I made the decision to compete on the Tuesday prior to the competition on the immediately following Saturday because I found out a contestant had dropped out and frankly, they needed numbers in order to award two titles. I wasn't initially planning on competing because it was the weekend right before exams began. But I figured...hey, why not. I can pull something together, if only to just get another good experience in.
With my schedule already booked with class or work till 9:30pm every night that week, I decided not to paint for talent with that short time frame. I borrowed a one piece swimsuit, I wore an $18 gown from Plato's Closet for my evening gown, and I sang a Christmas tune for my talent piece.
I truly was not expecting to clench a title with the lack of my normal preparation and not my usual menagerie of competition pieces. To my surprise, I was announced Miss Wooded Hills 2016 which would secure a place for me in the 2016 Miss Kansas competition in June of this coming year.
So my journey to Miss Kansas was jumpstarted earlier than I expected, but I could not be more pleased. I am now blessed with a wonderful board of directors, some incredible sponsors, and the one and only Jennifer Salva as my sister queen and Quinn Stratton as our Tri City Teen.
Wheels are already turning on how to improve and deliver this year. Even though I sang at the local competition, speed painting is definitely going to be back on the Miss Kansas stage. I am working with an incredible team of people to develop a new and improved easel and performance for yet another facet of speed painting that I am working hard to execute in the best way possible.
Keep up with my journey, painting progress, and community involvement on my Facebook page, the Miss Leavenworth/Miss Wooded Hills Facebook page, or my Instagram.
- Annika Wooton
Newly Crowned Miss Wooded Hills 2016
