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Local Miss Georgia Contestants Gather For Annual Party
By Jenny Gordon WARNER ROBINS - The 62nd Annual Miss Georgia pageant will be here before you know it. In a gathering Friday night at the Homer J. Walker Civic Center, the local pageant community met for the annual "On to Miss Georgia" party for the reigning Miss Warner Robins. The 2006 Miss Warner Robins is Jenison Cooper, a 21-year-old rising senior at the University of Georgia. Family and friends assembled to watch Cooper and Denise Bringslid, the 2006 Miss Warner Robins Outstanding Teen, model fashions each will wear later this month at state competitions in Columbus. "I'm just so excited about the on-to party," said Cooper, daughter of Joseph and Gina Cooper. She is a marketing and education major whose platform includes reading education through the national organization First Book. "Preparing just keeps me busy every day," said the talented dancer, who practices twice a day. Born and raised in Warner Robins, Cooper knows well life behind the pageant scene. She has been around it since she was 4 years old. As every title winner can attest, support from a strong pageant board adds greatly to how visible a pageant winner is in the community. The Warner Robins pageant has managed to sustain a presence for quite some time, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Former Miss Warner Robins winners have included Amanda Kozak, last year's first runner-up Miss Georgia; Shauna Pender, 2003 Miss Florida; former TV personality Mary Therese Grabowski, who was the 1992 Miss Warner Robins; Sandra Eakes, 1979 Miss Georgia; Jill Beshears, 1978 Miss Tennessee; and Burma Davis, 1969 Miss Georgia. Marcy Waugh, co-executive director of the Miss Warner Robins pageant board, along with other board members said they are extremely proud of the representatives selected in Cooper and Bringslid. "I think they're all well prepared. They have been fun to work with and getting them ready. They have been wonderful ambassadors for the city of Warner Robins," said Waugh. The Miss Georgia pageant will be June 20-24 at the River Center's Bill Heard Theatre in downtown Columbus. Preliminary rounds will begin with onstage questions the first day, followed by evening gown, swimsuit, talent and interview competitions the rest of the week. Top 10 finals and crowning will take place June 24. Last year there were four contestants from Houston County who competed at Miss Georgia. In addition to Cooper, this year there are five competitors. They include: Darcy Cain, Miss Chattahoochee, Amanda Kozak, Miss Valdosta, Kasey Minyard, Miss Historic Southern Plains, and Melissa Rosa, Miss Macon. Also taking place the same week is the Miss Georgia Outstanding Teen pageant, at the St. Luke Methodist Ministry Center in Columbus. Preliminaries for teens will begin June 21 with the crowning on June 23. In other pageant news, the 50th Miss Warner Robins and Miss Warner Robins Outstanding Teen pageants will be July 29 at the civic center. Tickets are $10 for each event or $15 for both events. For those interested in competing, applications are still being accepted for each pageant. For more information, visit the Miss Warner Robins Web site at www.misswarnerrobins.org Check back in the Houston Peach for updates during pageant week. To learn more or to purchase tickets, visit www.missga.org.
Jenison Cooper - Miss Warner Robins 2006
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