The 55th Edition of the Miss Mississippi Pageant begins at the Vicksburg Convention Center Saturday at 8 p.m.
A broken water pipe delayed the start of Friday night's preliminary competition by almost two hours, but winners were announced. Saturday night the new Miss Mississippi will be crowned.
Friday night belonged to two contestants -- Miss Spirit Of The South, Jasmine Murray won in talent, and Ashley Hamby, Miss Delta Blues took top honors in swimwear.
Murray has had a lot of success with singing, she made the top 13 at American Idol when she was 16 years old,and now hopes to make the Top 10 at Miss Mississippi.
"It's something that I've been working for since I was probably 13, even starting to do the Miss pageant and seeing my sister compete it really motivated me to do it as well," Murray said.
This is the second year Ashley Hamby has competed at Miss Mississippi. This is her first preliminary win.
"I worked out every day hard with my trainer and also ate right so I've been working very hard for this preliminary win," Hamby said.
Thursday night in swimwear, Chelsea Rick, Miss Natchez Trace won in swimwear, and Grace Claire Cordes, Miss University of Southern Mississippi, edged out the competition in talent.
The first night of preliminary competition Wednesday put checks in the win column for Miss Mississippi State University, Stephanie Stanford in talent, and Breanne Ponder, Miss West Central Mississippi, in swimwear.
The Top 10 for Miss Mississippi will be announced shortly after the pageant begins at 8 p.m Saturday. They will compete in swimwear and talent and answer an on-stage question. Then it is all up to the judges to decide who will wear the crown of Miss Mississippi 2012.
You can watch the pageant here on WLBT beginning at 8 p.m. The pageant will also be streamed on the Miss Mississippi website.
And we will have a live report from the Vicksburg Convention Center with the new Miss Mississippi Saturday night at 10 p.m.
Copyright 2012 WLBT. All rights reserved.
WLBT 3 - Fox 40
