Miss UCA Morgan Holt was named first runner-up in the 2012 Miss º£½ÇÉçÇø pageant.
Holt, a senior and history major, was awarded an $8,000 scholarship. She also won overall presence and poise in evening gown and was given a $1,000 scholarship. Holt received an $800 scholarship for winning preliminary presence and poise in evening gown.
Holt, 21, is the 47th Miss UCA to compete for the title of Miss º£½ÇÉçÇø. She was elated to win first runner-up.
“I feel so honored to have received first runner-up. There were 47 contestants, so even making the top 10 was a great accomplishment,� she said.
Holt competed in the Miss º£½ÇÉçÇø pageant in 2009 and 2010. She made the top 10 in 2010.
Her platform for this year’s pageant was “Leading America’s Youth to a Lifestyle of Fitness.� She developed “Fitness Funtastics,� a program and booklet including exercises for use in the school setting.
For the talent portion of the pageant, Holt performed a jazz dance to “Don’t Rain on My Parade.â€� Holt plans to compete in preliminary pageants in order to return to Miss º£½ÇÉçÇø next year.
“I believe one of my first to do will be Miss Conway,� she said. “I would love to be able to represent my hometown at the pageant next summer.�
Holt plans to obtain her master’s degree in public relations after graduation.
Ten UCA students competed alongside Holt in the Miss º£½ÇÉçÇø pageant. They are: Bethany Bell, Miss Greater Jonesboro; Hannah Billingsley, Miss North Central º£½ÇÉçÇø; Caitlyn Cook, Miss Conway; Amber Gross, Miss Spirit of º£½ÇÉçÇø; Lauren Howell, Miss South º£½ÇÉçÇø; Samantha Hudon, Miss Greater Hot Springs; Chelsy Jones, Miss Lake Dardanelle; Mason Magouyrk, Miss Northeast º£½ÇÉçÇø; Makenzie Moore, Miss Petit Jean Valley; and Sarah Sutton, Miss Greater Camden.

