Eleven young women will compete for the title of Pike County Junior Miss 2010 at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Claudia Crosby Theater on the campus of Troy University.

The Junior Miss Program is a scholarship program and is sponsored annually by the Pike County Junior Miss board. The winner represents Pike County at the Alabama Junior Miss Program in Montgomery in January.

In addition to the coveted title, the young women also will compete for nearly $5,000 in scholarship money.

This year’s Pike County Junior Miss contestants are Emily Thompson, Shelly Cox, Angel Norris, Kelly Cash, Nick Jones, Mary Kane Hawkins, Catie Folmar, Rebecca Farrar, Hannah Johnson, Olivia Bensinger and Kristen McLendon.

“The competition is based on five categories of judging – scholastic, interview, fitness, talent and self-expression,” said Courtney Brunson, former Pike County Junior Miss and practice coordinator for the 2010 program. “The contestant who is judged best all around will be the Pike County Junior Miss for 2010.

“There is a separate category, ‘Be Your Best Self,’ and the contestants are asked to write an essay about how to be one’s best self. The essay competition isn’t included in the judging for Pike County Junior Miss.”

The talent competition is a popular category of the Junior Miss Program competition, and there will be a wide variety of talent on display at the 2010 competition.

“Emily will clog. Shelly, Nick and Olivia will play the piano and so will Rebecca, but she will also dance,” Brunson said. “Angel will play the flute and dance. Kelly and Mary Kane are jazz dancers. Hannah’s talent will be a lyrical dance. Catie will sing, and Kristen will sing and do sign language.”

The emcee for the Pike County Junior Miss Program will be Brittany Pugh, a former Miss National Peanut Festival.

Entertainment will be by Pike County’s 2009 Junior Miss Marli Wilkes and the SheBANG! Cloggers.

Tickets for the 2010 Pike County Junior Miss Program are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets will be available at the door.

Click here for photos from Wednesday’s rehearsal.