Miss Chattanooga Christine Williamson Takes the Crown

JACKSON – Christine Williamson has competed for Miss Tennessee for five years without a lot of success in preliminaries in previous four years.

That all changed over the course of this week, but loss is a distant memory now as Miss Tennessee Christine Williamson will represent the state in the Miss America Pageant.

Williamson won her group’s talent competition and lifestyle and fitness competition earlier in the week.

While that wasn’t a definite indicator of success on the final night, she said late Friday it was a confidencebuilder going into the final night.

“I’ve put in a lot of work to get ready for this week, and it feels like it’s paid off,” Williamson said. “I don’t know how things will end up (Saturday), but it feels great to have this so far.”

Williamson’s talent was singing “Never Enough,” a song from the movie “The Greatest Showman.” She said that movie really moved her to try to achieve great things, including competing in this pageant.

Her platform is Alzheimer’s Awareness: Advocating, Fundraising and Providing Hope, which she will discuss through appearances all year once she’s finished preparations and competing in Miss America this fall.

The pageant’s first runner-up is Miss Gallatin Samantha Havenstrite, and the top five rounded out with Miss Knoxville Brianna Mason, Miss Mid-South and Union University graduate Amber Reed and Miss Lexington Madison Snipes.

Four of the top five were preliminary winners earlier in the week; one didn’t advance to the top five, Miss Dixie PAC Lauren Dickson, who won Wednesday’s talent competition. She finished in the top 10.

The Miss America Pageant will be held Sept. 9 in Atlantic City, N.J.

Reach Brandon Shields at bjshields@jacksonsun.com or at 731425-9751. Follow him on Twitter @JSEditorBrandon or on Instagram at editorbrandon.

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