,000 college scholarship was Miss Springfield Chelsea Arnold. The second runner-up and winner of a $5,000 college scholarship was Miss Phelps County Simone Esters.
Miss Missouri third runner-up and winner of a $4,000 college scholarship was Miss Kansas City Katie Moeller. The fourth runner-up and winner of a $3,000 college scholarship was Miss City of Fountains Ali Skinner.
Lewis has competed from the ages of 19 to 22 and said she feels she has grown tremendously throughout her time with the organization.
“[The Miss America Organization] is really just women empowering other women,” she said. “I’ve been shaped by women who feel strong enough to walk across the stage in a swimsuit, who are so talented that they can belt a song, play the piano. This organization means everything to me.”
Ashley Whipple of Chesterfield was crowned Miss Missouri’s Outstanding Teen 2018 Friday night.
Whipple will receive a $5,000 scholarship and an official prize package.
Whipple said she was “speechless.”
“I learned that you can’t control what happens,” she said. “For me, it was all about just being the best person I can be and showing the judges who Ashley Whipple is, and it apparently worked!”
The top five contestants for the title of Miss Missouri’s Outstanding Teen 2018 were: fourth runner-up, Miss Metro St. Louis’ Outstanding Teen Lauren Vanlandingham; third runner-up, Miss Springfield’s Outstanding Teen Shae Smith; second runner-up, Miss Audrain’s Outstanding Teen Taylor Blackwell; and first runner-up, Miss Northwest’s Outstanding Teen Faith Whatley-Blaine.
Whipple will travel to Orlando in July to compete for the title of Miss America’s Outstanding Teen.
In total, more than $50,000 was awarded to contestants throughout the pageant.
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