GIRL WINS CHANCE AT NATIONAL COMPETITION

With a homemade dress and homespun answers, 7-year-old Amanda Adkins charmed judges to win the Miss Junior Pre-Teen St. Louis pageant.

Amanda seems an unlikely beauty pageant contestant. But her mother said the contest judged girls on what is in their hearts, not on their backs.

Jessica Eftink of Leopold was first runner up in the Junior Pre-Teen category for girls ages 7-9. Kiley Bollinger of Jackson was one of the top 10 in the Miss Junior Teen category for older girls.

Amanda, who placed first of 16 girls in her age group, won an expense-paid trip to Orlando to compete in the national pageant Jan. 6-11.

Amanda is the daughter of Patricia and Bill Thiele of Cape Girardeau.

"We made this dress ourselves," her mother explained. The blue dress was sewn mostly by Amanda's grandmother. "Some of the other girls had $2,000 and $3,000 dresses," Patricia Thiele said.

Some girls even had their own hairdressers and manicurists accompany them to the pageant.

Amanda's heartfelt answers to the pageant questions won the pageant, her mother believes.

"We told her to just answer what you feel in your heart is right," said Patricia Thiele. "Some of the other girls tried to memorize their answers, but you could tell it didn't come from their hearts."

The girls were first asked where in the world they would most like to visit.

"Amanda said she would go to Ohio to see her brother, Billy, because he doesn't live at home with us. She said, `I love him and I miss him,'" her mother recalled.

After Amanda was selected as a top 10 finalist, she was asked to describe her happiest time. She replied, "The happiest thing that ever happened to me is being in this pageant today."

As novices in the pageant business, when Patricia Thiele heard the first runner up named, she believed that girl to be the winner.

"I was clapping and happy, because she had a lot of heart too," she said. "Then they said the Miss Junior Pre-Teen for 1994 was Amanda. I couldn't believe it. I started cheering and crying."

Amanda's bouquet of flowers was too large and too heavy for her to carry on her victory walk.

Amanda read about the pageant in a Southeast Missourian she picked up at a gymnastics meet. To enter the meet, she had to raise $345 through sponsors.

"No amount of money could have paid for the experience," her mother said.

In addition to the trip, she won a scholarship, photos, a crown, a watch, and a trophy just inches smaller than she.

Amanda's trip and entry fees are paid, but her mother must pay her own way to accompany Amanda. The price tag, set by the pageant, is $1,400. The money must be sent in by June 15.

Patricia Thiele works part-time in temporary positions. Bill Thiele is disabled.

"We're poor," her mother said. "But I don't think she should lose this chance she's got."

A fund-raising dinner is planned June 4 from 3-9 p.m. at Muddy Waters on Highway 177.

It is open to the public. Amanda will also be looking for sponsors.