Mrs. Nevada-America hopefuls hone skills at Super Bowl of Fashion

Lauren Cahlan is no stranger to pageants.

The Summerlin resident was named Miss Nevada Teen USA in 2008 and is gearing up for the Mrs. Nevada-America pageant on Feb. 28.

"Pageants have taught me a lot of life skills and provided me with the necessary skills and confidence for my job," the a public relations senior account executive said. "When I got married I wanted to continue."

Cahlan participated in her first pageant at 9 months old when her mother, a former Mrs. Oklahoma USA, carried her across the stage.

"She was my role model growing up and still is, and I wanted to continue that tradition," she said.

The Mrs. Nevada-America pageant is the preliminary pageant to Mrs. America and Mrs. World pageant and offers married women the opportunity to challenge themselves while giving back to their communities, according to pageant organizers.

Pageant Director Jackie McKenna, Mrs. Nevada-America 1990, said 14 contestants will compete for the crown during the pageant at the Suncoast Hotel and Casino.

"It's an exciting pageant," she said. "They'll be judged on their interview skills, physical fitness and on their charitable work in the community."

The only requirements to join the Mrs. Nevada-America pageant, McKenna said, are that the women be married, a Nevada resident and a U.S. citizen and involved in a charitable cause.

"There's no age limit, and they can be from all walks of life," she said. "We arrange for events and opportunities before the pageant so they can get their feet wet."

On Saturday afternoon, 12 contestants took part in Eccoci Boca Park's "Super Bowl of Fashion" show, where they were the featured models for the event at the Boca Park shopping center on the outskirts of Summerlin.

"It's an opportunity for them to walk, speak and feel comfortable," McKenna said. "Practice makes perfect."

Former Milwaukee resident Corinna Allen Cook hasn't even been in Las Vegas for a year yet.

"When we moved here I wanted to get to know my community so I signed on in August, and I've embraced the whole thing," she said. "This is the Super Bowl of pageants."

To prepare, Cook said she's been working with a coach to help her with her walk and has been raising awareness about the upcoming competition.

"One of the biggest parts of preparing is promoting the pageant, and that's what has taken me out of my comfort zone the most," she said. "The support has been overwhelming, and I'm grateful to have this experience."

Cook said the preconceived notions about pageants couldn't be further from the truth.

"There's a perception about pageants being catty, but it's not that way at all," she said. "People support one another, and it's been so great to see."

North Las Vegas resident Melissa Cunningham found the pageant on Facebook and decided to try something new.

"I was turning 30 and wanted to do something out of the norm so I joined a beauty pageant," she said. "When I told my husband he said, 'You did what?!'"

Cunningham, an executive administrator for Clark County Collections Service, said she's been preparing herself for the event by watching videos, talking to other contestants and exercising.

"I've been doing Insanity, going on the elliptical, which saves me when I'm sore, and running with my dog," she said.

If Cunningham wins, she said she's looking forward to getting out into the community more.

"It would be such a dream come true and a validation of all my hard work," she said. "It would also help me be able to do wonders for the community here in Las Vegas."

If Cunningham isn't crowned Feb. 28, she already has plans on how she'll spend that night.

"I'll have my favorite food, Wing Stop, in my hotel with my robe on."

Whoever wins the pageant will have fewer than seven months to prepare for the Mrs. America pageant, which will be held sometime in August or September at the Westgate Las Vegas.

"They will have grown to become more confident women whether they were crowned or not," McKenna said. "They will all have grown in their own personal way, and we'll welcome them back to compete again."

— Contact Ann Friedman at afriedman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4588. Find her on Twitter: @AnnFriedmanRJ.