Sherri Hill's Dress Designs Take the Stage at Miss USA 2009

Eight of the Top Ten Miss USA 2009 finishers were wearing a Sherri Hill gown.

She's done it again. Yet another Miss USA winner was crowned in a Sherri Hill gown at the 2009 Miss USA pageant. Eight of the Top Ten finishers wearing a Sherri Hill design shared their moment of glory with millions of onlookers at this year's long-awaited beauty pageant held at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 19.

Hill's winning gown, worn by Miss USA 2009, Kristen Dalton of North Carolina, shimmered in the spotlight with light layers of fluttering, true blue silk. Hill's elegant, wrap around design that flows to the floor gave perfect poise to the new Miss USA 2009 as Dalton took her first walk as reigning royalty in Hill's design.

The top four finishers strutted the stage in Sherri Hill creations, proving Hill's fashion design abilities to be nothing less than the best. Beyond the winning Miss USA 2009 contestant, first runner up Miss California USA, Carrie Prejean, second runner up Miss Arizona USA, Alicia-Monique Blanco and third runner-up Miss Utah, Laura Chukanov, all chose Sherri Hill gowns.

But Hill's sweeping victory didn't stop there. Out of the remaining Top Ten finalists, four of five chose Hill as their prime dress designer, including Miss Tennessee USA, Kristen Motil, Miss Arkansas USA, Chanley Painter, Miss South Carolina USA, Stephanie Smith and Miss West Virginia USA, Jessi Pierson.

It's no surprise so many contestants chose Sherri Hill as their evening gown designer. With a queen-size closet full of pageant-winning dresses, Hill has dominated the pageant scene with gowns claiming crowns and placing on Top Ten lists nationwide, from 2007 Miss America winner, Jennifer Berry, to Miss USA, Rachel Smith. 2006 Miss USA and Miss America winners also wore Sherri Hill to capture their crowns.

Hill has stamped her style in vogue and proved her self to be one of the fashion world's notable figures. After a decade as chief designer for another evening wear company, Sherri Hill started her own fashion company in 2008 to show off her own flair for fashion -- the right move for an award-winning entrepreneur. With cutting edge gowns in styles daring enough for any diva, and lovely enough for any lady, Hill has the finest formal wear available to winning pageant contestants, prom dress shoppers and everyone in between.

Hill's devotion to design is evident in her selection of beautiful fabrics and trimmings combined with innovative combinations of cuts to accentuate the best features of every woman.

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Sophomore representing Kentucky on Sunday in Miss USA pageant

Most students across the nation are making résumés and completing applications for part-time jobs and various internships to earn a little extra dough.

But when applying for her job, Eastern student Maria Montgomery will travel to Las Vegas, wear an evening gown and a swimsuit and answer interview questions on live television in hopes of earning a jewel-studded crown.

Montgomery, a sophomore communications disorders major from Danville, will represent the state of Kentucky in the 2009 Miss USA competition.

Montgomery is the youngest contestant in the pageant at 19, and will compete against 50 other women between the ages of 19 and 27. She traveled to Las Vegas to begin pageant training on Friday, April 3, made her first appearance before judges ten days later, and will appear live on NBC in over 125 countries in the finale on Sunday, April 19.

Montgomery said the work to get to this point started quite a while ago - around the age of 14, while watching her older sister compete in scholarship pageants.

"I wanted to start doing pageants after watching my sister do a few and I was drawn in…it was like any other hobby," Montgomery said. "I was stuck and got pageant fever. I just wanted to keep doing more and more."

Montgomery's sister, Tracy Meiers, a 22-year-old Eastern graduate student in the occupational therapy program, said she thought Montgomery…( notes on laptop)

Montgomery has earned six titles from pageant competition so far, including being crowned Miss Kentucky on Dec. 19, 2008, the stepping-stone to entrance in this year's Miss USA pageant.

Montgomery said she is prepared to compete in the evening wear portion, the swimsuit competition and even the interview segment should she make it as a top five finalist in the competition. However, according to the Miss USA website, the guidelines don't ask contestants to participate in a talent competition, like the Miss America pageant.

But Montgomery has refined a different kind of talent in preparing to compete in the national pageant - a keen sense of time management.

"My typical day is crazy," Montgomery said. "Pageants are my extra curricular…it's truthfully like a full-time job."

With her twelve hours of classes compressed into MWF courses, Montgomery said she has little time for anything but completing her workout regiment, rehearsing for the competition and completing her coursework.

Montgomery said physical fitness is key to winning the Miss USA competition and "that's the goal." She visits Eastern's gym whenever possible during the day to lift weights and do her favorite exercise, walking on a treadmill for 30 minutes at the highest incline.

"It may be super early or late at night or a few minutes in between classes, but I try to do it as much as I can…you can see me at the gym here almost every day," she said. "Anything you can think to work out, I work out."

When Montgomery is not on campus working out, she travels four hours to work with a personal trainer supplied to her as a prize for winning Miss Kentucky. She also said she travels to Princeton and Nashville to work with dress designers and her pageant consultant, both typical ways she spends her Tuesdays and Thursdays when she's not in class.

"I travel so much - sometimes it feels like I live out of my car," she said.

Montgomery said that while she knew preparing for the Miss USA pageant would require a lot of traveling, she wanted to keep her student responsibilities one of her priorities. Instead of dedicating the semester to strictly pageant preparation, Montgomery said she chose to take a lower number of credit hours for the semester and is taking a class at the Danville campus, where she lives.

Montgomery said she once she completes her assignments for all her classes and arrives in Vegas, she will be looking forward to focusing on the competition itself.

"The goal is to go all the way and I believe with faith and hard work, it is more than possible," Montgomery said. "I'll take a deep breath, say a little prayer and have fun with it."

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Cover Story: Miss Utah USA 2009 vies for Miss USA while juggling homework and philanthropy.

Imagine stepping out on a stage, all eyes on you, wearing nothing but a smile and a swimsuit. The lights and cameras blind you as you strut down the stage. And then, a judge asks you your opinion of Obama's economic policy, to which you either deliver a flawless reply, or go home.

This is virtually what 22-year-old Utah resident Laura Chukanov will be doing at the Miss USA pageant, which airs live on NBC on April 19. At least, this is what she'll be doing if she makes it into the finals. For this, Chukanov is ready. After all, she's been preparing for this ever since she was crowned Miss Utah USA 2009 last year, which automatically qualified her for the Miss USA pageant.

And you've got to hand it to Chukanov, a Bulgarian native who has lived in America for 18 years, for breaking into the pageant scene on her own. It was just five years ago that the rookie queen started competing to "challenge" herself.

"In high school, I was always the shy one," says the confident brunette (without so much as an "um" or "uh") during a phone interview. "I started doing pageants when I got to the University of Utah to get myself out of my element. It was like a clean slate."

No pageant moms here. Chukanov's first try-out was for Miss Sandy, where she placed as First Runner Up. Two years later, she showcased her beauty in another pageant, in which she took Second Runner Up. Last year, at only her third pageant, she won first place, claiming her current title, Miss Utah USA 2009. Now, she wants to show her award-winning beauty to the nation by winning Miss USA, a title that could get her national recognition as a spokesperson for the Susan G. Komen foundation, among other opportunities.

"If I win, it will be absolutely incredible," she says. "It would be a big step toward a big career, and something you can use to benefit you and other people. But I'm not competing just to win. My biggest goal is to be myself."

But judging by Chukanov's list of accomplishments, being herself is impressive on its own. The beauty queen speaks three languages: English, Bulgarian and Spanish (she can also understand Russian); volunteers with nonprofit organizations like No More Homeless Pets; and balances a job at the University of Utah's Career Services with school. She'll graduate from the U this May with a degree in International Studies, complete with a double minor in Leadership and Art History. Chukanov also plans to attend graduate school to pursue nonprofit management or international relations. It's hard to believe that on top of it all, Chukanov still has time for pageants. Nationally televised, instant-fame-granting pageants.

As of press time, Chukanov was already in Las Vegas smiling, strutting and speaking her way through Miss USA's preliminary competitions, which start two-and-a-half weeks before the final televised event. So from now until April 19, the women fight for a spot in the final 15 (narrowed down from 50), the group that gets to compete in the broadcasted pageant.

Judging by her regimen, Chukanov's chances of getting into the national spotlight are good. She says she's spent most of 2009 working out, eating right and staying on top of current events. Yet, she's still a little nervous about one particular competition.

"The hardest part of pageants for me is the swimsuit competition," says the 5-foot-ten-inch Chukanov. "If I want a cookie, I have to tell myself, 'You can't have that right now.' But it's not about withholding; just be smart about it. I have most of my carbs in the morning to give me energy for my workout in afternoon, and I try to stay away from all the bad stuff in the evening."

Savvy diet advice is just the first piece of the pie. Keep reading to find more confidence and beauty tips from the bold brunette who aims to put Utah on pageant map, Miss Utah USA.

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All-American beauty: Bay State’s Miss USA contestant credits pageants for confidence

This Sunday, Bay State beauty Alison Cronin hopes to follow in the footsteps of Methuen native Susie Castillo as she vies for the Miss USA crown.

“I am ready to show the rest of America what Massachusetts is made of,” said Cronin, current Miss Massachusetts USA, of Weymouth.

Castillo, an actress and former MTV VJ, won the title in 2003.

To make the telecast, Cronin, must be one of 15 finalists.

“You can only compete once for Miss USA. You can only be Miss Massachusetts once. Going to Miss USA is like the United States Olympics for pageants. You’ve got to give it your all,” said Cronin, 21, who graduated summa cum laude with a degree in communications from New York University in January.

Cronin, along with the other 50 contestants, has been in Las Vegas for the last week keeping a rigorous schedule of appearances while competing in the pageant’s preliminary round.

The hectic pace is nothing new for the aspiring actress. The self-described tomboy also was 2005 Miss Teen Massachusetts USA.

Though the routine is familiar, the end result is still a guessing game.

The women will be judged in interview, swimsuit and evening gown categories.

“I think there is that pressure that you are trying to excel in all these areas. (But) it’s never the smartest or prettiest who wins. In the end it’s a game of confidence,” Cronin said.

Last year’s winner, Crystle Stewart of Texas, won a silver medal in the 1994 Junior Olympics and founded her own business.

“It’s not really just about looks and appearances,” Cronin said.

Win or lose, Cronin said she is grateful for the experience.

“I would say that being involved in pageantry is a lot of what has gotten me to where I am today. It helped me grow from being insecure to being more confident,” she said.

The Miss USA Pageant airs live from Las Vegas on Sunday night at 7 on NBC (WHDH, Ch. 7).

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Bulgarian runs for Miss USA 2009

Miss Utah 2009, Bulgarian-born Laura Kirilova Chukanov is one of the contestants in the Miss USA 2009 contest, the official website of the competition said.

She was born in Sofia on June 5 1986. Chukanov and her family immigrated to the US shortly after Bulgaria's transition to democracy began in 1990.

The Miss Utah 2009 contest website says the family left Bulgaria "when her father’s career in alternative energy research blossomed".

Chukanov speaks English, Bulgarian, and Spanish and is competent in Russian.

She is currently a senior at the University of Utah majoring in International Studies and doing minors in Leadership Studies and Art History. After her year as Miss Utah 2009, she intends pursuing a Masters Degree in Art Management.

Among other social activities Chukanov has served as a volunteer at a Navajo reservation. She has dual American and Bulgarian citizenship.

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