Miss Western Nebraska JaCee Pilkington of Bayard is the new Miss Nebraska. The 21-year-old Doane College student was crowned Saturday night in North Platte and now advances to the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City this September.
Miss Lake McConaughy Rachel Foehlinger of Omaha was 1st runner-up, Miss Douglas County Aleah Peters of Omaha 2nd runnerup, Miss Northwest Megan Dimmitt of Alliance 3rd runnerup, and Miss Chadron Meghan Thalken of North Platte 5th runnerup.
Crowned earlier in the day as Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen was Miss Omaha OT 15-year-old Samantha Washington. Washington will compete for the national title in Orlando, Florida, in August.
Miss Crane Watch Chelsea Arnold was 1st runner up, Miss Lincoln OT Morgan Holen 2nd runner up, Miss Western Nebraska OT JaLee Pilkington…sister of the new Miss Nebraska…3rd runner up, and Miss Douglas Co Cari Wadman 5th runner up.
JaCee Pilkington is the third consecutive Miss Nebraska from the Panhandle and the sixth in the past 7 years, including last year’s winner Mariah Cook of Chadron. Kayla Batt of Alliance wore the crown in 2011.
The others are Ashley Bauer of Scottsbluff (2007), Teresa Scanlan of Gering (2010 and later Miss America), and Gretchen Bergquist (2009), who was from Oxford competed that year as Miss Panhandle…a title she won in Alliance.
Pilkington was the 2009 Miss Nebraska Outstanding Teen, took time off from the pageant system to attend college, then returned this year to win the crown and the Miss America Organization Scholarship.
The overall eveningwear winner this, she also sang the hymn “How Great Thou Art” as her talent while her platform, “Operation Remember Me,” involves helping our veterans coming home from war.
Rachel Foehlinger received the interview award, Aleah Peters was the overall talent winner, and Dimmitt received the the Miss America Organization Service Award and the pageant’s top honor for community service…the JoDee, LynDee & Paiton Hastings scholarship.
Other awards included Miss Congeniality Miss Heartland Charissa Hauge, swimsuit winner Miss Omaha Jessica White, non-finalist interview Miss Kool Aid Days Kimberly Brennan, and non-finalist talent Miss Lincoln Steffani Jiroux.
The new Outstanding, Samantha Washington, was the talent winner as well as with Morgan Holen taking the interview award. Miss Chadron OT Alexandra O’Connor was the non-finalist talent winner and Miss Gering OT Brittli Sell the interview winner and the People’s Choice winner.