Twenty-four young women competed in a gauntlet of talent, poise, modeling and community service in a pageant as old as World War II at the Wasatch High School auditorium on Saturday.
The Miss Wasatch County pageant has been held 76 times since 1939. It names a Miss Wasatch County, Miss Heber Valley, and, for the first time this year, a Miss Deer Creek, for teens, 14 to 18, and adults, up to 27.
The three titles are not based on location and are in equal standing, explained organizer Aja Phillips. Three titles exist to send as many women as possible from Wasatch County to the Miss Utah and Miss Utah’s Teen competitions next year, the winner of which advances to Miss America and Miss America’s Teen. The only Miss Utah from the Wasatch Back was Midway-raised Christina Lowe in 2010.
Ava Winterton was crowned Miss Wasatch County, in no small part thanks to her performance in the talent portion, which constituted 20% of her score. During an expertly choreographed stunt cheer routine to Aqua’s “Barbie Girl,” her partner, “Ken,” threw her around as if she were as light as a plastic doll, hoisting her above his head to gasps and cheers from the audience.
Winterton, 18, graduated from Wasatch High School a few weeks ago. She’d competed in the teen competition the previous year only because her friends were doing it, but this year, she said she put her all into it.
She said the pageant was a valuable experience to prepare her for the adult world.
“I know now how to interview and how to talk onstage, and those are important skills for life,” she said.
Winterton’s community service initiative, an issue she was passionate about and advocated for locally in the six weeks leading up to the competition, constituted 10% of her score. Winterton’s was promoting children’s oral hygiene, which she has done by distributing free dental care kits and tabling an educational booth at Heber Market on Main.
Winterton currently works as a dental assistant at Smiles By Design and plans to use the scholarship she won to fund her education in Utah Tech University’s dental hygiene program.
As a winner of the adult competition, Winterton won $2,500. Teen winners won $1,200.
These scholarships were funded by local businesses, anonymous donors and Wasatch County Parks and Recreation. The department used the budget for the county fair — at which Miss titleholders are announcers — to fund $8,500 in scholarships. The county fair budget is funded by the county’s restaurant tax revenue, according to Parks and Recreation program director Taylor Baker.
Miss America and the state and local competitions under it originally began in 1921 as solely based on looks but have since expanded to focus more on overall character.
However, two categories of the competition focus on modeling.
The evening gown portion constituted 20% of competitors’ scores. Announcers explained this stage of the competition was focused on self-expression, grace and composure rather than the cost or look of the dress.
Another 20% of competitors’ scores came from modeling athletic wear like yoga sets and tennis skirts in the health and fitness category.
Each contestant strutted onstage while Lady Gaga played over the loudspeakers, sometimes flexing or doing cartwheels. Announcers said beforehand that the section was focused on displaying each competitor’s stage presence, personality and energy.
The health and fitness category is a spiritual successor to Miss America’s controversial swimsuit competition, which the organization removed in 2018, along with any judgment of physical beauty. Miss America somewhat reversed that decision in 2023 by adding the health and fitness category.
The final 30% of contestants’ scores came from a private interview with the judges, who, with one exception, were all women with backgrounds in pageants, event organizing, fashion and dance.
Anahi Villalobos was the first attendant, or runner up, in the adult competition. Her community service initiative was teen mental health.
“I struggled personally through depression and anxiety. Therefore, I wanted to be able to share the ways that I got out of it,” she said. “Like one of my favorite artists (Colombian singer Karol G) says, ‘Mañana será bonito.’ That means, ‘Tomorrow will be beautiful,’ and that’s true.”
All competitors who did not win also earned scholarships, albeit smaller ones, from various donors.
Anahi Villalobos receives her sash and crown as the 1st Attendant to the adult pageant from Drew Russell, the previous year’s Miss Wasatch County recipient, at the 2026 Scholarship Competition at Wasatch High School. Credit: Christopher Reeves/For The Park Record 
Gracie Cook receives her sash and crown as the 2nd Teen Attendant from the previous year’s Miss Wasatch County’s Teen recipient, Adelaide Facer, at the 2026 Scholarship Competition at Wasatch High School. Credit: Christopher Reeves/For The Park Record 
Adalynn Probst receives her sash and crown as the new Miss Wasatch County’s Teen from the previous year’s Miss Wasatch County’s Teen recipient, Adelaide Facer, at the 2026 Scholarship Competition at Wasatch High School. Credit: Christopher Reeves/For The Park Record 
Jadyn Johnson reacts in surprise as she is announced as Miss Deer Creek at the 2026 Scholarship Competition at Wasatch High School. This is the first year for the Miss Deer Creek competition. Credit: Christopher Reeves/For The Park Record 
Kayleigh Hofheins celebrates as she is announced as the 2026 Miss Heber Valley winner at the Scholarship Competition event at Wasatch High School. Credit: Christopher Reeves/For The Park Record 
Adalynn Probst is congratulated with cheers and applause from contestants as she is announced as the new Miss Wasatch County’s Teen at the 2026 Scholarship Competition at Wasatch High School. Credit: Christopher Reeves/For The Park Record
Villalobos plans to use her $900 in scholarship money to help pay for her nursing studies at Utah Valley University this fall.
Expanding scholarship money was a key priority for co-directors Phillips and Giuliana Willis when they took over five years ago.
Phillips, who is a model, said pageants are not “girly and ditzy” but instead about virtue, dedication, selflessness and service to one’s community.
“A lot of young women struggle more than men, not all men, with body positivity and being included and bullying,” she said. “Building confidence really is a big thing, because that’s a very crucial age … where a lot of people can go down a wrong path … because they don’t have that right guidance or the confidence.”
Newly-crowned Miss Heber Valley Kayleigh Hofheins said maintaining confidence was the hardest part of the competition.
“Getting on the stage and putting yourself out there, in front of a group of a ton of people, and all these beautiful girls … it’s really hard to keep your confidence up,” she said. “But it’s an amazing group of girls. You all hype each other up.”
Villalobos echoed that sentiment.
“Sisterhood is so important here,” she said. “I think it’s the most beautiful part.”
Here are the winners of the pageant.
- Miss Deer Creek: Jadyn Johnson
- Miss Heber Valley: Kayleigh Hofheins
- Miss Wasatch County: Ava Winterton
- Miss Deer Creek’s Teen: Elizabeth Cluff
- Miss Heber Valley’s Teen: Clarissa Blain
- Miss Wasatch County’s Teen: Adalynn Probst