ALABASTER- Thompson High School held its annual Miss THS pageant on he evening of Saturday, Feb. 25. THS TV organized the pageant, and 20 students competed.

“It’s a very popular event for a lot of our girls. It’s a springboard for confidence building and being able to showcase talents,” said THS Principal Wesley Hester. “It’s a great event that helps girls develop confidence and poise.”

“Pageants can be really stiff, so we wanted it to be fun and something they wouldn’t forget,” teacher Brooke Dennis said.

Brady Talbert and Ashley Ryan served as the Masters of Ceremonies. 2016 Miss THS Allie Adams and THS alum and 2017 Miss Troy University Mary Beth Moore presented the awards.

Contestants were judged on a pre-pageant interview and the formalwear segment before the top 10 were selected. The top 10 contestants were asked onstage questions and had to do a final walk before the winners were announced.

“It was a really competitive group. We knew that it was going to be close and that we had a lot of fun girls who could do really well. It was anybody’s game up until tonight,” Dennis said.

Freshman Blakely Jordan Channell, sophomore Gracelyn Marie Coker, junior Brittanie Renee Dorsett and senior Alexis Grace Tackaberry were named Grade Princesses. Coker also received the title of Miss Congeniality, and Shelby Olivia Robinson was awarded Miss Photogenic.

Senior Camryn Olivia Anthony was the second runner up, and junior Katelyn Brooke Glover was the first runner up. Senior Kate Elizabeth Workman was crowned as the 2017 Miss THS.

Workman said she was excited to win, and said she took a laid back approach to preparing for the pageant.

“I’m very surprised, but this is a great feeling. I’m honored and very blessed to be Miss THS,” Workman said. “I don’t really do pageants, so this is pretty much it. I didn’t stress about it at all. Whatever happens is meant to happen, and it was the best way to do it, because I wasn’t very nervous, and I had a ton of fun doing it.”

Her father, Jerry Workman, said she is a hard worker and has a bright future ahead of her.

“She is a driven, compassionate and she always tries to be very inclusive. She has a wide array or friends, and sometimes, she finds the humor in everything,” Jerry Workman said. “She’s headed to Auburn’s pharmacy program in the fall.”

Hester also thanked Dennis and THS TV for hosting and filming the pageant.

“They did a wonderful job of putting this together. This is just another great event for us at Thompson High School,” Hester said.

Dennis said this is the third year that THS TV has coordinated the pageant. According to Dennis, this was a good way for her students to learn how to film events.

“A few years ago, we decided to add a lot of video elements and make it feel like Miss America,” Dennis said. “They got to experience what it would be actually like to run the Miss America Pageant. I’m really proud of my students, because I have to rely on them to do the work, and they showed a lot of professionalism.”

The 2017 Miss THS pageant was sponsored by Glitz and Gowns, Crown Trophy, Le Fleur Florist and Lamar Photography.