Allison Hyer places at state DYW competition
Moses Lake senior Allison Hyer, right, was named first runner-up during the Distinguished Young Women of Washington's state program in Pullman over the weekend. She is pictured with Caralyn Cutlip of Vantage, who won the state program last year.
PULLMAN - Allison Hyer, Moses Lake's Distinguished Young Woman, walked away with more than $1,000 in scholarship money and the title of first runner-up at the program's state competition this past weekend.
She was one of the 15 incoming high school seniors who participated in the annual program, held at Washington State University's Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum over the weekend. More than $8,000 in scholarships and awards were given out during the competition.
Hyer won her Moses Lake title this past April. She also won the Talent award for her clogging routine during the local program.
She received a $1,200 scholarship for being named first runner-up and $200 scholarships in both the Fitness and Interview categories.
Pullman High School senior Rose Jao was named Washington's 2015 Distinguished Young Woman during the competition and will represent the state at the national program in Mobile, Ala. next summer.
Jao received a $4,000 cash scholarship with her title. In addition, she won $200 scholarships in the Fitness, Talent, Self-Expression, Interview and Scholastic categories.
Several other Basin seniors participated in the state program, including Morgan Small, Royal City; Bianca Ramirez, Mattawa; Emily Risenmay, Othello; Samantha Eilers, Ritzville and Sophie Matthewson, Almira/Coulee-Hartline.
The Distinguished Young Women program was founded in 1958 in Alabama, although it was known as America's Junior Miss program until 2010. Last year, the program provided more than $108 million in cash and college scholarship opportunities to participants at the local, state and national levels.