Bettendorf's Emily Tinsman is crowned Miss Iowa

Thomas Geyer tgeyer@qctimes.com Jun 15, 2019 Updated Jun 17, 2019

Emily Tinsman, 22, of Bettendorf, is crowned Miss Iowa 2019 by Mikhayla Hughes-Shaw, Miss Iowa 2018, on Saturday at the Adler Theatre. Tinsman will compete in the Miss America Pageant when that is scheduled.

Emily Tinsman, 22, of Bettendorf, is Miss Iowa 2019.

Tinsman, the reigning Miss Wild Rose, was crowned late Saturday night after the three-day Miss Iowa Pageant held at Davenport’s Adler Theatre.

A graduate of Drake University, Tinsman said that her chase for the Miss Iowa crown "has been a three-year journey that all started because I had friends competing and I fell in love with this program.

“There are six of us here that are Drake Bulldogs," she said. "I’m so excited to represent Drake and I’m so happy to keep the title of Miss Iowa here in the Quad-Cities.”

Tinsman was to begin teaching in September, however, that will be put on hold.

“I’m a little nervous about calling my principal and telling him I’m sorry, but I can’t teach this year,” Tinsman said.

“I’ll have a year of Miss Iowa and then, it’s wherever life takes me.”

Tinsman was chosen out of 20 contestants. In addition to the Miss Iowa Crown, Tinsman won a $10,500 scholarship.

Tinsman will compete for Miss America 2020 when that is scheduled.

Fourth runner up is Miss Heartland, Emeleeta Paintsil, 20, of Burr Ridge, Illinois, who is studying education the University of Iowa. Paintsil took home a $1,300 scholarship.

Third runner up is Miss Capital City, Kara Cipperley, 23, of Des Moines, who also is studying education at the University of Iowa and who won a $1,500 scholarship.

Second runner up is Miss Pearl City, Makenzi Marek, 20, of Riverside, Iowa, and who is majoring in apparel merchandise and design at Iowa State University. She won a $1,700 scholarship.

First runner up is Miss Greater Des Moines, Bailey Hodson, 21, of Berwick, Iowa, and who is studying education at Grand View University. She won a $1,900 scholarship.

Miss Iowa 2018, Mikhayla Hughes-Shaw, 22, a Rock Island native, returns for her senior year at the University of Iowa where she is majoring in Journalism.

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