Miss Jackson wins pageant

MEXICO, Mo. -- A 24-year-old Chesterfield woman will represent Missouri in the Miss America Pageant in September, after being crowned Miss Missouri Saturday in a pageant in Mexico.

Whitney Weeks, a graduate of Purdue University and Miss Jackson, said her platform for the next year will be military awareness and appreciation. Weeks, who was competing in her third Miss Missouri pageant, has written letters to more than 600 veterans and is compiling a book with their replies.

Weeks' mother, Carole Weeks, is a former Miss West Virginia who also competed in the Miss USA pageant.

First runner-up was Jocey Kendrick, 23, Miss Malden. The Ewing native is a graduate of Western Illinois University.

The second runner-up was Jennifer Shults, 21, who attends Hannibal-LaGrange College.

Two of the contestants were from Cape Girardeau County -- Miss Bootheel, Holly Bauer of Cape Girardeau, and Miss Sikeston, Christina Icaza of Jackson.

The pageant kicked off Wednesday night. The 38 contestants competed over the course of four evenings, modeling evening gowns, swimsuits and casual clothes, performing their talents and undergoing on-stage interviews.

Both Icaza and Bauer have said the camaraderie with their fellow contestants -- like Weeks -- helped them pull through the stressful contests. Migraine headaches kept Bauer from some rehearsals over the past week, but her cohorts helped her catch up on her dance steps and supported her.