Pageant News Bureau (PNB)

Jorlene Lima, 18, won the crown of Miss Amapá on March 30, 2002. She is the last state queen to be crowned for the Miss Brazil Pageant, which will take place on April 13 in Rio de Janeiro.

Lauren McKee, representing Greater Lynchburg, won the title of Virginia's Junior Miss in Roanoke on March 20, 2002. She will represent her state in the America's Junior Miss scholarship event in Mobile, Ala., in June.

Thanyaporn Thanyasiri, 26, won the Miss Tiffany's Universe crown on March 31, 2002, in Pattaya, Thailand. The contest, in which tranvestites compete, has gained growing international fame.

Kristin Arnold, Essex County Junior Miss, was chosen New Jersey's Junior Miss in Wayne on March 30, 2002. She will represent her state in the America's Junior Miss contest. Michelle Beaton, Cumberland County Junior Miss, was the first runner-up.

Julie Scothern has been named Mrs. Utah Galaxy. She will compete for the title of Mrs. Galaxy in June 2002 in Akron, Ohio.

Nicole Neal has won the Miss Lubbock USA 2002 title. She is an interior design major at Texas Tech. The first runner-up was Elizabeth Brandt, 19, and the second runner-up was Kcee Underwood, 21. The third runner-up was Lisa Gonzalez, 21; and the fourth runner-up was Jenna Hopper, 19. Kelsey White won Miss Lubbock Teen USA. PNB extends special thanks to Lacey Waldrep, a former Miss Lubbock USA and one of the fairest flowers of Texas.

Mister Bukit Merah, Chong-Keng Chua, won Mister Singapore 2002 on March 26, 2002. He also won the Bods Swimwear Competition. He will represent Singapore at Mister Tourism International 2002 to be held in Panama City, Panama, on Sept. 28, 2002. The first runner-up was Mister Sengkang, Kenneth Gan, who also won the Colorba Photogenic and Man Pure Face special awards. He will compete at International Man 2002 to be held in August in Orlando, Fla. The second runner-up was Mister Choa Chu Kang, Pete Borhan, and the third runner-up was Mister Eunos, Fabian Yiong. The fourth runner-up was Mister Ang Mo Kio, Azri Mohammad.

De'Anna Gullotta, who competed as Mrs. Carlsbad, was crowned Mrs. California United States on March 24, 2002, in San Diego. The first runner-up was Christy Passoth, and the second runner-up was Tiffany Ellison. The third runner-up was Tonya King, and the fourth runner-up was Nicole Gearing. The Photogenic winner was Faith Palmer. The Talent winner was Tamiko Fleming.

Cheryl Lynn Crowe, 23, was crowned Miss Diamond State 2002 on March 23, 2002. She will compete for the title of Miss Delaware (America).

Marisa Ann Erdman, 21, won the 2002 Miss First State title on March 23, 2002, in Wilmington, Del. She will go on to compete for the Miss Delaware (Ámerica) crown.

Amy Diaz of the Dominican Republic has been stripped of her crown as Ms. Latina World 2002. Pageant director Dawn Ramos said Ms. Diaz had failed to fulfill her duties. Arlene Rivera of Cuba, now living as a student in the United States, was awarded the crown. She was first runner-up to Ms. Diaz at the pageant in November 2001.

Halle Berry's win as best actress lent a pageant angle to the Oscars on March 24, 2002, but the ceremony suffered from poor ratings, as have many major pageants in recent years. Awards shows, heavily covered by TV entertainment channels, have challenged pageants for viewers since the 1980s. Now, the surge in awards shows may have reached its natural limit. (Ms. Berry is a former Miss Teen All American, Miss Ohio USA, and U.S. representative at Miss World.)

The Miss Sweden Message Board has opened at www.voy.com/57801/

E-Dee L. Martin has been named Miss U.S. Galaxy 2002. She will compete for the title of Miss Galaxy 2002 in Akron, Ohio, in June 2002. Ms. Martin is the reigning Ms. American Elegance Woman 2002.

Melissa VanOverbeke was crowned Miss 2002 Michigan United States on March 23, 2002, in Port Huron. The first runner-up was Sarah Winsky, and the second runner-up was Elise Schlitt. Alicia Jaros was crowned Miss 2002 Michigan United States Teen. The first runner-up was Mandi Sinnaeve, and the second runner-up was Lauren Kralowski.

Nuraliza Osman, 25, was crowned Miss Singapore Universe 2002 on March 22, 2002. She will represent her country in the Miss Universe Pageant in May. Julia Lim was first runner-up, and Jeslynn Wong was second runner-up.

Nicole Rencoret Ladrón, 25, of Santiago was crowned Miss Viña Chile on March 22, 2002. The flight attendant and model will represent her country in the Miss Universe Pageant in May. Claudia Barria, 23, of Quilpue was first runner-up, and Beatriz Lasserre, 21, also from Santiago, was second runner-up.

Karen Ang, 25, a Malaysian Airlines flight attendant, was crowned Miss Malaysia Universe on March 22, 2002. The first runner-up was Christian Chelliah, 19. The second runner-up was Julia Wong, 20.

Shoha Parekh has been crowned Miss Greenville (Delaware). She will compete for the Miss Delaware (America) title.

In the final week of her reign, Miss Malaysia Universe 2001, Tung Mei Chin, has been stripped of her crown. She had complained publicly of not having received her prize money. Pageant managing director Alice Lee blamed the beauty queen, saying she failed to abide by her obligations and went public with complaint instead of holding discreet discussions with pageant organizers. Ms. Tung said she learned of her dethronement from the media.

Amber Lynn Knight, a 19-year-old freshman from Delaware Technical and Community College, was crowned Miss Pike Creek 2002 at the annual pageant March 17, 2002. She is a resident of Bear, Delaware, and a 2001 graduate of Towle Institute. She hopes to complete an undergraduate degree in criminal justice and eventually hopes to become a counselor in a juvenile detention center. She will compete for the Miss Delaware title in the state preliminary to Miss America.

Karina Maribel Velásquez Portillo, 20, won the Miss Guatemala Universe title on March 22, 2002. She is also the reigning Miss Mundo Latino Internacional, and will now represent her country in the Miss Universe Pageant in Puerto Rico in May. Paula Margarita Alonso Morales was first runner-up and will represent Guatemala in the Miss World Pageant in November. Evelyn Arriaga was second runner-up, and Elsy Palama was third runner-up. Elinor Martínez was fourth runner-up and won the Miss Internet prize.

Aisha Ralph, 24, of Upper Gambles was crowned Miss Antigua and Barbuda on March 17, 2002. She will represent the island country at Miss Universe.

Marta Bell has been named Miss Ohio Teen Galaxy 2002. She will compete for the title of Miss Teen Galaxy 2002 in Akron, Ohio.

Scandal has clouded the European pageant world. Allegations have surfaced that Gema Garcia, 31 and therefore ineligible, was crowned Miss Alicante by bribing her way to victory. She is a TV reporter who allegedly went undercover to expose chicanery in beauty contests. She was expelled from the Miss Spain Pageant after her ineligibility was established. Meanwhile, Miss Norway chief Geir Hamnes was arrested hours after the mid-March pageant, accused of an intoxicated rampage in which he allegedly attacked and injured a man and a woman.

Hege Hatlo, 21, of Nesoya was crowned Miss Norway Universe 2002 on March 17, 2002. She is a student of graphic design. Katrine Sorland, 21, of Stavanger was crowned Miss Norway World.

The 2002 Mrs. Minnesota International Pageant was held at St. Cloud State University on March 17, 2002. Pamela Finley of Apple Valley was selected from the field of 19 contestants to become Mrs. Minnesota International 2002. The first runner-up was Kathryn Burgau, and the second runner-up was Susie Trebesch, who won the volunteer service award and director's awards. The third runner-up was Tammy Coleman, who won the preliminary evening gown and preliminary aerobic honors. The fourth runner-up was Donna Wolf, who won preliminary interview. This was Mrs. Finley's sixth try at earning a state Mrs. crown. She was the second runner-up at the 2001 Mrs. Minnesota International Pageant. Her platform is Lupus, a disease with which she has personal experience. She is a spokeswoman for the Lupus Foundation of Minnesota. When she goes to the Mrs. International Pageant in Tennessee in August 2002, one of her competitors will be her sister, Tina Hogan, who will represent Germany.

Vania Millán Miras, Miss Almería, has been crowned Miss Spain 2002. She will represent her country in Miss Universe 2003 next year. Lola Alcocer, Miss Sevilla, was first runner-up, and is slated to represent Spain at Miss World 2002. Gemma Ruiz Garvía, Miss Toledo, 18, was named second runner-up. Gema García Marcos, who represented Alicante in the pageant, made the headlines when she was disqualified early in the week for claiming to be 24 when she actually is 31. Some Spanish media claimed that her entry was part of a projected media exposé.

Brandy Patterson won the Tennessee Teen America Pageant in Chattanooga on March 17, 2002. She will compete for the Miss Teen America title.

Carolyn Zak has been selected as Miss Massachusetts Teen Galaxy 2002. She will compete for the title of Miss Teen Galaxy in Akron, Ohio, in June.

Jennifer Ormesher, 32, has been crowned Mrs. Texas United Nation 2002. She competed as Mrs. Round Rock. Besides winning the title, Jennifer also won the Contestant's Choice award and the Director's Award. She is involved in many civic causes and works with the Miss Austin USA Pageant. The first runner-up to Mrs. Ormesher was Mrs. Woodlands, Valerie Hayes. The second runner-up was Mrs. Corpus Christi, Amanda Zimmerman, and the third runner-up was Mrs. Brazos Valley, Karen Schultz. The fourth runner-up was Heather Schneider.

Vanessa Simmons of Jamaica Estates has been chosen Miss New York United States Teen 2002. She will compete for the title of Miss United States Teen in Orlando, Fla., in July 2002.

Azra Akin was crowned Miss Turkey 2002 on March 14, 2002. She will compete at Miss World 2002. Cagla Kubat of Ankara, the first runner-up, will compete at Miss Universe 2002. The second runner-up, Esra Eron, will compete at Miss Europe 2002.

Jennifer Scarlett won the title of Miss Pierce County in Sumner, Wash., on March 3, 2002. She was also the overall swimsuit winner. She will compete in the Miss Washington (America) Pageant in July. The first runner-up was Kim Walling, who was also Miss Congeniality, and the second runner-up was Juliet Lee. Erika Freeman was the third runner-up, and Melanie Maynes was fourth runner-up. The Non-Finalist Talent and Director's Awards went to Claire Davis. Five of the last six Miss Washington titleholders have won the crown as Miss Pierce County. The county, where Tacoma is located, is named for President Franklin Pierce, a distant relative of current President George W. Bush.

Tanisha Brito, a former Miss Georgia (America) competitor, has been crowned Miss New London County and will compete for the Miss Connecticut title.

Following are the results of the 2002 Ms. and Mrs. Indiana and Illinois U.S. Beauties Pageant: Young Ms. Indiana U.S. Beauties - Amanda Hart; Ms. Indiana U.S. Beauties - Michelle Gazdich; Ms. Indiana Lady U.S. Beauties - JoLynn Bultemeier; Ms. Indiana Woman U.S. Beauties - Vanessa King; Mrs. Indiana U.S. Beauties - Lori Smith; Mrs. Indiana Woman U.S. Beauties - Kristina Johnson; Young Ms. Illinois U.S. Beauties - Michelle Jensen; Ms. Illinois Teen U.S. Beauties - Tasha Burzynski; Ms. Illinois U.S. Beauties - Trisha Kelsey; Ms. Illinois Lady U.S. Beauties - Debra Barrett; Ms. Illinois Woman U.S. Beauties - Jane Giordano; Mrs. Illinois U.S. Beauties - Eleni Blanco.

Elisa Sandoval, 21, was crowned Miss El Salvador 2002 on March 13, 2002. She will compete at Miss Universe 2002. The first runner-up was Patricia Christina Lopez.

Yamit Har-Noy, 19, was crowned Miss Israel 2002 on March 13, 2002.

Angela Triantafyllakis was crowned Miss Calgary on March 10, 2002. She will represent the Stampede City in various events across Canada.

Tibisay Montilva, 19, won the Miss Táchira crown on March 10, 2002. She will represent her state in the Miss Venezuela Pageant, slated for Sept. 20. She was crowned by Aura Zambrano, Miss Táchira 2001, who was first runner-up in both the Miss Venezuela and Miss International pageants. Pilín León, Miss World 1981, was among the judges.

A suit has been filed over the Miss Teen St. Clair Shores Scholarship Pageant, held March 2, 2002, in Michigan. Gabriella Andersen, 14, left the stage during her talent presentation, but later was allowed to do it over and won. Those who are complaining say she should not have been allowed a second chance, but the pageant director says unforeseen problems occurred on the first try.

Bettina Rudnig, 18, has been crowned Miss Kärnten 2002. The first runner-up was Anja Koppitsch, and the second runner-up was Anja Rugl. Natascha Heschl, 21, has been crowned Miss Burgenland 2002. Nicole Franschitz, 16, was the first runner-up. Sabrina Hehle, 16, has been crowned Miss Vorarlberg 2002. The first runner-up was Nina Lang, and the second runner-up was Nicile Allgäuer. Eva-Maria Weninger, 20, has been crowned Miss Tirol. All will compete for the Miss Austria World title.

Nadia Rodgers, Miss Soft & Beautiful/Bacardi Limon, has been crowned Miss Bahamas Universe. She also won Best Body, Best Costume and Miss Popularity. The first runner-up was Miss Skin Deep, Raquel Horton. The second runner-up was Miss Eleuthera, Nadia Johnson, who was also Miss Congeniality. Tamika Pinder, Miss Galleria Cinemas was Miss Photogenic by the choice of photographers. Phillipa Farrington, Miss College of The Bahamas/Del Sol, was the online Photogenic winner. Ms. Pinder and Ms. Farrington completed the Top 5.

Jana Tafenau, 19, has been crowned Miss Estonia Universe. The first runner-up was Kadi Tederemäe, 18, and the second runner-up was Svetlana Makaritseva, 18.

Kimberly Clark of Lindenhurst, an actress and model, has been chosen Miss New York United States. She will compete for the Miss United States title in Las Vegas in October 2002.

Ivana Paris, 18, was crowned Miss Universe Croatia 2002 on March 8, 2002. She will represent the Balkan country at the Miss Universe Pageant.

Former PNB cover girl Nancy Nguyen has won the Miss Valentine Sweetheart Pageant in Wilmington, N.C., and will appear in the beach city's annual Azalea Festival.

Nadia Johnson has won the Miss Congeniality award at the Miss Bahamas Universe Pageant. Finals are to follow.

Flávia Magalhães of Guarapari won the crown of Miss Espirito Santo 2002 in Vitória, Brazil, on March 3, 2002. She will represent her state in the Miss Brazil Pageant on April 13, 2002. Andrea Morais, Miss Barbalha, 17, won the title of Miss Ceará on March 3, 2002. She will represent her state at the same national pageant.

Former PNB cover girl Tina Berry of Palm Bay, Fla., has won her first state title for American Royalty, having been chosen as Overall Most Beautiful, along with the divisional optionals of Best Smile, Best Hair, Best Eyes, Photogenic, Portfolio (tie), and Most Beautiful. She also received the Queen's Choice Award and Best Smile Overall.

Former PNB cover girl Maria Beall won the title of Ms. World Elite Woman in the competition held March 1-3, 2002, in Fayetteville, N.C. She represented Virginia in a competition consisting of aerobic wear, evening gown and interview. In a separate category, Julie Smith of Missouri won Ms. US of A Elite. Kimberlee Ratliff of North Carolina was chosen Ms. World Elite Plus.

The Miss USA Pageant, aired on CBS on March 1, 2002, got disappointing ratings. Nielsen numbers indicated it was the worst showing ever for the pageant, which is a preliminary to Miss Universe. This was a particular blow to CBS, which co-owns the pageant with Donald Trump. The less flashy Miss America Pageant, which was shown on ABC only days after the September terrorist attacks, reversed years of sagging viewership with its patriotic themes. But similar packaging failed to help Miss USA. Some people in the pageant community have complained that the pageant was underpromoted.

Eva Dzoldova, 21, has been crowned Miss Slovak Republic Universe. She will represent the venerable land of the Slovaks at the Miss Universe Pageant.

Chinenye Ochuba, 18, representing Anambra State, has been crowned the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, a preliminary to the Miss World and Miss Universe pageants. Chinyere Iwuchukwu, representing Abia, was the first runner-up, and Onyekachi Okereke, representing Taraba State, was the second runner-up. The best cultural costume winner was Jennifer Baje, who represented Kogi State. Ngozi Eboru, representing Delta State, won Miss Photogenic. Olesengbua Samuel-Etai, representing Edo State, was voted Miss Congeniality by her fellow contestants.

Lanitra Clark has been selected as Ms. Black Mississippi Continental U.S., and Leslie Wilson has been selected as Ms. Black Georgia Continental U.S. They will compete for the national title in May 2002.

Edwin Enrique Iglesias Colón of Guaynabo was named Mr. Puerto Rico World in Bayamón on March 2, 2002. He will represent his country in the Mr. World competition, which is slated for June in Sri Lanka. The first runner-up was Omar Maisonet, and the second runner-up was Miguel Sánchez. José Fas Santiago was third runner-up and Norberto Sánchez was fourth runner-up. The contest is run by Desirée Lowry, a former Miss Puerto Rico who placed fifth at Miss Universe 1995. Wilnelia Merced Forsyth, Miss World 1975, also from Puerto Rico, was present at the event.

Roseane Lima, Miss Curimatá, was crowned Miss Piauí on March 2, 2002. On the same night, Issa Oliveira, Miss Cajobi, was named Miss São Paulo State, and Claudia Rhode, Miss Feliz Natal, won the crown of Miss Mato Grosso. The three will their respective states in the Miss Brazil Pageant on April 13.

Julie Njeru, Miss Nairobi, won the Miss Universe Kenya title on March 1, 2002. She will represent her country at Miss Universe. The first runner-up was Maryanne Kariuki, and the second runner-up was Lynette Anderson.

Olena Stognij was crowned Miss Ukraine 2002 on Feb. 26, 2002. She will compete at Miss World. Lilja Kopytova was crowned Miss Ukraine Universe 2002 and will compete at Miss Universe. Veronika Bondarenko was the runner-up.

Breanna Elgin was crowned Miss Yorba Linda Teen USA on Feb. 24, 2002, in Yorba Linda, Calif., and Amy Twardos was crowned Miss Yorba Linda USA. They will compete in their respective state preliminaries.

Barbara Fernandes Moreira, Miss Simões Filho, won the title of Miss Bahia on March 2, 2002, in Nazaré, Brazil. She will represent her state in the Miss Brazil Pageant, which has been moved to April 13.

While most of the U.S. pageant community was focusing on the Miss USA competition, the controversial head of the Miss America Organization unexpectedly quit on March 1, 2002. Robert Renneisen Jr. had clashed with some state directors and had been publicly criticized by the parents of the current Miss America. He had also weighed the idea of taking the pageant out of Atlantic City. Announcing his departure, he alluded to differences of philosophy concerning the pageant.

Rebecca Stapleton of Columbus, Ohio, has been selected Mrs. Midwestern Galaxy. She will compete for the title of Mrs. Galaxy in Akron, Ohio, in June 2002.

Miss Macaé, Gisele Leite, 19, won the title of Miss Rio de Janeiro State on Feb. 26, 2002. She will represent her state in the Miss Brazil Pageant on March 16.

Edit Friedl of Budapest has been crowned Miss Hungary Universe. She will represent the country at the 2002 Miss Universe Pageant.

Pam Palmer of Pennsylvania has won in the 50-and-up age category of the Ms. Classic Beauty Pageant. This is a plus-sized preliminary to the live Ms. US and Ms. World Pageant. She was also the community service winner. In the 18-49 age category, the winner was Kim Laukala of Washington, who was also the overall high point winner. The photogenic winner was Penny Olds, the portfolio winner was Christy Younce and the essay winner was Aletha Milam.

Kristen Parsons, 16, of Wabush, Labrador, was crowned Miss Teen Newfoundland & Labrador 2002 on the last weekend of February 2002 in St. John's. She was the very first contestant to represent Labrador, the majestic northern part of the province, in the pageant's history. The first runner-up was Kayla Hounsell, 16, of Gander, and the second runner-up was Stephanie Peach, 17, of Broad Cove. (She was also Miss Academic Achievement.) The third runner-up was Holly King, 17, of Paradise. Miss Talent was Zoiey Cobb, 17, of Mount Pearl, and Miss Photogenic was Paula Furey, 16, of Avondale. Miss Friendship was Gina Walsh, 17, of Marystown, and Miss Fitness was Katie Power, 17, of St. John's. Internationally known pageant expert Jimmy Steele was a judge at the event, and he told PNB that the pageant showed "professionalism and excellence" of a high order. "I have never seen a pageant that has given so much to its contestants in such a short time," he said. "The intangible growth the girls experienced far outweighed the very tangible, and large, prize package." Such praise from Mr. Steele is an honor in itself.

Raghu Mukherjee was the winner of Graviera Mr. India 2002 on Feb. 23, 2002, in Bangalore. He will represent India at the 2002 Mr. International Pageant, which is likely to be held in Europe. The first runner-up was Jaspal Sehgal, who will represent India at Mr. International, and the second runner-up was Saumik Rao, who will compete at the Best Male Model Pageant.

Natasha Vassell has been named Miss Tourism Canada 2002, and will compete in the Miss Tourism International finals in Colombia in September. She is also a former runner-up at Miss Caribbean Canada, a former semifinalist at the Canadian Search For Miss Universe and second runner-up at Miss Intercontinental Canada.

Lissa Mariel Brown was crowned 2002 Ms. Nubian America on Feb. 23, 2002. She has won an unusual mix of pageants and will soon be the subject of a PNB feature.

Hilary Kennedy, 22, has been crowned the first Miss Gulf Coast United States. She is a graduate of Texas Christian University and a professional actress in Dallas. She is also an advocate for the prevention of domestic violence. She will represent Gulf Coast in the Miss Texas United States Pageant in April 2002.

Crystal Jennifer Schense has been selected as Miss Florida Galaxy and will compete for the title of Miss Galaxy in June 2002.

Janette Broman of Turku, 20, was crowned Miss Finland on Feb. 17, 2002. She will represent the country at Miss Universe. The first runner-up was Kaisa Jaako, who will compete at Miss International, and the second runner-up ws Kathriina Kulve, who will compete at Miss Europe.

Syma Chowdhry, a New Jersey pageant competitor and nationally known model featured at Umodels.com, won the Miss Ocean County crown on Feb. 17, 2002. She also won the interview award. Ms. Chowdhry, whose talent is Indian dancing, will now go on to compete at Miss New Jersey, a Miss America preliminary.

The following women won berths in the Miss Georgia (America) Pageant during preliminaries held Feb. 16, 2002: Former PNB covergirl Andrea Phillips was crowned Miss Fulton County. Rebecca Johnson was crowned Miss South Central Georgia. Erin Ellis was crowned Miss Cordele. Dana Lowery was crowned Miss Heart of Georgia.

Merissa Amkraut was crowned Miss Miami on Feb. 16, 2002. She is a former Miss University of Miami and Miss North Miami. A 22-year-old graduate student and middle school teacher, she is an accomplished violinist and will compete at the Miss Florida Pageant in June. Talia Marino was the first runner-up. Jenna Edwards, a former Miss Oktoberfest and former Miss Teen All American, was second runner-up. Karen M. DeCastro was third runner-up, and Misha Kerr was fourth runner-up. Lissette Gonzalez, Miss Florida 1998 and second runner-up to Miss America, was one of the judges.

Delecta Morrison of Tifton, Ga., was crowned the 13th Annual Miss Tift County Forestry Queen on Feb. 16, 2002, at the Tift Theatre for the Performing Arts in Tifton. Amy Bartley was crowned Teen Miss, and Erica Moore was Junior Miss. Carly Moore was Tiny Miss, and Madelin McCalvin was Teeny Miss. The Tift County Forestry Queens will represent Tift County at the 63rd Miss Georgia Forestry State Scholarship Pageant in Tifton in June.

Elizabeth A. Mathews was crowned Ms. Minneapolis American States on Feb. 6, 2002, and Mrs. Minnesota Galaxy 2002. She will compete for the title of Ms. American States in May 2002, and for the title of Mrs. Galaxy in Akron, Ohio, in June 2002.

The parents of Miss America, Katie Harman of Oregon, have gone public with complaints about how she has been treated. In a letter to the Miss America Organization's board, they complained that she had gotten insufficient bookings, had been stuck with some expenses that were not her responsibility and generally had not been treated with enough respect. The pageant's chief executive, Robert Renneisen, said most of the complaints either were due to misunderstandings or had been addressed. He complained that some state directors were seeking to wrest control of the national pageant away from his organization. The particular details of this dispute are less significant than the fact that they are being so publicly aired. The Miss America Pageant was once zealous in preserving an image of harmony and decorum.

Lori Ann Dennick of McKeesport, Penn., has been selected as Miss Pennsylvania Galaxy 2002. She will compete for the title of Miss Galaxy in Akron, Ohio, in June 2002.

Jeff and Connie Bigelow, the directors of the Worldwide Pageant system, have announced that they are "out of business," but hope to find someone to take over the operation. Mrs. Bigelow cited "health, mental and financial drains." The couple have always been tireless promoters of their competition and their queens, and have been gracious in their correspondence with PNB. We wish them a tranquil retirement.

Venus Swearingen, 18, was crowned the first Miss Black Moreno Valley on Feb. 10, 2002, in Moreno Valley, Calif. The first runner-up was India Swearingen, her younger sister. The second runner-up was Jennifer Jeffries. Ms. Swearingen will represent her community in many events in celebration of Black History Month in Riverside County.

The Little Miss Cobb County Pageant attracted 177 contestants in Marietta, Ga., on Feb. 9, 2002. Winners were Tiny Miss Cobb County, Alyson Taylor Alexander, of Acworth, 2; Petite Miss Cobb County, Sarah Carlie Morton, of Marietta, 4; Little Miss Cobb County, Brooke Stephens, of Acworth, 9; PreTeen Miss Cobb County, Heather Hinesley, of Loganville, 11; Junior Miss Cobb County, Jennifer Hughes, of Kennesaw, 15; Teen Miss Cobb County, Lindsey M. Palmer, of Snellville, 18; Cobb County's Talented Miss, Mary Frances Doss, of Kennesaw, 10; Cobb County's Talented Teen, Megan S. Ulrich, of Marietta, 15. The event was a fund-raiser for the Miss Cobb County Scholarship fund and netted $9,000. (The Miss Cobb County Scholarship Pageant has ranked No. 1 in cash scholarships for the Miss Georgia America system from 1995 to 2001.) Kandice Pelletier, Miss Cobb County 2002 and a Radio City Rockette, was the mistress of ceremonies.

Lucy Bild has been stripped of the title of Miss South Haven (Michigan) because of a prior conviction for shoplifting. She won the title in January 2002. It is not a preliminary in the Miss America system.

Merilyn Villalta has been crowned Miss Costa Rica Universe. She will represent her country at the Miss Universe Pageant in May 2002.

Gail Wheatley was crowned Miss Georgia State University on Feb. 9, 2002, in Atlanta. She was also the artistic presentation winner. She will compete for the Miss Georgia crown. The first runner-up was Kirsten Edmunds, who was the interview winner, and the second runner-up was Sara Buck. The third runner-up was Tiffany Davis.

Famed athlete Deion Sanders has been chosen to host the 2002 Miss USA Pageant. Sanders is one of the few athletes of modern times to play in the top professional leagues of both baseball and football, all in the same year. Formerly considered one of the unpredictable "bad boys" of sports, Sanders is now a devout Christian and role model for American youth.

Lisa M. Abeyta has been selected Mrs. Colorado United States 2002. She will represent Colorado in the Mrs. United States Pageant in Las Vegas in summer 2002. She is a bank officer in Broomfield and active in many civic causes.

Elizabeth Ann Mathews has been selected as Mrs. Minnesota Galaxy. She will compete for the title of Mrs. Galaxy in June 2002 in Akron, Ohio.

Blair Riley was crowned Miss Georgia Southern University on Feb. 2, 2002, in Statesboro. She was also the interview winner. The first runner-up was Cari Clyatt, and the second runner-up was Brandelny Bartlett. The third runner-up was Katie Peacock, who was also the talent winner, and the fourth runner-up was Ginger Fauscett. On the same night, Brooke Anderson was crowned Miss Spirit of Georgia. She also won the talent category. The first runner-up was Harley Carswell, who was also the swimsuit winner, and the second runner-up was Erin Ellis. The third runner-up was Katie Baughman. Kimberly Perez was chosen Miss Teen Spirit of Georgia. The combined pageant was held in Albany, Ga. Both Ms. Riley and Ms. Anderson advance to Miss Georgia.

T'Shura Ambrose, 25, was crowned Miss World Bahamas on Feb. 2, 2002, in Nassau. She is a pageant veteran, having competed several times in the Bahamas. She is a second-year law student in London. The first runner-up was Shameka Fernander, who is employeed at CIBC Bank in Nassau. She will compete at Miss Tourism of the World. The second runner-up was 19-year-old Shenique Darling, who is employed at the Tribune newspaper in Nassau. Ms. Darling also won the best hair award.

Phillip Beckles has won the Mister World Bahamas title. He will compete at Mister World. The first runner-up was Kevin Sweeting.

Sarah Menees of Germantown has been crowned Tennessee's Southern Teen 2002. She will compete at the national America's Southern Teen Pageant in Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana, in July 2002. This will be her second trip to the national pageant, where she was fourth runner-up last year. She is a freshman at Middle Tennessee State University.

The first pageant Web site in the history of the Bahama is being inaugurated to promote the upcoming Miss Bahamas Universe Pageant. The address, to be active soon, is www.missbahamasuniverse.com.

Emily Wills was crowned Miss Penn State 2002 on Jan. 26, 2002, at the Eisenhower Auditorium at University Park. The first runner-up was Libby Montiel, and the second runner-up was Lauren Kenny. The third runner-up was Bobbie Jo Solomon, and the fourth runner-up was Valerie Abati. The emcee for the evening was Dr. Debbye Turner, Miss America 1990. Ms. Wills is a psychology major at Penn State and is from Beaver, Pa. Her platform is mentoring America's Youth. She was Pennsylvania's Junior Miss 2001. This will be her first trip to the Miss Pennsylvania Pageant. One of the young women she will be competing against is her sister Melissa Wills, who was first runner-up at Miss Pennsylvania last year.

Katrin Wrobel, 24, a dental assistant who competed as Miss Berlin, was crowned Miss Germany World 2002 on Jan. 27, 2002. She was crowned in a two-hour Miss Germany-Gala in Berlin which was televised by SAT 1. The first runner-up was Miss Hessen, Simone Wulf-Reinfurt of the historic city of Darmstadt. The second runner-up was Miss Bayern, Indira Selmic of Marktheidenfeld, who is of Bosnian origin. Dayan Kodua, Miss Schleswig-Holstein, who gained considerable media attention as the first black contestant at Miss Germany World (though not at Miss Germany Universe), finished in the Top 10.

Shirley Zhou from Vancouver, British Columbia, was crowned Miss Chinese International 2002 in Guangzhou, China, on Jan. 26, 2002. The first runner-up was another Canadian, Christie Angela Bartram of Toronto, who won the Svelte Figure prize during the preliminary events. The second runner-up was Angela Foo, representing Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Marjorie Wu of Hawaii was named Miss Friendship, and Shirley Yeung of Hong Kong won the Miss Chinese Charm prize. Ms. Zhou succeeds Bernice Liu, who also hails from Vancouver. This is the first time in Miss Chinese International history that successive winners have been crowned from the same city.

Keitha Minchew was crowned Miss Georgia Agricultural Fairs on Jan. 26, 2002, in Atlanta. The first runner-up was Lace Larrabee, and the second runner-up was Stephanie Sweat. On the same night in Statesboro, Ga., Katie Stephens was crowned Miss Altamaha. The first runner-up was Paige Armstrong, and the second runner-up was Brandy Morris.

Iris Arnadottir, 20, of Iceland was crowned Queen of the World in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Jan. 25, 2002. She won Miss Iceland and Miss Scandinavia in 2001 and was a Top 15 finalist in Miss Europe 2001 (won by Elodie Gossuin of France). The first runner-up was Amy Erbacher of Australia, and the second runner-up was Jasmin Dammak of Hungary.

Amy Mulkey was crowned Miss Atlanta on Jan. 26, 2002. She will represent the city at Miss Georgia. She was the interview winner as well. The first runner-up was Mary Rae Phelps, who was the swimsuit winner. The second runner-up was Kristen White, who won the talent category with a vocal performance. The third runner-up was Andrea Phillips, a former PNB cover girl. The fourth runner-up was Lani Hancock. Mallery Hawkins was crowned Teen Miss Atlanta.

Jillian Martin was chosen Cobb County's Junior Miss on Jan. 26, 2002. She won fitness and talent. The first runner-up was Brittany Wurst, and the second runner-up was Katie Griffith. Cobb County has produced one national winner at America's Junior Miss.

Miss Effingham County Fair, Jennifer Maurer, was crowned Miss Illinois County Fair on Jan. 20, 2002, at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield, Ill. Ms. Maurer, a communications and theater major at the University of Illinois, was selected from a field of queens chosen at 68 county fairs across Illinois last summer. Miss Adams County Fair, Nicole Edwards, of Quincy, was first runner-up. The judges selected Miss Cass County Fair, Lindsey Bowman, as second runner-up. The contestants competed in interview, evening gown, swimsuit and speech. Ms. Maurer will serve as ambassador for Illinois agriculture and county fairs throughout the coming year, as well as serve as official hostess of the Illinois State Fair and DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fair, both in August. She will also travel approximately 12,000 miles this summer visiting more than 30 county fairs.

Kairi Kass has been crowned Ms. Student of Tartu in Tartu, Estonia. She was also chosen Ms. Public. The first runner-up was Veronika Garifulina, and the second runner-up was Olga Peresild.

Tammy Souza has been named Miss California Galaxy. She will compete for the title of Miss Galaxy in Akron, Ohio, in June 2002.

High school senior Laura Lynn Lester, Crenshaw County's Junior Miss, was chosen Alabama's Junior Miss on Jan. 19, 2002. The first runner-up was Cullman County's Junior Miss, Morgan Smith, and the second runner-up was Shelby County's Junior Miss, Barrett Jackson. The annual America's Junior Miss competition is in Mobile, Ala.

The Fa Femina Miss India contest was held on Jan. 19, 2002, in Hyderabad. Neha Dhupia of Delhi was crowned Femina Miss India Universe 2002. Shruti Sharma of Mumbai was crowned Femina Miss India World. Reshma Gosh of Kolkata was crowned Femina Miss India Earth.

Nasma Mohammed, 20, Miss Princetown, was crowned Miss Trinidad and Tobago Universe on Jan. 18, 2002, She will represent the twin islands at the next Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico.

Kristina Johnson has been named Mrs. Indiana Galaxy. She will compete for the title of Mrs. Galaxy in Akron, Ohio, in June 2002.

Jordana Venable has been crowned Ms. Teen Petite Texas. Tess Street has been crowned Ms. Teen Petite Kentucky. Both will compete at the 2002 Ms. Petite Universal pageant in March 2002 in Nashville.

The first Miss Dallas United States World and Miss Dallas United States Teen Competitions were held on Jan. 13, 2002, in Dallas. Twelve contestants from around the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex competed for a prize package that includes a modeling scholarship, travel, and the honor of representing Dallas this spring in the Miss Texas World and Miss Texas United States Teen Competitions, to be held in Houston. The very first Miss Dallas United States World is 20 year-old, Janelle Woods of DeSoto. She is a sophomore at Texas A&M University and is a member of the Student Pageant Association at her school. She was the winner of the Most Fashionable Award as well. The first runner-up was Hilary Kennedy of Coppell, the second runner-up was Jennifer Lindsey of Arlington, and the third runner-up was Suzanne Park of Nacogdoches. Additional awards were as follows: Most Photogenic - Hilary Kennedy; Evening Gown Award - Jennifer Lindsey; and Best in Swimsuit - Hilary Kennedy. Suzanne Park received the Miss Congeniality Award. The first to be crowned Miss Dallas United States Teen was 12- year-old Lyndi Brooke Clark of Fort Worth. She also received the Most Photogenic Award, She is a junior high student and is very involved with dance and also stays busy with cheerleading and volleyball. The first runner-up was Morgan Brittnie Drain of Corsicana, and the second runner-up was Casey Borgstede of Colleyville. The third runner-up was Lorie Manhard of Garland, and the fourth runner-up was Marisa Meyer of Waco. Additional awards were as follows: Evening Gown Award - Morgan Brittnie Drain; Best in Swimsuit - Casey Borgstede; Most Fashionable - Marisa Meyer. Morgan Brittnie Drain received the Miss Congeniality Award.

Tiffany Dupont of Gainesville won the Miss University of Georgia Pageant on Jan. 13, 2002. She also won the talent award with her violin performance. The first runner-up was Amanda Hudson, and the second runner-up was Melanie Gossett. The third runner-up was Dana Lowery, and the fourth runner-up was Leslie Pruett. The pageant, held in Athens, attracted 37 contestants. Miss Alabama, Kelly Jones, and Miss Tennessee, Stephanie Culberson, were in attendance. In other Miss Georgia preliminaries on the same night, Leah Massee was crowned Miss Tifton, and Jessica Mavros was crowned Miss Shorter College. Sara Yankus was crowned Miss Presidential Pathways.

Zubair Ahmad of Larkana was chosen Mister Indus Peninsula Earth on Jan. 9, 2002, in Karachi, Pakistan. Ahmad, 22, is a student of computer studies at Muhammad Ali Jinnah University Karachi. He will represent Pakistan as an environment and peace ambassador at the first ever Mister Earth contest 2002 in December 2002 in Karachi.

Christopher Rodrigues has been chosen Mister Venezuela Earth 2002 by the Organization of Global Beauty Quest Venezuela. He will represent Venezuela in December 2002 in Karachi, Pakistan, at the finals of the first ever Mister Earth Quest contest as a goodwill ambassador of peace, culture and environment.

Aurelie Brun, a 19-year-old Miss France competitor who was disqualified for being too short, has alleged that Sylvie Tellier, Miss France 2002, also does not meet the height requirement. Pageant officials say the claim has no merit and that Ms. Tellier, 22, will represent France at Miss Universe. In 2001, a rumor that Miss France, Elodie Gossuin, was a former man created a media stir but proved to be a hoax.

Kelly Mayo has been chosen Ms. Black Colorado Woman, Doresa Perry has been chosen Ms. Black Florida Continental, and Cameron Thurman has been chosen Ms. Black California Woman. All will compete in the Ms. Black Continental U.S. competition.

Elizabeth Wild has been named Mrs. Florida Galaxy 2002. She will compete for the title of Mrs. Galaxy 2002 in Akron, Ohio, in June.

Miss Germany, Katharina Berndt, 21, won the International Queen of Coffee 2002 contest in Manizales, Colombia, on Jan. 12, 2002. She was first runner-up to Claudia Bechstein at Miss Germany Universe 2001. The runners-up were Miss Bolivia, Claudia Arano; Miss Venezuela, Aura Consuelo Zambrano; Miss Colombia, Johanna Cure Lemus; and Miss Puerto Rico, Gamalis Fermin Cotto.

Natascha Börger, 21, Miss Hamburg, has been crowned Miss Germany Universe. She will represent Germany at Miss Universe 2002 and Miss Intercontinental 2002, and she has an enthusiastic following among German pageant fans and experts. The first runner-up was Miss Bayern, Anja Pensold, and the second runner-up was Miss RTL Online, Susanne Tockan.

Neelam Noorani of Karachi won the first ever Miss Pakistan Earth contest on Jan. 9, 2002. Ms. Noorani, 20, is a student of law and computer studies at George Mason University in the United States. The competition attracted 18 contestants, all from Karachi. Ms. Noorani will represent Pakistan as an Environment Ambassador at the Miss Earth contest 2002. More ...

Miss Quebradillas, Mariannie Segarra, was named Miss Puerto Rico Teen on Jan. 5, 2002, in Carolina. She will now represent her country in the Teen division of the Global Beauty Quest in Montreal in autumn 2002.

Rose H. McCall of Montgomery has been selected as Ms. Alabama U.S. Continental 2002. She will represent her state in August 2002 at the National Ms. U.S. Continental Pageant in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Tracy Elizabeth Hancock of Cheraw, S.C., has been crowned Miss Dillon County 2002. She sang "I Feel Pretty" for her talent presentation and was a multiple winner. She is a transfer student at Northeastern Technical College and is planning to transfer to Winthrop University this fall. When she competes at the Miss South Carolina Pageant in July 2002, it will be her second time in the state competition. The first runner-up was Niki Kullnat, who was Miss Photogenic, and the second runner-up was Julie Pike, who won the Spirit of Pageantry. Ms. Hancock and Ms. Kullnat tied for both the interview and swimsuit awards. Ms. Kullnat was the evening gown winner. The ad sales winner was Samantha McNeill, and the community service winner was Jeannie Nguyen.

Vanessa Pena has been crowned Miss West Texas Latina, and Marie Rojas has been crowned Miss West Texas Teen Latina. Ingrid Padilla Giednberger was crowned the first ever Miss El Paso Latina, and Candace Munoz was crowned the first Miss El Paso Teen Latina. All four will compete in July 2002 in the Latina Look of the USA Pageant.

Rebecca Eliseo has been named Miss New York Galaxy 2002. She will compete for the title of Miss Galaxy in Akron, Ohio, in June 2002.

End-of-year retrospectives and analyses are popping up all over the Web in 2002. RJ's Home Page Awards are at www.geocities.com/ricisa. And Jimmy Steele's remarkably comprehensive look at pageants in Canada in 2001 is at www.geocities.com/pageant_2000/2001canada.htm.