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Miss UTM and Miss Soybean Festival crowned in pageant


Hailey Lane Brown and Brandi Nicole Dial were crowned as Miss UTM and Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival 2003 Saturday night at UTM’s Harriet Fulton Theatre.

Brown is a junior at UTM, and Dial is a sophomore at Dyersburg State Community College.

The joint scholarship pageants, which are both stepping stones to the Miss Tennessee pageant, were co-hosted by the reigning Miss UTM and Miss Tennessee, Valli Kugler, the reigning Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival, Lindsey Tapper, and Elvis impersonator Eddie Miles. There were 15 participants who were judged in the categories of Lifestyle & Fitness in Swimsuit, Artistic Expression and Talent, Presence and Poise in Evening Wear, and a Question and Answer portion.

The evening began with a performance by Eddie Miles,Lindsey Tapper, where the contestants first hit the stage to introduce themselves. After the introduction of Valli Kugler, the pageant was underway.

Throughout the competition, the audience was given additional performances by Eddie Miles, Lindsey Tapper, and Valli Kugler who sang a closing number with her brother Josh.

After the judges concluded their tallying, the top six finalists were announced, along with Miss Congeniality to UTM Student Erica Jacobs. The Non-finalist Artistic Expression Award was given to Jackie Lynn Patterson, a student at the University of Memphis, and the Non-finalist Lifestyle and Fitness in Swimsuit Award was given to Nicole Diane Aquino, a student at Austin Peay State University.

Jennifer Ogg of UTM was named second runner-up to Miss UTM, and Tabatha Thurman, also of UTM, was named as first runner-up.

In the Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival finals, UTM students Crystal Hayslett and Erica Jacobs were named first and second runners-up.

Both Hailey Lane Brown and Brandi Nicole Dial said they were eagerly awaiting the chance to compete in the Miss Tennessee pageant with the consultation of Miss Tennessee 1961, Rita Wilson Brown. Brown consulted Valli Kugler and Lindsey Tapper in this year’s competition.

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Brian Davis

Miss UTM 2003 Hailey Brown (far left) and Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival 2003 Brandi Dial (far right) pose with former Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival Lindsey Tapper and Miss UTM 2002/ Miss Tennessee, Valli Kugler