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Guard sergeant crowned Miss Utah

Sgt. Jill Stevens, a member of 1st Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment, Utah National Guard, earned the right to compete in the Miss America pageant as she was crowned Miss Utah on Saturday at the annual pageant in Salt Lake City.

Stevens competed as Miss Davis County against 49 other contestants from Utah. She was the only member of the military in the competition.

In the 2006 pageant, Stevens finished as the second runner-up. Competing in the pageant as Miss Southern Utah University, Stevens later advanced to first runner-up after that contestant was unable to carry out her duties.

After graduating this spring from SUU, Stevens decided to take another attempt at obtaining the title.

Her friends and family played a key role in influencing her decision.

“That’s why I went back, because people believed in me,” said Stevens in a press release by the Utah National Guard. “There was such good competition; I knew I needed to work hard.”

Her hard work paid off Saturday as Stevens advanced from the initial field of 50 finalists, to the group of 10 finalists and eventually was crowned Miss Utah.

Stevens is a combat veteran. She served as a medic during an 18-month tour in Afghanistan in 2004-2005 supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

The adjutant general of the Utah National Guard, Maj. Gen Brian Tarbet said of her, “Jill Stevens is a wonderful ambassador for the Guard. Obviously she is bright and attractive, but most important, she’s a terrific soldier.”

In addition to her pageant success and military experience, Stevens is also an accomplished marathoner. She was run numerous marathons, even participating in what the Afghan National Olympic Committee claimed was the first marathon in the country’s history, according to the Associated Press. In that race, Stevens was the first woman to cross the finish line, finishing seventh overall.

Stevens will compete in the Miss America pageant in Las Vegas in January.