Page 6 - Flathead Beacon // 5.21.14

6 | MAY 21, 2014 NEWS FLATHEADBEACON.COM

Miss Montana Ready for National Competition

READER
Kalispell’s Kadie Latimer

POLL
to represent Montana in

FLATHEADBEACON.COM
Miss USA pageant

By MOLLY PRIDDY of the Beacon
Do You Plan on Traveling Over
Memorial Day Weekend?
Kadie Latimer didn’t set out to be Miss
Montana USA; that’s just how it turned out
when she decided to try something new.
Latimer, 23, was spending her time

last year working as a model and going to
school at Flathead Valley Community Col-
lege, when one of her bosses at the Rocky
Mountain Entertainment Agency sug-
gested that she look into pageants.
“Doing pageants wasn’t my thing,”
16% YES 84% NO Latimer said in an interview last week.
But when it was explained that pageant
TOTAL VOTES: 134
work can boost a resume and that training
for a pageant could help with some of the
Should the University of shyness Latimer comes by naturally, she
Montana Appeal its NCAA decided to go for it.
Starting in February 2013, Latimer
Sanctions?
started training. That following October, Miss Montana USA 2014 Kadie Latimer. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
she competed in the Miss Montana USA

pageant in Missoula, and in what she con- leyball and softball. She spent her fresh- from Texas who walks her through mock
sidered a surprising result, she won.
man and sophomore years at Flathead interviews, and a director from Seattle
“It was my irst pageant, and it ended High School, then moved on to Glacier who arranges for all the other aspects
up going pretty well,” Latimer said.
High School when it opened for her junior of pageantry, from hair and makeup to
With that win, Latimer is headed to and senior year.
dresses and dieting.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for the Miss USA After high school, she attended Mon- Exercise is a familiar part of her life,
pageant, which will be televised on NBC tana Tech in Butte, and came back to the but learning to diet appropriately was a bit
38% YES 62% NO on June 8. It’s a major accomplishment Flathead to go to aesthetician school. But of a challenge, she said. She’ll be judged on

TOTAL VOTES: 76
for Latimer, who two years ago hadn’t while working at a local plastic surgeon’s her itness level in the swimsuit category,
thought she’d be on the national and inter- practice, she felt drawn to the medical her speech skills in the interview category,
national stage.
profession, and will be part of this year’s and her overall appearance in the evening
Should National Parks and The Miss USA pageant difers from the graduating class at FVCC with a two-year gown category.
Public Lands be Exempt from Miss America competition in that there degree in medical assisting.
Montana doesn’t have a large pageant
Government Shutdowns?
isn’t a talent competition in Miss USA, and Having to study for school while also culture, nor are there ever high expecta-
the woman who wins the title of Miss USA tending to her duties as Miss Montana tions for Montana contestants, she said,
goes on to compete in the Miss Universe USA, which take her all over the state, is a
but Latimer hopes to place in the top 15 or
pageant.
lot to have on her plate, but Latimer likes be chosen as the “Top 16” selection by on-
Miss USA is also televised internation- it that way.
line voters.
ally, and the June 8 event will showcase “I’d rather be busy than be bored,” she Otherwise, her goal is to go soak up the
the top 15 competitors, and will then move said.
experience and continue strolling down a
on to top 10, top ive and then the winner. Once she took on the state title, Latim- path she didn’t plan on walking.
Miss Montana USA has never made it to er decided to take on a platform educating “I’m just going to go there and have a
68YES 32NO the top 15, Latimer said, and she would teenagers and children about the dangers good time,” Latimer said. “It’s a once-in-a-
% %
TOTAL VOTES: 192
consider it a win if she could get into that of drinking and driving, and also stressing lifetime opportunity.”
special grouping.
the beneits of wearing a seat belt.
The Miss USA competition airs June 8
Latimer is no stranger to competition; To train for her upcoming competi- on NBC. For more information, visit www.
in high school, she was a four-sport ath- tion – “I feel like I can never be prepared missmontanausa.com.
ONLINE POLL RESULTS ARE NOT SCIENTIFIC
lete, competing in track, basketball, vol-
enough,” she said – Latimer has a coach
[email protected]

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