Parkersburg native is crowned Miss West Virginia USA

Alexis Bland says there's more to pageants than meets the eye.(Laura Bowen)

By Laura Bowen
Published: Jul. 13, 2021 at 9:32 PM BRT|Updated: 1 hour ago

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. (WTAP) - This year’s Miss West Virginia USA is excited to represent Parkersburg on the national stage.

WTAP got an exclusive interview with the queen herself.

“Parkersburg’s my hometown. I’ve lived here my whole life so to be able to go to Buckhannon and represent a place that’s so special to me and be able to bring the title back to West Virginia to Parkersburg...it was just really surreal.”

Alexis Bland’s competed in pageants for six years and she’s won titles like Miss West Virginia Interstate Fair along the way.

Being crowned Miss West Virginia USA was a dream come true.

Bland remembered, “I was standing there and we’re all holding hands so my hands were probably so sweaty and I was just shaking so badly because this is something over the last six years of my pageant journey that I’ve always dreamed of. I’ve always wanted to hold the title of Miss West Virginia.”

Still, Bland hasn’t always had her eye on the crown.

She said, “So I actually competed in one pageant, our Parkersburg Homecoming pageant when I was 13 and I hated it.

It was her growing confidence and a search for new opportunities and friends that drew Bland back to the stage.

Then...she was hooked.

Bland said, “You kind of get what’s called pageant fever so once you do one you’re like oh I want to do another one and another one…,”

Bland says there’s more to pageants than meets the eye.

“So many people think that pageants are all about pretty girls and that’s all that it’s about but pageants are so much more than just being beautiful.”

Bland credits her business career success to the presentation skills she’s gained through pageantry.

If you ask Bland what pageants are all about, she says...

“..., it’s about opportunity and growth and making friendships and memories that will last forever.”

Bland says the Miss USA competition is what they call the Super Bowl of pageantry. It will be held in Tulsa, Oklahoma on November 29th.

https://www.wtap.com/2021/07/14/parkersburg-native-is-crowned-miss-west-virginia-usa/