On the evening of November 11, 2007, in the city of Poplar Bluff, the audience at Black River Coliseum welcomed Miss Mid-Missouri, Candice Crawford, as the new Miss Missouri USA 2008.

Candice, a resident of Columbia, Missouri, is a 21-year-old student at the University of Missouri. She is working toward a degree in Broadcast Journalism in efforts to pursue a career is sports reporting.

She is currently employed as a personal trainer, at the state of the art, MizzouRec Complex. She’s been involved on campus as executive officer of her sorority, Pi-Beta-Phi, being in-charge of the Recruitment process for 2007. She also held a position on the competitive, student-run, Mizzou Homecoming Steering Committee for 2007. She reports for the local NBC news station, KOMU; shooting, writing, and editing her own stories. She reads live morning headlines, for KOMU, and worked as a camera girl for the high school football sports program, “Friday Night Lights.” She was also involved with the Mizzou Baseball program, as captain of Tiger Crew; a team of girls in charge of marketing techniques and field operations.

Her off-campus involvements include working as a reporter for the Dallas Cowboy’s weekly sports show, The Blitz, airing on CBS. She talks sports on a weekly sports radio show, The Closers, on KFRU in Columbia and also spends time mentoring young girls at the local Columbia high school.

Candice supports many charities with her time and resources. Some of these charities include, but are not Tiger’s Taming Hunger, The Central Missouri Food Bank, and Champion’s are Readers, Links to Literacy, RAMS (Rock’n Against Multiple Schlorosis).

In her free time, Candice enjoys working out, playing basketball and playing golf. She loves running, and participated in Columbia’s half-marathon benefiting CMCA; helping Mid-Missouri individuals and families in poverty achieve self-reliance, and also ran in the Spirit of St. Louis Marathon last spring. She also enjoys yoga, water-sports and relaxing with her friends, cooking, organizing, reading, and going to any sport events.

Candice was Miss Dallas Teen USA 2004 and placed 3rd Runner-Up at Miss Texas Teen USA 2005. When asked what it is about pageants that she loves, Candice says, "It is excellent “life practice,” providing me with skills that contribute to becoming what society’s definition of what a “modern woman” should be.”

Candice is the daughter of Chris and Dana Crawford, who have shared 25 years of marriage. She has one older brother, Chace Crawford (22) who is an actor on the CW show, Gossip Girl.
Candice plans to use the title of Miss Missouri USA 2008 to share the importance of a healthy lifestyle, and how it’s not about how you look, but about living life, in a healthy way. She is available for interviews, speaking engagements, emceeing events, autograph signing, or any other hosted event.

She will represent Missouri at the 2008 MISS USA Pageant this April in Las Vegas. The MISS USA pageant will be televised live on the NBC television network.

Photo Credit: Jim Grillot