Molly Matney, a 20-year-old junior at Western Kentucky University, won the 2017 Miss Kentucky pageant on Saturday night.
Shortly after accepting the crown and a bouquet of roses from the outgoing 2016 Miss Kentucky, Laura Jones, a joyful Matney said she did not expect to win.
She will now represent her state at the Miss America 2018 to be held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on September10, 2017. The event will be broadcast by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). Miss America 2017 from Arkansas, Savvy Shields, will officially crown her successor.
“I told my mom last night, I said, ‘It’s not me, but I thought if the Lord thought it was the right time — that’s what I was praying while we were in the circle, that it would be — so I guess it’s the right time. Hopefully, I can do well with this.”
The girls were judged in categories including talent, swimsuits, evening wear and impromptu questions and answers. Matney’s question was about the large salaries of college coaches compared to faculty; and she said faculty “should be paid so much more than they are now.”
“It ties in perfectly,” she furthur said. “This is my dream job. I can’t even explain how it feels. I’ll get to speak to so many kids, so it’s amazing and I feel so blessed.”