GIRL ADVANCES IN COMPETITION

Kelly Russell, a 14-year-old freshman at Cape Girardeau Central Junior High School, has advanced to the national level in the JCPenney-Seventeen Magazine model search.

Russell is now one of 690 girls competing for eight finalists spots and photos in Seventeen Magazine.

Ten applicants from each JCPenney store advanced to the district level, and 10 winners in each of JCPenney's 69 districts have advanced to the national level. The finalists will be selected by editors of Seventeen Magazine.

The eight finalists will be named in June and will travel to New York for interviews and photo sessions. The top winner will be featured on the cover of a fall issue of the magazine.

Russell is a member of the Central High School tennis team and has performed in the last three high school plays. She played Cape Youth League baseball.

Russell also played junior varsity basketball and is a member of the Chamber Choir, Beta Club, and Spanish Club. She was recently named to the local JCPenney Teen Modeling Advisory Board.

She is the daughter of Keith and Margaret Russell.