Local youth wins state, national preteen pageants on first try
Published Tuesday, December 5, 2006 - Topeka Capital Journal
Clark's crowning achievement
As Bruce and Cindy Clark watched their 12-year-old daughter, Taylor, on an Anaheim, Calif., stage late in the day that Saturday following Thanksgiving, they prayed they wouldn't hear her name.
Earlier in the day, the Topekans had hoped to hear "Taylor Clark" or "Miss Kansas" announced as a top 10 or top five finalist in the National American Miss Preteen competition. But later, in the final round of the pageant, any mention of Kansas or Clark was the last thing they wanted to hear, literally.
The last name announced would be crowned queen.
"When they were announcing the Top 10, they had announced nine names, and Taylor wasn't mentioned. We were giving up," Bruce Clark said, adding that the pageant announcer delayed announcing the 10th name at the dismay of the contestants. "Then the 10th person was Taylor. They did the same thing with the top five finalists, building the suspense before announcing the last name."
With only five girls on stage all hoping for the title in the last round, the suspense was enough without the announcer's help. Miss Virginia — fourth runner-up. Miss Kentucky in third. Only three hopefuls left.
Each name was read with no mention of Taylor Clark. It was then it became clear that the 12-year-old seventh-grader from Washburn Rural Middle School was the new National American Miss Preteen Queen.
"I was pretty much in shock," Taylor said, smiling at the memory of her crowning over the Thanksgiving break. "I wasn't thinking I was going to win."
Taylor said she felt the same way last spring when she took home the Miss Kansas crown that earned her a spot at nationals. Before the state competition, she had never been in a pageant. She won state and nationals having no previous experience and no pageant coach.
Cindy Clark said an information pamphlet received last year in the mail sparked her daughter's interest in the pageant, despite being somewhat clueless as to how they work. Luckily, more information booklets arrived sporadically, acting as the Clarks' guide to pageantry.
The booklets informed the family about the rules of the competition, how to dress and how to act. Taylor also learned the four categories participants are judged on: formal wear, personal introduction, interview and community service.
She said personal introduction, where girls introduce themselves and their interests to the judges, was her favorite.
"I really like personal introduction because I got really good at it," she said. "At nationals, I was the best at that. At state, it was my worst because I had never talked in front of groups of people before."
Taylor said she also loved picking a gown. For nationals, she wore a sleeveless gold dress with a gathered skirt that she didn't decide on until the last minute.
But her mother said everything was done at the last minute during the week of national competition because the pageant contestants had packed schedules every day. The girls had to learn an opening dance, which wasn't difficult for Taylor, who has several years of jazz, tap and ballet experience from the Dance Factory and the Metropolitan Ballet Company in Topeka.
The contestants also had smaller competitions throughout the week, such as best spokeswoman or best casual wear, which Taylor won with an outfit built around a stylish scarf. The girls were treated to a black-tie Thanksgiving dinner and a VIP day at Disneyland, too.
"We had to wear our crowns all day. They're heavy," Taylor said about the amusement park trip. "Everybody looked at us like, 'Why are they wearing those?' "
However, Taylor said, she couldn't complain about anything from her trip. Cindy Clark said it was a great opportunity for her daughter to learn confidence and especially to make a few good friends.
"The girls there were so nice," she said. "Taylor became really close with Miss Virginia and Miss Maryland. They had such a good time together."
And Taylor plans to see her pageant pals again soon. Along with winning a crown, the Topekan took home a $3,000 cash prize, which she wants to use to visit her friends back east. She also won a $7,000 prize package that includes air fare to and hotel rooms in Houston, where she will have a publicity photo shoot and an all-expenses-paid trip to next year's national competition in November.
For now, though, Taylor said she wants to concentrate on her reign as queen.
"A lot of younger girls look up to the queen. They kind of want to be like you," Taylor said. "At nationals, everyone hung around last year's winner and wanted to talk to her. Next year, that will be me. I'm a role model for a lot of girls."
Taylor Atkins can be reached at (785) 295-1187 or taylor.atkins@cjonline.com.
Comments
Posted by: Taylor Austin | February 27, 2007 03:04 PM