HOMEWOOD – Contestants with ties to Shelby County made it 2-for-2 in the talent portion of the Miss Alabama Pageant.

Callie Walker of Birmingham in Shelby County, representing Miss University of Alabama, was named the preliminary winner for the talent competition after Day 2 of the pageant on Thursday, June 8.

Walker, a 19-year-old competing in Miss Alabama for the third year, performed a classical ballet en pointe, “The Hoedown” from Rodeo.

Walker was the overall first runner-up in last year’s pageant.

A junior at the University of Alabama, Walker is majoring in musical theatre.

She is one of eight Miss Alabama contestants with ties to Shelby County. There are 48 total contestants.

The contestants are split into three groups, with the groups rotating competitions each evening.

The contestants are competing in talent, swimsuit, onstage question and evening wear competitions, and will participate in private interviews with a panel of five judges.

Miss Shelby County Chassidy Sumler won the talent preliminary after the first day of the pageant, on Wednesday, June 7.

Preliminary competitions will continue Friday, June 9, and the final competition, culminating with the crowning of a new Miss Alabama, will be held Saturday, June 10.

The pageant is being held at Samford University’s Wright Center.

For more information and tickets, visit MissAlabama.com or call 871-6276.