Kiya Stack of Chadron was crowned Miss Alliance and Chrissy Townsend of Omaha Miss Panhandle Saturday night in Alliance. The titles advance both women to the Miss Nebraska Pagent this June in North Platte for a shot at becoming Miss America.

1st-Runner-Up for the Miss Alliance title was Alliance High School senior Megan Gould, while Katrina Poppert…a 3-time Miss Nebraska contestant from Lincoln…was 1st-Runner-Up to Miss Panhandle.

Stack claimed the talent and interview competitions and tied for top honors in evening wear en route to winning the title of Miss Alliance for the second time.

The first time was in 2010 when she competed at Miss Nebraska with eventual Miss America Teresa Scanlan of Gering and won a scholarship at Miss Nebraska as the outstanding non-finalist in talent. Stack was also a 2-time Miss Nebraska Outstanding Teen contestant.

Four of this year’s Miss Alliance/Miss Panhandle contestants were past Miss Nebraska competitors: Stack, Townsend…the 2009 National American Miss Nebraska Teen…Poppert, and Kate Duncan of Morrill.

The pageant theme was “Patriotic Party in the USA,” and two of the 4 co-hosts were members of the military: Alliance native and 1st Lt Erin Hanson of the Nebraska Army National Guard and Senior Airman Jennifer Jensen of the Wyoming Air Guard.

The other co-hosts were veteran pageant MC Jon Marquez and reigning Miss Nebraska Mariah Cook. Cook had a full day, making a previously scheduled engagement in Grand Island before driving to Alliance and arriving just before intermission, then performing on the piano later in evening.