Miss Mississippi Becky Williams is coming home to continue her reign following Miss America.
Miss Mississippi’s Teen 2024 Brooke Bumgarner was second-runner up for the Miss America’s Teen title.
Miss Alabama Abbie Stockard won the national title on Sunday, Jan. 5, in Orlando, Florida. She is a nursing student and cheerleader at Auburn University.
The member of the Tiger Paws Dance Team did her talent routine to “You Say” by Lauren Daigle, and her on-stage question was about unemployment.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey congratulated Stockard in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Abbie, and I know firsthand what an outstanding young woman she is. She is incredibly deserving of this honor,” it partially reads.
She’s dating Walker Kessler, the center for the Utah Jazz. His team was playing in Orlando on Sunday night and beat the Magic 105-92. In other coincidences for the couple, they share a birthday, July 26.
Who were the other top Miss America contestants?
Miss Texas Annette Addo-Yobo was first runner up. Miss Tennessee Carley Vogel is second runner up. Miss Florida Casana Fink is third runner up, and Miss Ohio Stephanie Finoti took fourth runner up.
Other members of the Top 11 included:
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Miss Wisconsin Mandi Genord.
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Miss South Carolina Davis Wash.
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Miss Colorado Alexandra Lotko.
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Miss Oklahoma Lauren Frost.
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Miss Georgia Ludwidg Louzaire.
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Miss Minnesota Emily Schumacher.
What you should know about Miss Mississippi
Miss Mississippi 2024 Becky Williams acknowledges the crowd at the Miss Mississippi competition in the Vicksburg Convention Center in Vicksburg, Miss., on Saturday, June 8, 2024.
Williams took the state crown in June 2024 following three nights of preliminary competitions.
Williams’ talent is jazz dance. For the state pageant, she performed to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.”
Her social impact initiative is “Make a Move,” which involves teaching people about fitness and health.
“Throughout my year, my goal is to make sure that girls know that this is possible for them, as long as they put hard work and dedication into it,” Williams told The Clarion Ledger in June.
The Purvis native studies education at MSU’s graduate program and plans to be a public school teacher in Mississippi with a long-term goal of becoming a superintendent.
Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Miss Mississippi comes home from Miss America pageant to serve state
