Three with local ties competing for Miss Tennessee

By BRAD GASKINS
News Editor
Three young women with local ties are contestants in the Miss Tennessee Pageant.
The pageant began Wednesday evening and runs through Saturday night, when a new Miss Tennessee will be crowned at the Carl Perkins Civic Center in Jackson.
The local contestants are:
• Maggie Belew, a Greenville native and University of Tennessee student who was crowned Miss UT Knoxville in January.
• Dyersburg’s Jordan Gunn, a senior geosciences major at the University of Tennessee at Martin who was crowned Miss UTM earlier this year.
• Madison Hardy, a graduate of Belmont University who was crowned earlier this year Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival.
“Madison and Jordan have been diligent this year in their preparations for this competition,” said Hollie Holt, Miss UT Martin/Miss Tennessee Soybean Festival director.
Miss Tennessee contestants compete in swimsuit, talent, eveningwear, interview and on-stage questions. During the competition, contestants will win more than $75,000 in scholarship funds. Miss Tennessee will compete for the title of Miss America in September.
The final competition is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. Saturday.

Published in The WCP 6.20.13