<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.missoklahoma.org/2009%20Pageant/2009ThurPrelimWinners.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 504px; height: 360px;" src="http://www.missoklahoma.org/2009%20Pageant/2009ThurPrelimWinners.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />No, I'm not talking about Miss America. <div><br /></div><div>Wait. Maybe I am. </div><div><br /></div><div>For now, though, we're still in search for <a href="http://www.missoklahoma.org/">Miss Oklahoma</a>. But, the pageant winners here in the 46th state to join the U.S.-of-A. have gone on to win Miss America for two of the past four years. In fact, Oklahoma has seen more of its young women come home with the Miss America crown than 47 other states - California and Ohio tie with us for having six reasons to make new tourism signs (read: "See Jenks, home of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Berry">Jennifer Berry, Miss America 2007</a>"), so I'd say whoever wins has good odds on the national stage.</div><div><br /></div><div>We Okies are, after all, good for more than just stealing the show at American Idol.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Preliminary rounds of <a href="http://www.missoklahoma.org/">the Miss Oklahoma 2009 pageant</a> have been gathering steam for tomorrow night, when the 37th annual pageant will end with a newly crowned delegate to the national competition in January. The show gets started at 7:30 at the <a href="http://mabeecenter.com/">Mabee Center, at 81st Street and Lewis Avenue on the Oral Roberts University campus</a>. Emcees will be Jennifer Berry Gooden (Miss Oklahoma 2005, Miss America 2006) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauren_Nelson">Lauren Nelson (Miss Oklahoma 2006, Miss America 2007)</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>The pageant will feature onstage question, swimsuit, talent and evening wear rounds for the 42 final contestants, as well as performances by <a href="http://www.missoklahoma.org/new/bio/missokbio.htm">the current Miss Oklahoma, Kelsey Cartwright</a>, and the new Miss Oklahoma Outstanding Teen. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.missoklahoma.org/2009%20Pageant/Forms/2009_Miss_OK_Ticket_Brochure.pdf">Want tickets? Call the Mabee Center for pricing</a> (reserved seating is as low as $25 per). If you can't wait until tomorrow to catch a glimpse of the ladies, check out <a href="http://www.missoklahoma.org/2009%20Pageant/2009%20Slide%20Show/index.htm">the slideshow at the Miss Oklahoma Web site</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Miss Oklahoma pageant is sponsored by <a href="http://www.kiwaniscluboftulsa.org/">the Kiwanis Club of Tulsa</a>. The pageant is the largest provider of college scholarships for young women in the world, making hundreds of thousands of dollars available to contestants and winners. </div></div>