Sixteen local ladies ready to chase the Miss Arkansas crown

Brookland, Ark. (KAIT) - Miss Arkansas is a job that a lot of Arkansas girls can only dream of.

The Miss Arkansas pageant is right around the corner, and 16 women from the Region 8 area will make their grand arrival at the State Capitol in Little Rock on Saturday, June 3.

There are nine preliminary queens in the “Miss” division: Erin Davis, Camille Cathey, Erica Parker, Ryann Grubbs, Riley Strube, Melody Stotts, Kaelin Clay, Anna Marie Wright, and Piper Stallings.

Miss Northeast Arkansas Piper Stallings said she has been working to perfect her talent routine for nearly six months.

“I wanted to do something that would hopefully be more of a crowd pleaser, so we went with Arkansas by Chris Stapleton,” she said.

Her dance instructor Ashlyn Raines at Tabitha’s Dance Studio in Paragould said that Stallings has been a joy to work with throughout her training.

“When Piper reached out to me, she just told me she wanted something that’s going to be entertaining and fun to watch,” said Raines.

Miss Greater Jonesboro Erin Davis said that although she and Stallings are competitors, this process wouldn’t have been nearly as enjoyable without her.

“We do all these amazing things, and there are some highs and definitely some lows,” Davis said. “And you have to have someone that’s in your corner rooting for you all the way.”

Both Stallings and Davis won their current titles on the same night. They said ever since, the two of them have been inseparable, and they have the NEA Scholarship Organization in Blytheville to thank.

“When we won our prelim, we kind of got attached to the Blytheville Association and the community of Blytheville has been so incredibly generous and kind to us throughout the year,” Stallings said.

There are seven ladies set to compete in the “Teen” division: Sophie Puckett, Kennedy Johnson, Chayla Waggoner Carissa Joy Callicott, Ensley Heringer, Rylee Smith, and Shawna Whitehurst.

The Miss Arkansas competition lasts from June 3-10 at the Robinson Center in Little Rock.

To see all of the candidates and their titles for both divisions, click here.

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