Sunday, March 02, 2008

Pageant contestants light up theater


BY PHIL HARTMAN

SVS REPORTER

phartman@svnmail.com

Britten Traughber literally did do her homework to start on the path to becoming Miss Illinois Galaxy 2008.

"I started doing pageants for a research paper for a women's studies class, and it feels like I cracked the code," said the 27-year-old Bloomington resident, who was crowned Saturday at the Historic Dixon Theatre.

This marked the second year the pageant was presented at the theater, with a total of 12 girls and women taking part in the two-day event. Fashionwear and evening gowns were portions of the evening for the competitors, while the older participants took part in the swimwear competition.

Traughber is pursuing her master of fine arts degree at Illinois State University, and took undergraduate courses at Bennington College, in Bennington, Vt. She is originally from Moweaqua, a town south of Decatur, and attended the pageant as Miss McLean County. She will represent Illinois at the Galaxy International pageant from July 30 through Aug. 2 in Orlando, Fla.

Laura Buhmann was crowned as Ms. Illinois Galaxy 2008. Other participants for the Miss Illinois Galaxy competition were Allison Hinman, Sherrie Davis, Rachel Jones, Nicole Kaapke, Miranda Hinman and Torrie Roberts.

A number of Galaxy 2008 participants from Wisconsin also were crowned this weekend, including Alyson Underwood as Miss Pre-Teen Wisconsin Galaxy, Elizabeth Bryson as Miss Teen Wisconsin, Autumn Brown as Miss Wisconsin Galaxy and Melanie Chokla as Mrs. Wisconsin Galaxy.

Wendy Willett, a member of the Dixon Petunia Festival Board of Directors, said that Galaxy pageant winners helped at the ticket booths on Peoria Avenue during the 2007 festival.

"They are willing to help again this year," Willett said.

Reach Phil Hartman at (815) 625-3600, (815) 284-2222 or (800) 798-4085, ext. 524.



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