By STEVE FELLERS | Henderson State News

Gabriella Tidwell, a freshman nursing major from Camden, was crowned 2023 Miss Henderson State University Feb. 5. Felicity Frushour, a sophomore pre-medical health sciences major from Texarkana, Texas, was named first runner-up. Kayla Fite, a biology major from Newport, was second runner-up.

Individual awards included: Overall Talent: Gabriella Tidwell; Overall Red Carpet: Gabriella Tidwell; Haven Hughes Impact Award: Kayla Fite; People’s Choice: Alex Graham of Montgomery, Texas; Miss Congeniality: Lanie Richter of Cabot and Perla Cervantes of De Queen; Overall Academic: Gabriella Tidwell; Community Service: Felicity Frushour; Spirit of Miss HSU: Lanie Richter.

Special guests included Miss Arkansas 2022 Ebony Mitchell and Miss Arkansas’s Outstanding Teen 2022 Ka’Mya Tackett.

Tidwell was crowned by 2022 Miss HSU Dawn Coffman and Miss HSU’s Outstanding Teen 2022 Blaise Batson.

The Miss HSU Pageant, which was first held in 1960, is an official preliminary to Miss Arkansas, which is part of the Miss America Organization.