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Local contestants compete in Miss Virginia Pageant
By TIM DAVIS, Star-Tribune Editor
Wednesday, June 28, 2006 10:55 AM EDT
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Miss Virginia Dogwood Katie Bowes (left) and other contestants have fun during the Miss Virginia Pageant Saturday night in Roanoke. Bowes is the daughter of Kent and Kathy Bowes of Danville. She was a non-finalist talent winner.
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ROANOKE - Miss Arlington Adrianna Sgarlata was crowned the 2006 Miss Virginia Saturday night in Roanoke.
First runner-up was Lauren Collier, Miss Greater Richmond; second runner-up Caressa Cameron, Miss Greater Springfield; third runner-up Leigh Taylor Smith, Miss Hampton-Newport News; and fourth runner-up Amanda Evans, Miss Lynchburg.
The pageant also featured two contestants from Pittsylvania County. Katie Bowes of Danville competed as Miss Virginia Dogwood, and Michelle Cundiff of Keeling was Miss Greater Franklin County.
Although neither woman made the top 10, both won non-finalist talent awards. Bowes tap danced and Cundiff performed a comedy skit during the preliminaries Thursday and Friday.
Sgarlata of Fairfax is a graduate student at George Mason University's College of Visual and Performing Arts.
She performed a classical vocal during the talent portion of the pageant.
Sgarlata, whose community service platform for the pageant was behaving respectfully and valuing others, helped create and lobbied for two anti-bullying laws with Virginia Del. Rob Bell.
She plans to use her experiences as director of the Virginia Chapter of Bully Police USA to help other state volunteers creative similar anti-bullying legislation in other states.
As Miss Virginia, Sgarlata will receive $39,000 in scholarships, use of an apartment and car for a year, and other prizes.
She also will compete in the Miss America Pageant later this summer.
Other top 10 finalists were Nathalie Fassie, Miss Roanoke Valley; Ashley Smith, Miss Virginia Beach; Kelli Arnold, Miss Blue Ridge Mountains Festival; Erika Uhlig, Miss Chesterfield; and Jennifer Gursky, Miss Apple Blossom Festival.
Braveta Threatt, Miss Virginia Peanut, and Vanessa Smith, Miss Appomattox, also won non-finalist talent awards.
The pageant, which was televised on WSET-13, was held Saturday at 9 p.m. at the Roanoke Civic Center.
Bowes earned the chance to vie for the state title when she won the Miss Virginia Dogwood Pageant in January in Nelson County. She is the daughter of Kent and Kathy Bowes of Danville.
Bowes has been competing in pageants since the age of 13, and was looking forward to her interview with judges and talking about her platform, domestic violence and its effects on children.
Bowes has been a volunteer with DOVES - Domestic Violence Emergency Services - in Danville since she was 12 years old, beginning as a babysitter for children from battered homes.
A 2004 graduate of Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Bowes is a junior at Bridgewater College, where she is majoring in communication studies with a concentration in public relations.
Bowes was Miss South Boston Speedway for two years, and is scheduled to begin a month-long internship at Pocono International Raceway in July.
Cundiff, an honor graduate of Dan River High School, is a student at Danville Regional Medical Center's School of Health Professions and Radiologic Technology.
She is the daughter of Paul and Deborah Cundiff of Keeling.
Her platform was cancer awareness.
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