Photo gallery: Miss Quincy wins Miss Illinois


10 months, 2 weeks ago

Miss Quincy, Megan Ervin, will represent the state in the Miss America pageant

Photos: thesouthern.com

Miss Quincy Megan Ervin was selected as Miss Illinois at the pageant in Marion Saturday night.

Ervin, a Rushville native and Western Illinois University graduate, was the pageant's first runner-up last year when she competed as Miss Macomb.

The last woman representing Quincy to win Miss Illinois was Viola Hutmacher Palumbo, who won Miss Illinois in 1948.

Ervin will compete for the title of Miss America at the 2013 pageant next January in Las Vegas.

From thesouthern.com: After swimsuits, eveningwear and a jazz dance rendition of the Tina Turner version of “Proud Mary,” Miss Quincy Megan Ervin became the 2012 Miss Illinois.

The final event took place Saturday evening at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center after a week of competition. In addition to representing Illinois in the Miss America competition in Las Vegas, Ervin won an $11,500 scholarship. Ervin was first runner-up at the 2011 competition, in which Hannah Smith took the title.

Ervin edged out Miss Windy City Jennifer Carr, who was first runner-up. Second runner-up was Miss Heartland April Strong, third was Miss Fox Valley Savannah Teegarden and fourth was Miss Heart of Illinois Emily McConnell. The other five to make the Top 10 were Miss Chicago Marisa Buchheit, Miss Midwest Illinois Chelsey Ray, Miss Northern Suburbs Kaitlyn Milner, Miss Southern Sweetheart Erica Cain and Miss Champaign-Urbana Audra Ferguson.

UPDATED:

Miss Quincy Earns Preliminary Award in First Night of Competition

Megan Ervin, Miss Quincy 2012, was awarded the preliminary award for lifestyle and fitness in swimwear Wednesday evening during the first night of preliminary competition at the Miss Illinois pageant.  Ervin also competed in on-stage question.

 

Miss Quincy, Megan Ervin, and Miss Gem City, Celeste Niemann will travel to Marion, Illinois this week to represent the Quincy area and compete for the title of Miss Illinois.  Preliminary competitions will be held June 27 and 28, with competition wrapping up Saturday June, 30 with the crowning of Miss Illinois.

Ervin, a Rushville native, was crowned Miss Quincy in late March, and has spent the time since her crowning promoting her personal platform, preparing for the state competition, and representing the Quincy area at local parades and festivals.  Ervin’s platform, eCHANGE stands for Everyone Choosing Healthy Activities and Nutritional Goals, and represents her efforts to fight childhood obesity and inactivity.  During the past months Ervin has partnered with Quincy Medical Group to begin a health and fitness series in Quincy schools and with Miss Quincy’s Outstanding Teen, Mackenzie Mahsman to begin a free monthly fitness series for children in the Quincy community.

Niemann has also spent the months since her crowning preparing for the state competition and representing Quincy and the surrounding area.  Niemann’s platform is Make Your Minutes Matter: Volunteer, in which she has promoted community volunteerism and involvement.  Niemann’s reign has been filled with volunteer opportunities, both in the Quincy community and on the campus of the University of Illinois. 

The winner of Miss Illinois will spend the year touring the state of Illinois speaking at schools about CHARACTER COUNTS!, appearing at a variety of community and charitable events, serving as Illinois’ goodwill ambassador for Children's Miracle Network, the official platform of the Miss America Organization, and spokesperson for East Aurora-based Triple Threat Mentoring. She will also spend time promoting her personal platform. She will compete with 52 other titleholders from across the country for the title of Miss America at the 2013 Miss America Pageant next January at Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Also competing in Marion will be Miss Quincy’s Outstanding Teen, Mackenzie Mahsman and Miss Quincy’s Outstanding Pre-Teen, Allison Helton.  These titleholders will be competing in the Miss Illinois Outstanding Teen and Pre-Teen pageant on Friday, June 29.  Mahsman will be an 8th grader at St. Peter’s Catholic School this fall.  Helton attends Payson-Seymour Junior High, and will be a 7th grader. 

The winner of the Miss Illinois Outstanding Teen pageant will compete for Miss America’s Outstanding Teen in August in Orlando, Florida.

Little Miss Quincy, Kenley Kurfman will also travel to Marion to participate in the Miss Illinois Princess program.  The program, in its 6th year, is a non-competitive mentoring program that enables young ladies, ages 5-12, to be mentored by one of the local titleholders that will be competing for the title of Miss Illinois 2012.

Miss Quincy and Miss Gem City are preliminary pageants to Miss Illinois and Miss America. The Miss America Organization is the largest scholarship provider to women in the world. Last year, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $90 million in cash and scholarship assistance. This assistance is not just for the handful of young women who become Miss America, but is available to the over 12,000 young women who compete in the state and local competitions as well.  Miss Quincy and Miss Gem City is open to young women ages 17-24. Miss Quincy's Outstanding Teen is open to girls ages 13-17 and is a preliminary to the Miss Illinois Outstanding Teen and Miss America's Outstanding Teen Pageants. Miss Quincy's Outstanding Pre-Teen is open to girls ages 10-12 and is a preliminary to the Miss Illinois Outstanding Pre-Teen Pageant. Little Miss Quincy is open to girls ages 6-9.