Up close and personal with Miss Maricopa

A Gilbert college student showed the city of Maricopa how talented she is when she was crowned Miss City of Maricopa.

“It is such a great city with amazing people so I am honored to be Miss City of Maricopa,” 19-year-old Jennifer Smestad said.

Smestad became eligible for the pageant after the boundaries for entrants was extended to within a 60-mile radius when there weren’t four contenders living in the Maricopa-Casa Grande area.

September’s pageant was Smestad’s third. She began entering pageants in March and was first runner up in Miss Cave Creek and Miss Tempe.

Smestad said she hopes to be crowned Miss Arizona.

Jeanette Masters, co-director of the Miss City of Maricopa pageant said, “The contestant stands above the rest as someone who is confident and poised.”

During Smestad’s reign, she is working with the Arizona chapter of the Tourette Syndrome Association to give children hope they can overcome the syndrome she had as a child.

“I have always loved to do community service and having the title opens more doors for me to give back to the community,” Smestad said. “It is not only for me, but for the organizations as well.”

Smestad has attended several events representing the city including the Mini Miss Maricopa Pageant, a celebration dinner for the re-election of Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu and election of Lando Voyles as Pinal County Attorney, and she has spoken at the Legacy Traditional School during its character counts week.

Her father Gary Smestad said he is very proud of his daughter.

“It was her third competition and she did very well and she just keeps getting better,” he said. “She is such a determined, caring and giving person.”