Anne Peltier/THE POST Heather Warren, 6, of Logan, waits at the head of the 4-year-old to 6-year-old age group at the Sunburst Beauty Pageant. About 50 children and teens participated in the pageant at the University Mall yesterday.

About 50 contestants from the Athens area gathered at the University Mall yesterday to compete in the Sunburst beauty and baby contest. The contestants competed in various age groups, from infants to age 27, for prizes including trophies, medals and money. Theresa Spooner, the state director of the pageants, said the purpose was to find contestants to represent the area at the state competition in Columbus in May.

Each participant who won a category received an invitation to the state competition. These categories included overall beauty, prettiest eyes, prettiest hair, most photogenic and best attire. Every winning participant received a trophy. Contestants had different reasons for entering the pageant. Autumn Robson, an Athens resident and winner of the teen-age group, said she entered to help with her goal of becoming a model. Regina Smith of Athens, whose two daughters Ebony and Joshelyn won their age groups in the pageant, said her daughters enter about five pageants per year, and she will continue to let them enter as long as they want.

"Ebony says she wants to be Miss America someday," she said.

Smith said the Sunburst pageant was a good system and was family friendly. Passing shoppers saw the pageant taking place and decided to stay and watch. One of these shoppers, Ohio University student Selena Anthony, said the pageant worked well in bringing more business to the mall. There should be more events like the pageant to bring people to the mall, especially an event college students would be attracted to, she said.

The only thing she found wrong with the pageant was that it was based too much on physical beauty and might make the contestants who didn't win feel ugly, Anthony said

"Who is she to judge?" she asked of Spooner. "Every one of the kids is beautiful."

Spooner said although the pageant was based on beauty, the state and national pageants have more categories, including talent and charity.

"It builds so much self-esteem and confidence in these children," she said.

Maria Hurst, Spooner's assistant, said the pageants are sponsored all over the country.

A pageant is in Ohio one weekend of every month, and Athens was chosen to host the pageant because it is one of the major cities in the area, Hurst said.