Hannah Fontenot, a fashion merchandising sophomore, was crowned Miss LSU-USA 2021 on March 14.
“I was most excited to compete and hopefully represent LSU,” Fontenot said. “It’s more than just a crown and a sash to me.”
Fontenot is from Lafayette and a member of Phi Mu. She said her whole family has had an experience in pageantry — whether as a makeup artist or as a contestant.
“I love talking to my parents about this,” Fontenot said. “This has always been one of our biggest dreams.”
Her first pageant was 2020 Miss Lafayette, and she placed third.
“My parents and I remember seeing Keighley Kelley, 2019 Miss LSU-USA, walk past us in the homecoming parade,” Fontenot said. “I have dreamed of this day.”
Fontenot said her favorite part of the pageant was working with the other contestants and forming friendships. She will represent LSU at the Miss Louisiana USA pageant in January 2022.
Her pageant coach, Ross Walters, has been working with her for about a year and a half, and they rehearse two to three times a week. She also works with her interview coach, Jimmy Lee Langhood, and her fitness coaches, Angie Helm and Megan Bologna.
The pageant is a fundraiser for sorority Delta Zeta’s philanthropies. The sorority has raised over $60,000, and it is still waiting on its ticket sale profits. Delta Zeta’s philanthropies are the Starkey Hearing Foundation, American Society for Deaf Children, SeriousFun Children’s Network, the Emerge Center and St. Lillian’s Academy.
The pageant included an evening gown competition, a swimsuit competition and a round of interview questions.
The pageant started for the contestants at 7:30 a.m. They arrived at the Delta Zeta house and were interviewed by each judge individually. While the contestants were getting ready, the Miss LSU-USA committee did run-throughs and lighting checks before the contestants arrived. Before the pageant, the contestants did a run-through practice of the beginning, top five and the crowning.
Miss LSU Executive Director Leah McPhearson said though there was not a live audience, friends and family of the contestants made posters for the contestants and spread them throughout the Union Theater.
“The posters were such a sweet and personal touch,” Fontenot said. “It was the best surprise.”
McPhearson said the live stream brought in a lot of viewers and sold over 250 tickets. The committee is considering keeping the livestream in the future so contestants’ family members can watch the pageant even if they are not in town.
“I was excited we were able to reach a larger audience via livestream,” McPhearson said. “However, I missed the audience; there was definitely a disconnect.”