Monticello resident Kendra King was crowned Miss Mississippi USASaturday night at Delta State University in Cleveland.

King, 19, competed against 28 other contestants to win the statecrown. She now advances to the Miss USA pageant. If she wins there,the Miss Universe contest is next.

“We’re still in shock,” her mother, Donna King, said. “We’restill excited. We’re still not sure what’s up or how we’re supposedto react. We feel extremely blessed.”

Kendra King was attending classes at Copiah-Lincoln CommunityCollege this morning and was unavailable for comment.

Arrangements for next year’s Miss USA pageant are incomplete,Donna King said.

This year’s Miss USA pageant was held during the spring inBaltimore.

Kendra King will make a variety of personal appearancesthroughout the year as part her duties.

“She wants to focus everything on her hometown and Brookhaven,where she works,” Donna King said.

The 2004 graduate of Lawrence County High School has a lot to doto prepare for the Miss USA pageant, her mother said.

“She’s never really done pageant work until she startedmodeling,” Donna King said. “It gave her confidence, and shestarted competing and winning.”

Kendra King did not begin modeling until her senior year, whenshe was hired to work at Susan’s Shoppe, a designer dress store inBrookhaven.

“We’re very proud of her. We see big things ahead for her,” saidSusan Nash, owner of the store.

It’s been a big year for Kendra King. She also became LawrenceCounty’s Miss Hospitality 2005.

Kendra King may be appearing in a nationally distributeddesigner dress catalog for WOW! Prom after attending a Septemberphoto shoot in Atlanta. The catalog is set for release later thismonth.

The most exciting aspect of modeling for her is working closelywith the designers, she said earlier this month.

“I think, maybe, I want to pursue a career as a designer,” thebusiness major said.

While modeling for WOW! Prom, Kendra King said she showedsketches of her designs to a WOW! Prom owner, who intends to useone of her sketches as part of a future pageant line.