Huntley beauty queen vying for Miss America crown

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The highlight of Zachary Bohn's day is getting a text message or quick phone call from his girlfriend, Hannah Smith, who is in Las Vegas this week vying to become the next Miss America.

“I keep my phone by me so whenever she gets a second, we can either discuss what she's doing and I try to keep her relaxed as possible,” said Bohn, who has been dating Smith for two years.

Smith, 20, hails from Huntley and was crowned Miss Illinois in 2011. Her reign has taken her all across the state raising money for the Children's Miracle Network and promoting her platform, which focuses on the dangers of distracted driving.

But she hasn't forgotten about her hometown.

Smith, who graduated from Huntley High School in 2009 and is a former Miss Huntley, returned to her alma mater last fall to talk to the sophomore class about distracted driving, Principal Dave Johnson said.

As well, the school is all abuzz with anticipation about Smith potentially winning the crown for Huntley. The pageant airs live from the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas at 8 p.m. Saturday on ABC 7.

This week, Johnson spread that news to the entire school.

“Hopefully students will be watching that and we're very proud to have her in that and representing Illinois,” Johnson said.

Smith landed in Las Vegas last Thursday and already has created quite a sensation, said Amalia Schwerdtmann, board chairman for the Miss Illinois Scholarship Association, which runs the Miss Illinois Pageant.

As part of an ABC promotion, Hannah landed an interview on the red carpet for a spot that will air before the pageant, Schwerdtmann said.

The Huntley native also was hand-picked to be one of the faces of Artistry, the makeup company that sponsors the pageant and whose products will be used by the contestants.

“She's definitely been standing out here at Miss America, that's for sure,” Schwerdtmann said. “A lot of people have high hopes for her.”

It's also been a busy week for Smith, as she's been immersed in the preliminary competition.

On Tuesday, she had an interview with the judges and strutted her stuff before them in her swimsuit and evening gown. On Wednesday, Smith, who has been dancing ballet for 17 years, performed an original ballet en pointe routine for the talent portion. On Thursday, she answered the onstage question.

Judges make the first cut based on the preliminary rounds and those selections are made public during the telecast.

If Smith makes it to the top 10, you'll get to see her ballet performance. She'll play a stiff, mechanical doll that turns into a woman, then returns to its original state.

The performance will highlight Smith's natural attributes, said Beth Fowler, owner of the Beth Fowler School of Dance and its dance company in St. Charles and Genoa. Smith teaches at the school and belongs to its company.

“She's got beautiful presentation and beautiful artistry, so it makes sense out of this mechanical doll coming to life, it's beautiful Hannah,” said Fowler, who choreographed the routine and is in Las Vegas to support Smith. “Because of her dance training, she's able to present herself with confidence and poise and she's got beautiful posture and you can just see on the stage she's very comfortable.”

Smith's other crowns include Miss Windy City in 2010 and Miss McHenry County Queen in 2009. She graduated from McHenry County College and took time off from her studies at Northern Illinois University when she won Miss Illinois.

If Smith wins Miss America, she'll take off on a yearlong national speaking tour to trumpet the organization and promote her platform.

Bohn, 22, admits he has mixed emotions about the whole thing because if she wins, she'll be gone for a year — but it'll also hurt them both if she loses.

“I'm extremely torn as to whether I want her to win,” the Genoa resident said. “I'll be supportive in every way, but she is Hannah to me and I know she's Miss Illinois and potentially Miss America, but she'll always be my Hannah to me.”