1 of 25

Miss All-America City Krystle Hughes (Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

Miss Capital City Natalya Knoke (Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

Miss Domain at Oxford Lauren Barron (Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

Miss Fairpark Jaycie Tungett (Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

Miss Hinds Community College Brelynn Beck (Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

Miss Historic Downtown Derykah Watts (Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

Miss Jones County Charity Lockridge (Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

Miss Lee County Sara Peyton Edwards (Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

Miss Red Hills Devan Doud (Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

Miss Starkville Adyson Poole (Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

Miss University Ally Hopper (Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

Miss USM Karsyn Ulmer (Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

Miss Vicksburg Morgan Nelson (Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

(Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

(Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

(Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

(Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

(Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

(Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

(Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

(Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

(Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

(Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

(Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

(Photo by Larry Walker for Miss Mississippi | Special to The Post)

Excitement was in the air at the Vicksburg Convention Center Wednesday as delegates took to the stage for the first round of the 2023 Miss Mississippi preliminary competitions.

Thirty-eight young women are vying for the title and crown this year.

Taking home the preliminary wins in the first round were three first-year competitors: Miss Leaf River Valley Neeley Robertson and Miss Mississippi State University Anna-Katherine Thompson winning in talent, and Miss All America City Krystle Hughes who won the evening wear phase of the competition.

Robertson, an Ellisville native, sang an R&B version of the song “Footprints in the Sand.”

“I had submitted several songs to the Miss Mississippi Organization that were not accepted,” Robertson said. “But I remembered a sign in my grandparents’ house that had the poem “Footprints in the Sand,” and my grandmother suggested I sing that song.”

Thompson also won in the preliminary round thanks to her vocal talents. The Ruston, La., native sang “The Impossible Dream” from the musical “The Man of La Mancha.”

“Being on the Miss Mississippi Stage was an absolute dream come true,” Thompson said, adding that working in the music industry in Nashville is one of her future goals.

Hughes wore a royal blue evening gown. This year marks the Winona native’s first time competing in Miss Mississippi.

“When I put (the dress on), and I saw the silhouette and the way it highlighted my athletic figure, it just felt like me,” Hughes said.

The second round of preliminary competitions begins at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Other events scheduled are:

Thursday, June 8

• 10-11 a.m. – Miss Mississippi autograph signings in downtown Vicksburg
• 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. – Delegates attend Rotary Club Lunch at the Vicksburg Country Club
• 7 p.m. – Second round of Miss Mississippi preliminary competitions, tickets $40, available at the door, 1600 Dr. Briggs Hopson Blvd., the Miss Mississippi Corporate office, 820 South St. or online at miss-mississippi.com/shop.html.

Friday, June 9

• 10-11:30 a.m. – Vicksburg Public Library event
• 7 p.m. – Third round of Miss Mississippi preliminary competitions, tickets $50, available at the door, 1600 Dr. Briggs Hopson Blvd., the Miss Mississippi Corporate office, 820 South St., or online at miss-mississippi.com/shop.html.

Saturday, June 10  

• 9-10 a.m. – Miss Mississippi judges’ seminar, open to the public
• 8 p.m. – Final round of Miss Mississippi competitions, tickets $50, available at the door, 1600 Dr. Briggs Hopson Blvd., the Miss Mississippi Corporate office, 820 South St. or online at miss-mississippi.com/shop.html.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

More by Terri Cowart

More News

150 years later: Vicksburg Massacre remembered in River City

Vicksburg Police Department Incident Reports for the period Dec. 2-Dec. 8, 2024

Another shooting at downtown gas station under investigation

SEASON OF GIVING: Vicksburg Kiwanis Club makes donation to Good Shepherd Community Center Thanksgiving Project