Golden girl finishes 3rd at Miss Montana pageant
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MISSOULA – Although Polson resident Kayla Golden finished third at the 2011 Miss Montana pageant, the aspiring model says her first pageant experience was a night to remember. Golden competed against 21 peers from across Montana on Sept. 4 in the Missoula Center for Performing Arts.
“For my first pageant I felt like finishing third was a huge accomplishment, considering I didn’t have a ton of training,” she said.
As contestants were narrowed down to the top five, Golden says her confidence shrank as her nerves began to build. Luckily, midway through the event she cooled her nerves to place third at her first pageant.
“By the time we got to the second outfit I gained more confidence,” Golden said. “(The pageant) was a huge adrenaline rush.”
As the afternoon progressed, the top competitors were whittled down through various rounds as the young women modeled different outfits for the judges. The ladies began the pageant with a short dance, followed by swimsuit, then two evening gown rounds, and the final round where the five contestants were asked a question.
“It was so much fun,” Golden said. “I was just glad to make it to the top five.”
Golden spent the past year preparing for the pageant by holding fundraisers and giving a helping hand to communities around Lake County. In the spring, she headed a silent auction and benefit for Ronan football and softball coach Tom Peterson, who was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in early May.
Golden arrived in Missoula a few days in advance to rehearse for the competition, while finding time to shop for dresses and shoes to wear in the pageant. During rehearsal, contestants were also rewarded with a photo shoot with Kirkland, Wash. photographer David Van Maren. During the evening prior to the pageant, contestants enjoyed a pajama party, where they spent time with a few previous Miss Montana winners.
Golden says the pageant was so much fun she’s contemplating competing again in 2012.
This spring, Golden will be enrolling as a freshman at the University of Montana to major in medicine; she plans to be come a prediatrician.
“I’ve always seen myself working with kids,” Golden said. “It would be a good lifelong job; and it would be fun to work with kids.”
“I’m going to carry on with modeling and decide if I’m going to compete (in Miss Montana) again,” she said.
She has until April 2012 to decide about the upcoming pageant. Even if Golden doesn’t decide to continue with pageants, she says her first competition was a good experience.
“I have more confidence in myself,” she said. “To know I can do it and get through everything was a big confidence boost.”
She says it was a huge blessing to compete, and would have been nearly impossible to go as far as she did without the overwhelming support from of her community and those who gave sponsorship.
