Miss Maryland hopefuls

 Miss Annapolis

Michele Wedderburn

Age: 24

School: Towson State University

Talent: singing

Platform: parental involvement

Miss Antietam

Heather Metzger

Age: 20

School: University of Maryland, College Park

Talent: singing

Platform: drug abuse prevention

Miss Baltimore

Mekka Richardson

Age: 23

School: Loyola College of Maryland

Talent: classical piano

Platform: volunteering for the elderly

Miss Baltimore County

Lisa Matarrazo

Age: 19

School: College of Notre Dame of Maryland

Talent: jazz dance

Platform: environmental education

Miss Capital City

Maria Francesconi

Age: 19

School: Catholic University of America

Talent: singing/dancing

Platform: bereavement education

Miss Cecil County

Karen Romanelli

Age: 22

School: University of Delaware

Talent: piano

Platform: environmental education

Miss Central Valley

Susan Woda

Age: 21

School: University of Maryland, College Park

Talent: singing

Platform: embrace excellence through arts and education

Miss Chesapeake

Samantha Spates

Age: 19

School: Frederick Community College

Talent: dance

Platform: healthy habits, healthy kids/physical fitness and nutrition for youth

Miss College Park

Diana Soriano

Age: 24

School: University of Pennsylvania

Talent: piano

Platform: mentoring - building self-esteem

Miss Cumberland

Christa Smith

Age: 21

School: Frostburg State University

Talent: jazz dance

Platform: promotion of women in athletics

Miss Frederick

Susan Rushing

Age: 20School: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Talent: classical singing

Platform: preventing eating disorders

Miss Greenbelt

Natalie Roers

Age: 18

School: Broadneck Senior High School

Talent: singing

Platform: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Miss Harbor Crescent

Brooke Bognanni

Age: 23

School: Loyola College of Maryland, graduate school

Talent: dance

Platform: the importance of family and family values

Miss Harford CountyDeborah Hoffman

Age: 19

School: Harford Community College

Talent: opera singing

Platform: preventing drugs and alcohol in today's youth

Miss Howard County

Heather Davis

Age: 21

School: Louisiana State University

Talent: piano

Platform: drug abuse prevention program (L.I.F.E.)

Miss Lanham

Brandy Reese

Age: 22

School: Villa Julie College

Talent: singing and ballet en pointe

Platform: don't judge a book by its cover

Miss Potomac Valley

Amanda Hartman

Age: 20

School: Hagerstown Junior College

Talent: baton twirling

Platform: volunteering for today's youth

Miss Prince George's

Jaime Fox

Age: 20

School: University of Maryland, College Park

Talent: singing

Platform: ordinary miracles - promoting Americanism

Miss Southern Maryland

Stacey Smith

Age: 21School: Salisbury State University

Talent: singing

Platform: prevention of spousal abuse

Miss Suburban Maryland

Nicole Messina

Age: 22

School: University of Maryland, College Park

Talent: tap dance

Platform: prevention of child sexual abuse

Miss Tidewater

Courtney Thomas

Age: 20

School: Frostburg State University

Talent: hammered dulcimer

Platform: AIDS buddy program

Miss Washington County

Toni RickardAge: 19

School: Hagerstown Junior College

Talent: singing

Platform: increasing morals among youth

Miss Western Maryland

Julie LaPole

Age: 21

School: Coastal Carolina University

Talent: clarinet

Platform: volunteerism

The 62nd annual Miss Maryland Scholarship Pageant will be Thursday, June 26, to Saturday, June 28.

This is the 26th year Hagerstown has hosted the pageant, the state preliminary to Miss America, which will be in Atlantic City, N.J., in September.

Twenty-four women from across the state will arrive in town Monday, June 23, for a week of rehearsals, public appearances and competition.

Opening ceremonies will be at noon Monday in Valley Mall's center court. Contestants and the reigning Miss Maryland Susan Alexander will be introduced.

Preliminary competitions are Thursday, June 26, and Friday, June 27, at 8 p.m. at The Maryland Theatre in downtown Hagerstown.

Contestants will compete in talent, which counts for 40 percent of the score; evening wear, which counts for 15 percent; and physical fitness in swimsuit, which counts for 15 percent. Private interview with a panel of judges will be held earlier in the week and counts for 30 percent of the score.

The final night of competition will be Saturday, June 28, at 8 p.m. at the theater. The evening will begin with the announcement of the top 10 semifinalists. The field will be narrowed to the top 5 finalists who will participate in an onstage interview. From there, Miss Maryland will be selected.

Miss Maryland Scholarship Organization will be awarding more than $1.6 million in in-kind and cash scholarships.

Tickets are $10 for Thursday night, $15 for Friday night and $25 for Saturday night and are available by calling The Maryland Theatre box office at 301-790-2000 or 1-800-34-SHOWS.