Contestants prepare for Miss Indiana competition

Thirty-four women gathered Sunday as they prepared to kick off Miss Indiana week, a week of events including a cookout, charitable functions and preliminary competitions culminating in the crowning of the next Miss Indiana.

The judges’ criteria extend beyond each woman’s ability to model a swimsuit or her elegance in an evening gown. The scoring is also based on each contestant’s self-awareness, articulation and global-awareness.

“We expect the girls to know their minds, know their opinions, have an opinion on every subject and be able to speak and answer questions well,” said Marni Lemons, a Miss Indiana Board of Directors member.

The women qualified for Miss Indiana by winning a college, county or local pageant in Indiana.

There are five phases of competition the women will be judged on: a private interview with the judges, performing a talent on stage, modeling a swimsuit, an evening gown competition and answering an on-stage question.

All the contestants are also advocating personal platforms.

Although the women are not judged based on their personal platforms, there is a correlation between success in the pageant and the women that thoroughly embrace their platform, Lemons said.

“What we find is that the girls who excel and succeed in the program are the ones who immerse themselves the most in their platform cause,” she said.

The 34 contestants will be divided into 3 different groups and will compete in the preliminary competitions this week in their respective groups.

All the contestants will have private interviews with the judges on Wednesday. During each preliminary competition date, a different group will compete in a separate facet of competition.

“Depending on the group you are in, one night you will compete in talent, the next night you’ll compete in lifestyle and evening gown and one night you’ll answer the on-stage question,” Lemons said. “That’s why there are three separate groups.”

The judges will tally up the scores and announce the top 10 contestants on the final night of preliminary competition, Lemons said.

The finalists and a People’s Choice Winner will compete Saturday evening in the Miss Indiana finals. The People’s Choice Winner is decided by whichever contestant receives the most votes online. Each vote costs $1, which benefits the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the Miss Indiana Scholarship Fund.

There are three IU-affiliated contestants in this year’s pageant:  Erika Burghardt, 2014 graduate and reigning Miss IU; Paige Geer, 2013 graduate and Miss Koscuisko; and Chelsea Smith, student at IU for the past two years and Miss White River.

In addition to the competitions, the women will be charitably active during the week. They will be visiting the Riley Hospital for Children and the Zionsville Boys and Girls Club.  The Miss Indiana Parade and autograph signing will be before the final competition Saturday in Zionsville, Ind.

All the pageant participants will receive a scholarship. In addition to an $8,000 scholarship, Miss Indiana will represent Indiana in the Miss America pageant this September in Atlantic City, N.J., Lemons said.

The Miss Indiana finals will be at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Zionsville Performing Arts Center. To purchase tickets or find out more information visit missindiana.org.