Submitted photo

Mary Claire Whitehead, left, was named the 2018 Distinguished Young Woman of Meridian along with Liz Sprabery, as the 2018 Distinguished Young Woman of Lauderdale County, Saturday night at the MSU Riley Center. Whitehead is the daughter of Beth and Kary Whitehead and a student at Lamar School. Sprabery is the daughter of Dr. Pat and Donna Sprabery and a student at Southeast Lauderdale High School. Meridian’s first alternate was Kaylan McCoy and the second alternate was Breelyn Bigbee, Lauderdale County’s first alternate was Savannah Pope and the second alternate was London Goodman. Both Whitehead and Sprabery will compete in the Mississippi Distinguished Young Woman Program in July in Meridian.