Miss Missouri Teen supporters disappointed by pageant loss

The suspense in the Oran Jaycee Hall was agonizing. As Miss Teen USA co-host Mario Lopez called the names of the 15 semifinalists Tuesday night, 25 supporters of Amber Marie Seyer, Miss Missouri Teen and hometown girl, stared at the big-screen TV trying to will the word "Missouri" out of his mouth.

Miss Michigan, Miss New Jersey, Miss Iowa, Miss Tennessee, Miss North Dakota, Miss Texas, Miss Alaska, Miss Washington, Miss Oklahoma, Miss Indiana, Miss Hawaii, Miss Kentucky. Screams rang out when he called out Miss Maine. Anything that started with an M was tantalizing.

Lisa May, a friend of the Seyer family, perched at the edge of her chair and looked like she might be praying.

Miss Massachusetts was next. Ohhhh. Another close one. Miss Oregon completed the top 15 contestants who would go on to vie for the title, deflating the tension in the room for good.

An hour and a half later, Tami Nichole Farrell, Miss Oregon, was chosen Miss Teen USA. Amber Marie Seyer is still Oran's favorite daughter.

Signs on the wall at the hall read "You go girl" and "Amber Seyer -- putting Oran on the map" and "You will always be a princess in our hearts."

Seyer, who is entering her senior year at Oran High School, won the Miss Missouri Teen crown last October in Poplar Bluff, Mo. She is a volleyball and softball player and cheerleader and probably the most famous person Oran has ever produced.

All the 51 contestants were introduced at the beginning of the NBC broadcast, once during a filmed segment that looked like a Palm Springs, Calif., travelogue and once on-stage. Big whoops went up from the group both times Seyer appeared. The blond 17-year-old also was spotted briefly in the hip-hop dance number that began the broadcast.

"I see her on TV, but I still don't believe it," said Lori St. Cin, one of Seyer's aunts. She was there with her daughter, Shalon. Shalon was wearing the Little Miss Oran crown she won two years ago, the same year Seyer was named Miss Oran. She also wore a T-shirt with Seyer's photograph on the front.

Some were unhappy about the judges' decision.

"I'm devastated," said Nena Glastetter, who organized the party for Seyer's supporters. "We know how beautiful she is, inside and out."

Seyer used to baby-sit Glastetter's children.

"It's going to be hard to watch the rest of it, but we're going to stick it on out," Glastetter said.

May was disappointed for Seyer but not crestfallen.

"She's so deserving of it," she said. "She's a winner in our hearts."

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182