THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 10, 1995 TAG: 9509080232
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LORI A. DENNEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
Many girls and young women spend years on the beauty pageant circuit before they come away with the most prized of possessions - a title and a crown.
Not Laura Ann Riley.
The Oklahoma native began competing in pageants just last year, always placing a runner-up until recently when she was crowned Miss Virginia Beach/Tidewater, a pageant associated with the Miss America organization.
``I had no idea that I would have to step up,'' said Riley, a petite brunette with brown eyes. ``I was so excited (when I found out). I never thought I'd see a crown on my head.''
Riley was crowned by predecessor Amber Medlin before Medlin went on to begin her duties as the reigning Miss Virginia. Medlin won the Miss Virginia Beach title in the spring and was runner-up in the Miss Virginia Pageant during the summer. Later she was crowned Miss Virginia after pageant officials stripped previous Miss Virginia, Andrea Ballengee, of her crown for embellishing her pageant resume.
That's when Riley, 24, stepped up into the Miss Virginia Beach spot.
A senior majoring in psychology at Saint Leo's College at the Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base and Norfolk Naval Base campuses, she was born and raised in Midwest City, Okla. She came to Hampton Roads as an intelligence specialist with the Navy.
Leaving the Navy as an E-4 after four years, she decided to pursue her lifelong dream of modeling and entering beauty pageants - and not a moment too soon. Most, if not all, the pageants associated with the Miss America organization require contestants to be under age 25.
``This has been my first and last year to compete,'' said Riley. ``But this has been something that I've always wanted to do. I never imagined that part of it would come through, but it did.''
Currently performing administrative work for the Department of the Navy, Riley also models and spends time as a confidant to her ``little sister'' in the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Program of the United Way.
Riley has had seven years of choral experience, two years of stage acting and film study training and two years of cheerleading and dance team choreography.
For the pageant's talent competition, she sang a solo from ``The Phantom of the Opera.''
Riley's public service appearances have already begun with a trip to meet the City Council and at a local book fair. Riley will reign as Miss Virginia Beach/Tidewater until the crown is awarded to someone else in June. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Laura Ann Riley, left, was recently crowned Miss Virginia
Beach/Tidewater by her predecessor, Amber Medlin before Medlin went
on to begin her duties as the reigning Miss Virginia.
KEYWORDS: MISS VIRGINIA BEACH by CNB