Local entrants win Miss Missouri preliminaries

MEXICO, Mo. -- During Wednesday's first night of preliminary competition at the Miss Missouri Pageant in Mexico, Mo., Miss Jackson Whitney Weeks of Chesterfield and Miss Sikeston Christina Icaza of Cape Girardeau were both winners again. The pageant is being held at the Missouri Military Academy.

Weeks, 23, won the swimsuit competition and Icaza, 23, of Jackson, tied for first in the talent portion of the contest.

Icaza's singing performance of "At Last" tied for first place with Jamie Moran's dance interpretation of "The Voice Within."

Results from the preliminary evening gown competition were not available since organizers said they wanted to maintain some suspense for the final night.

Also competing in the pageant is Miss Bootheel Holly Bauer of Cape Girardeau. The 19-year-old is a former Junior Miss Missouri.

Wednesday was the first of three nights of preliminary competition.

The final night of the pageant, Saturday, will include the 10 women with the highest cumulative scores from the preliminary rounds.

The winner of the Miss Missouri Pageant receives more than $30,000 in scholarships in addition to representing Missouri at the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City, N.J., in September.