Sixteen preliminary awards, totalling $8,000 in scholarships, were presented during the second night of competition at the 2009 Mississippi’s Junior Miss program Friday night.

Meridian, Picayune, Lauderdale County, West Jackson County, Lamar County and Hinds County Junior Misses each earned two preliminary awards.

Mississippi’s Junior Miss 2008 Marianna Breland of Rankin County presented each preliminary winner with their awards, which are $500 each. They included:

• Meridian’s Sarah Margaret Huff, who earned awards in self expression and talent. The daughter of Clair and Brad Huff, she attends Meridian High School.

• Lauderdale County’s Lauren Rogers, who took home self expression and talent awards. Rogers, the daughter of Cindy and Allen Wyman and Frank Rogers, is a student at Clarkdale High School.

• West Jackson County’s Kelsey Worch, who earned preliminary awards in self expression and Scholastic. The daughter of Joanna and Greg Worch, she is a student at Ocean Springs High School.

• Lamar County’s Haleigh Huddleston, coped awards in talent and fitness. She is the daughter of Staci and Stacy Plunk and West Huddleston, and is a student at Presbyterian Christian School.

• Picayune’s Alex Parker earned awards in talent and fitness. A student at Picayune Memorial High School, she is the daughter of Edna and Ivan Parker.

• Hinds County’s Catherine Mounger earned scholastic and fitness awards. She is the daughter of Cissye and Billy Mounger, and is a student at Jackson Preparatory School.

Other preliminary awards went to:

• Petal’s Brooklee Lightsey, who earned a talent award. She is the daughter of Leahne and Win Lightsey, and is a student at Petal High School.

• Pike County’s Katie Cooper received a scholastic award. The daughter of Kim and Gerald Cooper she is a student at Parklane Academy.

• Rankin County’s Brenna Grace West coped a Scholastic award. The daughter of Carolyn and Randy West, she is a student at Brandon High School.

• Pearl River County’s Rebekkah Unbehagen earned a fitness award. She is the daughter of Belinda and Lenny Unbehagen, and is a student at Mississippi School of the Arts.

Fourty-three young ladies sang, danced and proved they were physically fit as family and friends cheered them on from the audience of the nearly sold out historic Temple Theatre in downtown Meridian. Divided into two groups, Diamond and Sapphire, the girls competed in talent, fitness, and self-expression during which they were asked: “If you wrote a book about yourself, what would it be titled, and why?”

The final night of competition concludes tonight when the Top 10 finalists will be named. Each girl will then compete again in self-expression, talent, and fitness. The winner of tonight’s competition will next compete at America’s Junior Miss in Mobile, Ala., in July 2009.