Wilmington native Carli Batson ready to compete for Miss America title this week

A Wilmington native who graduated from Laney High School in 2018 will compete for the title of Miss America at the 100th Miss America pageant Thursday night.

Carli Batson, a former Miss Wilmington who won the title of Miss North Carolina in June, has been at the Mohegan Sun resort in Connecticut all week, competing in preliminaries.

More: Wilmington native Carli Batson wins Miss North Carolina, to compete in Miss America pageant

For the first time in decades the pageant won't be televised, but it is available on NBC's Peacock streaming service starting 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 16. A watch party by some of Batson's friends and supporters will be held at the Blockade Runner in Wrightsville Beach.

Jeff Phillips, who has performed in musicals for Wilmington's Opera House Theatre Co. with Batson, is in Connecticut with her as one of the pageant hopeful's advisers. ("I like to call Jeff my life mentor," Batson told the StarNews in June.)

"It's been going great," Phillips said. "We are really excited she's getting the chance to compete on a national stage. What literally started out in a rehearsal hall at Opera House has grown into the opportunity of winning a $100,000 scholarship, as well as all of the other opportunities Miss America provides."

So far, Phillips said, Batson has competed in two nights of preliminaries, including an evening gown competition and a private interview with the judges.

Batson was also recognized as the second runner-up for being one of the top fundraisers among the contestants for the Miss America Organization, for which she received $1,000 in scholarship money.

Batson's talent is ballet, and she performed a lyrical dance on pointe to "The Impossible Dream" from the musical "Man of La Mancha." Because music on the Miss America stage has be an original recording, Phillips said, Batson danced to a version sung by Wilmington theater standout Annie Tracy Marsh, who lives in New York.

"So there were two Wilmington theater kids on that stage," Phillips said.

For her social impact initiative, Batson talked about Carolina Cares, which raises money for performing arts communities, many of which have suffered financially during the pandemic.

"She came out in her white power suit and knocked it out of the park," Phillips said. "Now we're just waiting for the finals. Hopefully, she makes the top 10."

The top 10 finalists will be revealed during the competition on Thursday night.

Batson, whose parents are Keith and Lisa Batson, is the first person with Wilmington ties to compete in the Miss America pageant since University of North Carolina Wilmington graduate Beth Stovall won the Miss North Carolina crown in 2014.

When she spoke with the StarNews in June, Batson said that being part of the 100th Miss America pageant makes her appearance there even more special.

"It feels really cool to be part of something that's going to end up being part of history," Batson said.

"I'm so proud of her," Phillips said. "She is representing North Carolina well, but she's really representing Wilmington well."

Contact John Staton at 910-343-2343 or John.Staton@StarNewsOnline.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington native Carli Batson ready to compete for Miss America title