Miss Dixie Robyn Davis, left, and Miss Jones County Laranda Moffett, center, tied in the swimsuit competition. Miss Blues Country Brandi Jolly, right, won the talent portion.(The Vicksburg Post/C. TODD SHERMAN)

[07/05/02]Shows were inside and outside the Vicksburg Convention Center Thursday night during the second round of preliminary competition of the 2002 Miss Mississippi pageant.

Inside, the 39 contestants brightened the stage while outside the city’s Fourth of July fireworks display brightened downtown Vicksburg.

The pageant took a 20-minute intermission around 9:30 to show the display occurring just outside on two video screens .

“They brought them to us,” said Shirley Chatman, mother of Miss Heartland Jauna Chatman, both of Memphis. “Probably other places wouldn’t do the things they did. It was good and positive.”

Fireworks inside included Miss Dixie Robyn Davis, 23, of Columbus, tying in swimsuit for the second year in a row. This year she shared the win with Miss Jones County Laranda Moffett, 21, of Bay Springs. In the 2001 pageant, she tied with reigning Miss Mississippi Becky Pruett.

“I do cardio and weight training,” said Davis, a Mississippi University for Women graduate. “It’s really a lifestyle. That’s what’s so great about the Miss Mississippi organization. They encourage you to adopt a healthy kind of living.”

For Moffett, winning a preliminary was a new experience. Although she competed in the pageant in 2000 as Miss Jones County and 2001 as Miss Mississippi State University, Thursday night’s swimsuit competition was her first preliminary win. The Mississippi State University graduate has been working hard to keep her body in shape.

“A lot of people go on diets to be in the pageant,” she said. “I did, but not in the same way.”

Because of Moffett’s small frame, she wanted to bulk up. “I’ve been eating a lot of meat and carbohydrates,” she said.

The talent portion of the competition also brought home a first-time preliminary win for Miss Blues Country Brandi Jolly, 21, of New Albany. She sang “If I Had It My Way” by Linda Eder.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Jolly, who has competed in the pageant three years before. She has been taking voice lessons for 14 years. “I’ve always heard that you can’t believe they’ve called your name and honestly, I had no idea.

Both Davis and Moffett won $200 in cash scholarship in the swimsuit preliminary. Jolly won $400 in cash scholarship in the talent portion.

In Wednesday night’s competition, Miss West Central Jennifer Adcock won the swimsuit competition. Miss University Jessica Hill and Miss Houston North Central Misty Rea tied in the talent portion. This is Adcock’s third year to win in the swimsuit preliminary.

Miss Vicksburg Marla Beth Brooks will compete in the talent preliminary tonight.

WLBT-TV station will air Saturday night’s final competition when Pruett will crown her successor.