Huntley native makes top 10 showing at Miss America
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Huntley native Miss Illinois made it as far as the top 10 Saturday night in the Miss America pageant before being eliminated.
Hannah Smith, 20, a 2009 graduate of Huntley High School and a former Miss Huntley, made it through three rounds before failing to make the top 5. The title ultimately went to Miss Wisconsin Laura Kaeppeler.
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Images: Miss America Pageant Miss Wisconsin wins Miss America pageant Huntley beauty queen vying for Miss America crownThough the competition may not have ended in the Miss America title for her, Smith was generating her own buzz almost as soon as she landed in Las Vegas.
She was interviewed on the red carpet as part of an ABC-TV promotion and was also tapped to be one of the faces of Artistry, the makeup company that sponsored the pageant.
Smith was crowned Miss Illinois in 2011 and her reign took her across the state to promote her platform, which focused on the dangers of distracted driving.
Her 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.
Judges made their first cut based on preliminary competitions held last week.
They involved all of the events you see on television: the onstage question, the swimsuit and evening gown competitions, interviews and the talent portion.
Smith, who has been dancing ballet for 17 years, performed an original ballet en pointe routine for the talent portion of the competition.
