Two locals vie for Miss Virginia crown

By Christa Desrets

Published: June 23, 2008

Two students from Lynchburg-area colleges who are competing in the Miss Virginia Pageant in Roanoke this week can tell you all about preparing for the statewide competition of talent, composure, confidence and poise.

In the past two months, recent Randolph College graduate Laura Pennington and Liberty University senior Sarah Fitzpatrick have each sought out five evening gowns, two swimsuits, outfits for a week of events and rehearsals, and plenty of earrings, high heels and fake eyelashes.

And that’s only the beginning.

“Developing your platform, practicing your talent, working out so you look good in swimsuit, keeping up on current events,” Pennington said. “It’s a lot of work.”

But the payoff is big.

Both girls aim for the Miss Virginia title and along with it, a year’s worth of appearances to promote causes they hold dear.

The winner also gets a shot at the Miss America crown.

For Fitzpatrick, competing for Miss Virginia is an opportunity to promote her cause of enriching the lives of teenage girls, “by teaching them things that will help them accept themselves,” she said.

“I think it’s really important for girls to understand how guys are wired so they can develop healthy relationships,” she said.

She competed in four Virginia pageants before winning the title of Miss Lynchburg, plus an $8,000 scholarship, in March.

“I was so thankful,” she said. “Pageantry is sort of my hobby, and I love it because there is so much you can get from it.”

Pennington was first-runner-up in the same pageant, which is also where she met Fitzpatrick.

The 24 women in the Miss Virginia competition will each compete in five areas — speaking in a 10-minute interview with judges, answering questions on stage, performing a talent and showcasing a swimsuit and evening gown.

Both Pennington and Fitzpatrick said they like the interview best, and the swimsuit competition least.

“I really feel comfortable in an interview,” said Pennington. “I get a lot of political and current events questions. But that’s what I studied, that’s what I’m interested in, so I love answering.”

While the swimsuit competition is short — only 20 to 30 seconds on stage — it also can be nerve-racking, she said.

“It takes a lot of confidence to walk around in high heels and a bathing suit,” Pennington said. “You really have to fake it ’til you make it. Even if you don’t feel 100 percent about your body, you’d better act like you do.”

She competed in 10 local pageants throughout the year, consistently winning the first or second runner-up title.

She finally secured her spot at Miss Virginia in April by winning the title of Miss Commonwealth in a final pageant held for all the runners-up.

Both women left for Roanoke on Sunday, and have a jam-packed schedule all week, leading up to the finale Saturday night.

“Most days begin at 7:30 in the morning when we have to be somewhere, and rehearsal ends at 10:30 or 11 at night,” Pennington said.

Leading up to the competition, the two e-mailed back and forth, updating each other on what they needed to get for the pageant.

“We e-mailed a lot,” Pennington said. “It’s really nice to have someone else in Lynchburg.”

- To secure a spot for your favorite contestant in the Miss Virginia Top 11, visit http://www.missva.com, enter the site, then click the black button at the top of the page to vote for the People’s Choice contestant.

Miss Lynchburg, Sarah Lee Fitzpatrick
Age: 20
School: Senior at Liberty University
Major: Interiors and fashion merchandising
Platform: Enriching the lives of teenage girls
Talent: Singing a custom arrangement of the jazz classic “Stormy Weather”
Favorite part of pageants: “There’s so much in it that teaches you life lessons you can’t learn anywhere else,” she said. “It’s a way for me to showcase all the talents that God has given me.”

Miss Commonwealth, Laura Pennington
Age: 22
School: Recent graduate of Randolph College with plans to attend grad school this fall at Virginia Tech
Major: Dual-majored in political science and economics
Platform: Breaking the silence: domestic violence awareness and prevention
Talent: Tap dance routine to Benny Goodman’s swing piece, “Sing, Sing, Sing”
Favorite part of pageants: “Doing all of this forces you to be confident and look within you and find your strengths,” she said. “You really learn a lot about yourself, but you’re also able to give back to people in the community, and that’s really rewarding.”