Miss Fort Mill Pageant stars 3 sets of sisters

The theme may have been "Pretty in Pink," but at the 2009 Miss Fort Mill High School Pageant Thursday night, the stage was filled with an array of colors, shapes and designs.

A near sellout crowd of more than 600 people filled the school's auditorium to see the 33 contestants - eight from the sophomore, junior and senior classes and nine from the freshman class - strut their stuff in casual wear and formal gowns.

"It was wonderful. We had a great theme, great setting," said Gales Scroggs, the student council sponsor and co-organizer of the event along with his wife, Caryn. "It went really, really well."

After the audience had a chance to meet all of the girls, the judges made the big announcement: Senior Ceci Kryst was named 2009 Miss Fort Mill High School.

"I was completely shocked and surprised," Kryst said. "I thought my interview wasn't great so when they called my name I didn't know what to do."

Kryst said she is glad she has the chance to represent her class and is excited to move on to the Miss Teen South Carolina Pageant this June.

For Kryst, the pageant atmosphere is nothing new.

"My mom inspired me - she's won a few [pageant] titles," Kryst said. "After watching her compete and have fun and look gorgeous I decided to come out and try my hand at it. I've had fun."

"I'm so proud of her," said Ceci's mom, April Simpkins. "She's worn some of my tiaras around the house and thought she'd try it. She's following in those footsteps."

Even before this title, Kryst has walked away with a few tiaras of her own.

She won Miss Freshman at Northwestern High School in her last year before moving to Fort Mill and was named Miss Teen Tega Cay in August.

Kryst said she will be attending the University of South Carolina on a business school scholarship next year and she is hoping to graduate with an international marketing degree.

"I want to maybe go on to law school...and eventually be a congresswoman," she said.

In her last year of high school, Kryst is captain of the cheerleading team and the track team, and said she loves working with her friends.

"It was unbelievable how the girls were so sweet, uplifting, encouraging. We had so much fun," Kryst said.

Taylor Hoverman won the title of Miss Senior, and she agreed that the best aspect of the pageant is working together will all the girls.

Hoverman, and fellow senior Catherine Colonna, were the only two seniors to compete in the pageant all four years at the school.

The winners of Miss Junior and Miss Sophomore were sisters Kaitlyn Kellough, who took the 11th-grade title, and Madisyn Kellough, winner of the sophomore crown.

Madisyn said after watching Kaitlyn compete a couple years ago, she thought it looked fun and thought it would be something the two of them could do.

"We do everything together. It's just great to get rewarded for it," Madisyn said.

The Kellough siblings were actually one of three pairs of sisters voted to take part in the pageant this year. Senior Kaylen Burke and sophomore Hannah Burke competed, as well as junior Becca Tooley and freshman Jessica Tooley.

Katie Young won Miss Freshman and Senior Ashley Barrera took home the prize of Miss Congeniality.

Nation Ford High School will hold its pageant Feb. 28.

This story was originally published January 27, 2009 at 4:28 PM with the headline "Miss Fort Mill Pageant stars 3 sets of sisters."