By Cassie King
Noblesville First United Methodist Church will host a preliminary competition for the Miss Indiana contest, which is under the umbrella of the Miss America Opportunity, Feb. 4.
The competition at the church will crown Miss Hoosier Heartland, Miss Hoosier Heartland’s Teen, Miss Tippecanoe and Miss Tippecanoe’s Teen. Winners of those titles advance to the Miss Indiana competition in June at Zionsville High School to compete for Miss Indiana and Miss Indiana’s Teen.
Evan Elliott, who began his term as councilor-at-large for the City of Noblesville Jan. 1, is the local director for the Miss America Opportunity.
“It’s less of a beauty pageant now, and it is more a true scholarship program that looks for extremely well-rounded individuals,” Elliott said.
Elliott said there are approximately 120 girls from across the state competing for 35 local Miss titles and 32 local Teen titles from July to March. Elliott is in his second year serving as director, and the pageant anticipates having approximately 15 contestants, including eight Miss and seven Teen title contestants.
The competition has five categories, including a 10-minute panel interview with five judges. The other categories are on-stage questions, fitness wear, evening wear and talent.
Claire Bishop from Pendleton is the 2023 Indiana State Fair Queen, and she will compete in her first local pageant in the Miss Indiana organization. She is a freshman at Purdue University.
The deadline to enter is Jan. 29. The event is open to the public at 3:30 p.m. Admission is $10. Noblesville First United Methodist Church is at 2051 Monument St.
For more, visit missindiana.org.
