Winners
Miss Jacksonville crowned Miss Florida
By JOE BLACK - The Times-Union
Jul 7, 2005, 14:21

Candace Cragg said she was a shy, 14-year-old from Starke when she started competing in beauty pageants eight years ago.

She was never a fan of public speaking and shied away from attention. When she first sought the crown in the Strawberry Pageant that year, she figured it was the chance to try and overcome her fears.

Fast forward to this week when Cragg, now 22, was crowned Miss Florida by winning the scholarship competition against 43 other women from across the state. She was named Miss Jacksonville in January.

"I guess you could say I got over a lot of those fears because of my work competing," Cragg said. "I'm still amazed that I won. There's no greater feeling."

Miss University of Florida, Mari Wilensky of Jacksonville, was named first runner-up.

"It was overwhelming to get as far as I did," Wilensky said. "I've known Candace for years, and I'm so excited for her."

Cragg, a sports physiology junior at the University of North Florida, won a $15,000 scholarship with her crown. She will compete for the Miss America title at a yet to be determined site in January.

She said her platform and focus through the competition was encouraging children to volunteer, something she said she had done since she was 14 and worked at a homeless shelter.

During her reign as Miss Florida, she plans to speak out and encourage kids to get more into their communities.

"This is a chance to really get people interested in volunteering," she said.

Kevin Sanders, an executive director of First Coast Pageants, said Cragg's win was amazing and showed that hard work can pay off.

"I've never met a more driven woman who knows what she wants and has the ability to achieve it," he said.

© Copyright 2003 by Pageantsearch.net