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| P a g e a n t N e w s B u r e a u |
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 August 2002 | 
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Sticks and thronesKyleen Krstich was 8 when she saw something that changed her life. It was a beauty pageant. She said, "Mom, I want to do that." But first she had to give up her career. You see, Ms. Krstich was a baton twirler beginning at age 4, and twirling is a highly competitive field. A champion has to be a well-rounded performer, not just a stick figure. "Beauty is a part of it," she said of baton competition, "and they also judge you on interview." |
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| When pageants came along, Ms. Krstich had to choose which field she preferred. She dropped her baton (on purpose, of course) and started going after crowns. She has won quite a number, beginning with Little Miss Troy. Before capturing the title of Miss Michigan Teen USA, she represented the state at National Pre-Teen and Miss Teen America. Two successful careers before the age of 18. That's pretty good, we'd say. And now Ms. Krstich is looking forward to a career in broadcast journalism. In her spare time, she dances and does gymnastics. |  |
| She's also very wise. She gave us this wonderfully pithy quote about competition "Every girl in pageants is trying to further her career somehow." We'd like to frame that. But remember, it all started with a baton. So if you see a stick lying around, pick it up. Give it a twirl. |
Seeing red, and loving itIn 2000, just after Kimberly Harlan finished as a finalist at Miss Georgia Teen USA, she made another kind of pageant history. The well-traveled young model was the first person ever profiled by PNB without having her name mentioned. The story called her simply "the red-haired girl." |
| Being unidentified did not make her anonymous. Ms. Harlan, who came back to win the Georgia crown in late 2001, is getting more famous all the time. And no wonder. She's 6 feet tall -- before she puts on her shoes -- and her hair looks like a flame that could burn your fingers. Some admirers call her "Big Red," which doesn't capture her charm but does convey what a formidable impression she makes in person. |  |
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| The historic PNB profile was serious for a pageant piece. It was a wistful look at how vulnerable even a beautiful girl can be in a fast-paced competitive world. But don't get the wrong impression. Ms. Harlan is not gloomy or fragile. She's fun-loving and sweet, just like the other teen queens at South Padre. |
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| Ms. Harlan started out as a small-town pageant girl. She was Little Miss Cobb County as a child. But by her early teens, she was a fashion model in Europe, and once turned letters on the Italian version of "Wheel of Fortune." She later was based in New York. All that globe-trotting has made her an interesting mix. She has the accent of a girl from Middle America, the natural friendliness of a Southern belle and a little pinch of European sophistication. She pronounces "Capri" in the European style, with the accent on the first syllable. Just hearing it can send your mind on vacation. |  |
Maichal McJunkin, modelMiss Washington Teen USA has a an almost musical name, but it gave us a little trouble. We were saying it incorrectly because we didn't realize that "Maichal" is pronounced like "Michael." We didn't know until we heard her say it herself. |
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 | We were ignorant. And Ms. McJunkin cheerfully admits that she used to be ignorant -- about pageants. She didn't give them a thought, even though she was a model. "I never took an interest" in competition, she says, "When it was suggested to me, I said, 'No way.' " But the people who were talking about it were her agents, the folks at ABC Modeling. And they kept talking until they talked her into it. In her very first contest, she won the right to represent her state at Miss Teen USA. |
| Needless to say, now she listens. And she listens especially to her mentor, Jamie Kern, who won Miss Washington USA and later gained fame on "Big Brother." Ms. McJunkin was star-struck when she first met Ms. Kern. Fame intimidated her. Now they're friends. Ms. McJunkin, who says she can't sing or dance but loves talking to children about serious issues like drugs, says acting might appeal to her if an offer came along. But her ambition now is to become an event planner. |
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| Meanwhile, she's enjoying the experience of being a beauty queen. "When you show up in a public place in a sash and crown, people go, 'Ooooh!' " Maybe it's not the sash and crown. Maybe it's the girl.
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More on Miss Teen USA 2002 Page 1
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