Miss Alabama USA 2022: Miss Dothan USA wins the crown

Jan. 15, 2022, 11:45 p.m.  By Mary Colurso

Katelyn Vinson, a student at Auburn University, was crowned Miss Alabama USA 2022 at the Gogue Performing Arts Center in Auburn. She competed as Miss Dothan USA 2022.(Courtesy of RPM Productions) 

Katelyn Vinson, a student at Auburn University, has been crowned Miss Alabama USA 2022.

Vinson, who competed as Miss Dothan USA, was crowned Saturday night during a ceremony at the Gogue Performing Arts Center in Auburn. She’ll move on to compete in the Miss USA pageant later this year.

Vinson, 21, was one of 34 women vying for the title of Miss Alabama USA 2022. She participated in interview, swimsuit and evening gown segments during preliminaries, and moved on to the finals Saturday night.

Alexandria Flanigan, Miss Alabama USA 2021, crowned her successor at the pageant, which was streamed online via PageantsLive.

Vinson, who’s from Dothan, is a senior at Auburn with a major in business administration. Her goal is to become an A&R (artists and repertoire) representative for a Christian record label, according to the pageant.

Vinson “enjoys encouraging others to lead healthy and balanced lifestyles, offshore fishing with her family and playing the piano,” according to her bio for the pageant. Her favorite piece on the piano? “River Flows in You.”

During an on-stage question segment for the top five finalists, Vinson was asked: “If you were governor for a day, what is the one thing you would change about Alabama and why?”

“I think people in Alabama can often struggle with accepting diversity,” she said. “Diversity is something that’s to be celebrated. It’s beautiful and I think that everyone in our country should celebrate all of us for our differences and our strengths and our weaknesses. And if we can just all learn to be introspective and really look inward, I think that we can find it in us to accept everyone for their own individual differences.”

Vinson is no stranger to the Miss Alabama USA pageant; she competed for the title in 2021 as Miss Dothan USA and was named third runner-up.

“Miss Alabama USA is in less than a month, and my heart is beaming with excitement and gratitude as I reflect on how much I’ve grown since last year,” Vinson said in a December post on Facebook. “I have learned that winning doesn’t always equal a crown and a banner, or whatever it is we had worked so hard to achieve. The real win is the growth that occurs throughout the journey. It’s the faith and mental toughness that’s cultivated through overcoming trials and setbacks.

“Oftentimes, when God plants a dream in our heart, Satan will do whatever it takes to stop us from going for it. He places little voices in our heads that tell us that we aren’t enough, that we aren’t worthy. YOU ARE worthy and beyond capable, no matter what lies you have been told. So pursue that dream, and trust that He will guide you, teach you, sustain you, and carry you to right where He has planned for you to be.”

Noelia Voigt, who competed as Miss Camelia USA, was named first runner-up on Saturday. Harleigh Lantrip, Miss Hoover USA, took third place. Natalie Lamm, Miss Auburn USA, came in fourth. Samantha Huver, Miss Northport USA, rounded out the top five.

Shalee Winsett, who competed as Miss Baldwin County USA, won the People’s Choice Award on Saturday, raising more than $1,000 before the pageant began via online votes. Lauren Gray, Miss Flint River USA, won the Congeniality Award. Jordan Golden, Miss Indian Springs Village USA, won the Photogenic Award.

The Miss Alabama Teen USA pageant also was held this weekend at the Gogue Center. AnnaLee Story, who competed as Miss Tiger Town Teen USA, won that competition, besting 46 other contestants. She’ll move on to compete for Miss Teen USA 2022. Dailyn Swann, Miss Alabama Teen USA 2021, crowned Story as her successor on Saturday.

AnnaLee Story has won the title of Miss Alabama Teen USA 2022. She competed in the pageant as Miss Tiger Town Teen USA 2022.(Courtesy of RPM Productions)

Jaycee Parker, who competed as Miss Gulf Coast Teen USA, was named first runner-up on Saturday. Kensey Collins, Miss Spanish Fort Teen USA, took third place. Maddie Corbitt, Miss Trussville Teen USA, came in fourth. Natalie Robertson, Miss Northwest Alabama Teen USA, rounded out the top five in the teen group.

Madeline Tapley, who competed as Miss Lake Martin Teen USA, won the People’s Choice Award among the teen group. Arica Haywood, who competed as Miss River Region Teen USA, won the Photogenic Award. Joi Williams, who competed as Miss Mobile County Teen USA, won the Congeniality Award.

https://www.al.com/life/2022/01/miss-alabama-usa-2022-miss-dothan-wins-the-title.html