The competition intensified last night in Jackson as the public got its first glimpse into this year's Miss Tennessee Scholarship Pageant.

Four local women are among the total of 36 who are competing. The four are:

* Erin Collins, Miss Greene County;

* Candace Babb, Miss Bristol;

* Megan Fox, Miss Historic Jonesborough;

* Brooke Waddell, Miss Watauga Valley.

On Wednesday evening, the total of 36 competitors, divided into three groups, sang, danced, and interviewed their way through the first of four productions that will end Saturday evening with one of them being crowned Miss Tennessee at the Carl Perkins Civic Center.

The contestants are vying for not just the crown and a chance to become Miss America, but also for some of the $73,000 in scholarship money that will be awarded at this year's Miss Tennessee Pageant.

The Miss America Pageant System, of which the Miss Tennessee Organization is part, is the largest source in the world for scholarships for young women.

While the top five winners will walk away with the biggest prizes, there are a number of sizable awards for even "non-finalists."

It will be Saturday evening before anyone knows which final group each contestant will be in.

On Wednesday evening, though, the groups were very distinct, and the four local women were divided among the three different groups.

The Miss Tennessee preliminary events will continue at 8 o'clock Central time this evening and may be seen on the Internet at http://www.eplustv6.com/

In a telephone interview with The Greeneville Sun, Erin Collins, the first Miss Greene County to participate in the state pageant since 1994, explained that during the preliminary competitions on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the entire show is presented as it will be presented on Saturday evening.

All the production numbers will be the same on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, but with different contestants "rehearsing" different portions of the show each evening as they rotate through the three areas of competition.

Collins also noted that, for her, the swimsuit production number had been the most grueling part of the week so far.

Miss Historic Jonesborough, Megan Fox of Limestone, is a dancer, but revealed in a telephone interview Wednesday afternoon that, for her, the surprise part of the experience so far was how tired she is from all the scheduled activity.

For Fox, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday had been "really mentally draining with so much rehearsal. I was not really prepared for how tired I was going to be."

She added that otherwise she felt very positive and was glad she was getting her swimsuit competition "out of the way" on Wednesday evening.

Both Fox and Brooke Waddell, who is competing as Miss Watauga Valley this year, were both in the opening portion of Wednesday evening's competition.

Waddell was chosen Miss Congeniality at the 2007 pageant, an honor which carries a $1,000 scholarship.

Prior to the televised preliminaries, the contestants have been interviewed by the five judges. The four local contestants interviewed Tuesday and Wednesday said they felt positive about that portion of the competition.

The interview results are not made public but are considered the most important part of the competition since the interview score counts for the largest percentage of the total score that determines who makes the Top 10 in the pageant.

Both Brooke Waddell and Erin Collins consider the interview to be their strongest area.

Collins actually won the Jack Burkhard Memorial Scholarship at the Miss Greene County Pageant. That scholarship is reserved for the woman who has the highest score in the Miss Greene County Pageant interview.

However, all four felt confident after their interviews in Jackson this week.

Waddell said, "I had a fantastic interview; that's my strongest area. I actually look forward to that part of the competition."

The fourth local woman, Candace Babb, who is competing as Miss Bristol, said, "All the five judges are very sweet, and I think they've made all the girls feel very comfortable about the competition."

She got to demonstrate her interview skills on Wednesday evening as her group (Group #B) competed in the evening wear/interview portion of the pageant.

Collins' Group (Group #A) competed in the talent portion of the program on Wednesday evening. She sang "Midnight Train to Georgia."

When the winners were announced Wednesday evening, Ellen Carrington, Miss Scenic City, had won the "Lifestyle and Fitness Swimwear" portion, and pianist Kathryn Knuttila, Miss Athens of the South, had won the talent portion by playing "Masquerade," a piece she had composed.

Carrington was overall fourth runner-up in the Miss Tennessee 2007 pageant and won the talent portion of the preliminary competitions that year.

Waddell mentioned that at the Miss Tennessee pageant, "usually veterans dominate, but two-thirds of the girls are newcomers this year. There is only a handful that have been here before."

Miss Tennessee of 1999 Allison Alderson DeMarcus was the main emcee for Wednesday's show.

The reigning Miss Tennessee, Grace Gore, shared the emcee duties, along with performing in entertainment numbers, both singing and dancing. Gore placed in the top 15 in the 2007 Miss America Pageant,

Allison DeMarcus is married to Jay DeMarcus, the bassist in the band Rascal Flatts.

Her brother-in-law, James Otto, has the top country song on the charts this week, "Just got Started Loving You."

Otto is entertaining at this year's show. In addition to performing his No. 1 hit, he sings his new single, "For You."

DeMarcus noted during the Wednesday-night program that the Miss Tennessee pageant is the only one in the Miss America system that has an accompanying orchestra.

She also discussed the fact that all the contestants are responsible for their own hair and make-up backstage.

DeMarcus said that requirement is good preparation for being Miss Tennessee, since the Miss Tennessee winner is also responsible not just for her hair and make-up but also for making all her own travel arrangements for the myriad appearances she makes throughout her reign.

As will be the case in Saturday night's show, the swimsuit competition was first on Wednesday night, and Brooke Waddell was the first contestant performing in Group C. She wore a two-piece animal-print swimsuit.

Megan Fox, who is competing in that group as well, had chosen a two-piece suit in one of this season's hottest colors, chocolate-brown.

The second portion of the show on Wednesday night was the talent competition in which Erin Collins participated, wearing a long black gown with a few rhinestone accents.

In what DeMarcus called the most beautiful part of the competition, the evening gown section, Candace Babb wore a dress she described as "black, very, very sophisticated, with French lace bodice and silk skirt. It's a custom design by Tricia's Inc. in Fort Blackmore, Va."

Babb's dress and most of the evening wear on Wednesday evening had sweep trains and high slits in the skirts.

Each contestant in the evening-gown competition was escorted to the runway by someone. Babb's escort was her father, Curtis Babb, who was dapper in a classic tux.

For the interview portion of Wednesday night's program, the women in Group B all wore red dresses in a variety of styles. Babb's was a short, strapless cocktail dress with a "poofy" skirt.

Her question concerned her secret wish to perform on Broadway.

Babb revealed that in high school she and a group of friends had called themselves "the Pink Ladies" from the musical "Grease" and noted that she loves the 1950s.

It was after the interviews that Wednesday night's swimsuit and talent winners were announced.

The girls then had a visitation time in which they could visit with family and friends who are there to support them.

Waddell commented in the interview that she has a large "cheering section" in Jackson.

Babb said that she's loving being there and added, "I'm having a blast.

"We've been really impressed with the amount of security. We're treated like celebrities. They've very protective of us, and they take good care of us."

For Fox, she said, it's been "a learning process. You sort of have to test yourself and stay true to who you are."

She also noted that "Some girls here are all about the competition, and they're not about making friends. But I want to come out of this with some friends that I'll have for life.

"I'm excited to compete for the rest of the week and see how everything turns out."

This evening, Collins and the rest of Group A will participate in swimsuit; Babb and the rest of Group B will participate in talent; and Fox and Waddell and the rest of Group C will participate in evening wear.

For those who wish to view photographs, The Jackson Sun's Web site is a good source and includes several excellent shots of Miss Greene County and a couple of Miss Bristol. Another Web site of value is MissTennessee.org.