By MACKENZEE SIMMS | Staff Writer

HELENA – With glittering gowns and sparkling smiles, Helena High School hosted its 10th annual Miss HHS pageant on Saturday, April 27.

According to pageant coordinator and English teacher Jennifer Russell, Miss HHS is a pageant open to all students so long as they attend Helena High School. Ultimately, Miss HHS should be a student that demonstrates poise, intelligence and school pride.

“The judges are looking for someone who can speak well, carries herself well and is a well-rounded student,” Russell said. “The girls are judged on their poise, stage presence, interview answers and articulation of their answers.”

In the week leading up to the big night, the girls in the pageant practiced each day after school. At practice, they covered everything including how to walk, how to answer interview questions and how to dance for the opening number. Students also received practice questions to take home and practice with their family.

The morning of the pageant, the students also each completed a three minute interview with the panel of judges, so that they could understand each girl on a more personal level.

After weeks of preparation and a daunting round of interviews, each contestant took to the stage of Helena High School to compete in this year’s Miss HHS. The evening’s events kicked off with the opening number, choreographed by Russell.

“The opening number is just a way to introduce the girls to the judges and allow them to be on the stage so that they are less nervous for their first walk,” Russell said. “(This) part is a fun way for the girls to show their personality to the audience and the judges.”

Following the opening number, the students donned glittering evening gowns for the first walk. Each girl floated across the stage on the arm of an escort. After the walk, the judges announced the top five contestants that would continue to the next round of the pageant, the on-stage questions.

The top five contestants were Amelia Beland, Ella Bradbury, Anna Beth Goodman, Regan Landry and Riley Souers.

While the judges deliberated, the audience enjoyed choral performances from HHS students and a surprise dance from the evening’s escorts to “I’m Just Ken” from “Barbie.”

At the end of the evening, the winners in a variety of categories were announced and last year’s Miss HHS, Sadie Henderson, crowned Anna Beth Goodman as the 2024 Miss HHS.

Meanwhile, Anna Cruce Johnson won Most Photogenic, Grayson Mayer won Best Escort and Lilly Wehby won both People’s Choice and Miss Congeniality.