Miss Austin returns from pageant with experience

Published 12:00 am Thursday, June 22, 2000

Miss Austin Elliott Sailors didn’t return with a new title from the Miss Minnesota competition last weekend, but she did come back with other valuables: namely new friends, more experience and a lot of pride in the Miss Austin program.

Thursday, June 22, 2000

Miss Austin Elliott Sailors didn’t return with a new title from the Miss Minnesota competition last weekend, but she did come back with other valuables: namely new friends, more experience and a lot of pride in the Miss Austin program. Her home town supporters came home proud, too.

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"Elliott represented Austin very well," Miss Austin scholarship program committee member Mark Bliese said. "She sang her song great and she looked beautiful up on stage. We’re very proud of her."

"I think it went well," Sailors said. "The one thing I didn’t expect was that there were so many girls that were so nice. That was nice. I plan to keep in touch with the friends I made there."

Sailors credited her work with former Miss Austin Taylor Carlson, the Miss Austin committee and her dad, Rick Sailors, with preparing her for the competition. He majored in choral competition.

Sailors thought her age and lack of pageant experience were two reasons she didn’t place – she is 17 and it was her first trip to a state pageant – but she was happy with her showing in St. Cloud.

Miss Austin committee member Donna Lessard, who could be called the ringleader of the group, also was very proud of both Elliott and the Miss Austin program.

"Although there were only 10 contestants, they were all very bright, very talented women," she said. The woman who won – it was her third time competing at the state level in Minnesota.

"Elliott did a very good job, but there was stiff competition."

The young woman who was crowned Miss Minnesota, Katherine Hill of Wayzata, is an honors graduate of Oklahoma State University, where she majored in vocal performance.

Back Sunday from competition, Sailors already was back in action Tuesday, when she was one of the volunteers at the Salvation Army’s free lunch program.

Sailors said she has a busy summer ahead of her. In addition to her volunteer hours at the Salvation Army lunches, she’ll be making a number of appearances as Miss Austin. She will perform every day during the Fourth of July and SPAMTOWN USA festivities, and has other appearances on the calendar.

"Miss Austin is more than a crown in a parade," Lessard said. "She’s out there all the time. Maybe she’s not always in the most visible places, but she’s doing things for people all the time. She sees a need and goes there."

In the fall, Sailors is off to the University of Arizona, where she hopes to major in vocal performance. She’s promised to come back to Austin for Christmas and in February for the pageant.

"You have to let them go," Lessard said. "Elliott’s got a wonderful scholarship at Arizona and this is an educational program."

Sailors’ advice to young women who may want to take her place in the future?

"It’s a lot of fun," she said. "It’s also a lot of hard work, but it’s worth it. Don’t try to make yourself into a pageant ideal either, it’s very important to be yourself."