July 2, 2018
This was the last year for Miss Kentucky contestants to compete on stage in swimsuits
Katie Bouchard, a 22-year-old from Owensboro, was crowned Miss Kentucky 2018 Saturday night at Lexington’s Singletary Center for the Arts. She will go on to represent Kentucky in the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City Sept. 9.
Bouchard, who is studying social work at Western Kentucky University according to WBKR radio, competed as Miss Jefferson County on the platform “Being the Voice of Kentucky’s Children.”
For the talent portion of the competition, Bouchard performed a clogging routine to the song “Soul Man,” and she responded to an on-stage question about how to lower suicide rates, saying “it starts with education.”
“As a social worker, this is an issue that I work with each and every day,” she said.
This was Bouchard’s third time competing in the pageant, according to the radio station.
Miss Lexington Alex Francke was named first runner-up, Miss Bowling Green Caroline Ford was second runner-up, Miss Western Kentucky Haley Wheeler was third runner-up and Miss Monticello Yulia Perevochikova was fourth runner-up.
This was the last year for Miss Kentucky contestants to compete on stage in swimsuits.
Miss America announced in June that it was eliminating the swimsuit competition, and Miss Kentucky will follow suit for the 2019 pageant.
It was also announced during the event that next year’s Miss Kentucky pageant will be held in Louisville.
Bouchard was crowned by reigning Miss Kentucky Molly Matney, 20, a Western Kentucky University agriculture major.
