MOBILE, Ala. -- Stephanie Ashmore of Muscle Shoals, Ala., won America's Junior Miss title Tuesday night in a nationally televised pageant.
'I was shocked to death. I can't believe it. It still hasn't hit me yet,' said the 18-year-old queen, who won $32,000 in scholarships and plans to attend Mississippi State to major in physical therapy.
First runner up was Deborah Jean Riecks, 18, of Aurora, Colo., who won a total of $15,000 in scholarships, and second runnerup was Elayne Wells, 18, from Salt Lake City, Utah, who won $8,750.
Two other finalists, Brenda Gale Baisden, 17, of Brunswick, Ga., and Jane Elizabeth Yedinak, 17, of Eugene, Oregon, both won $5,000 as finalists.
Miss Ashmore said she got a lot of support from fellow Alabamians during the competition.
'All I could think about is how supportive the people have been everywhere I went,' she said.
Florida's Junior Miss, Maria Camargo, 18, won $5,000 by winning the finals in poise and appearance while Tennessee's Julie Dianne Baughn, 18, won the Spirit Junior Miss title and Amy Conrady, 17, of Illinois won the creative and performing arts title.
Miss Ashmore, who was selected from among 52 contenstants, performed a ballet in the final competition to the song 'Bless the Beasts.'
The young women who vied for the title are high school seniors from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
In preliminary events leading up to the finals hosted by actor Michael Landon, eight contestants claimed $500 scholarships in five categories.
A total of $2.5 million in scholarship money was at stake in the 26th annual pageant. Poise and appearance and physical fitness awards went to Miss Ashmore and Cathy Whitworth of Bartlesville, Okla.
North Carolina's Junior Miss, of Cary, N.C., and Daelene Douglas of Yakima, Wash., were winners for scholastic achievement.
Miss Camargo of Miami and and Miss Conrady shared the top honor in creative and performing arts.
Dori Whittaker of Kimberly, Idaho, and Tammy Lee of Elko, Nev., were named by their peers as winners of the Spirit of Junior Miss Award.
