Jonesboro woman, 22, crowned Miss Arkansas 2018

Raffo is daughter of ASU baseball coach

Claudia Raffo of Jonesboro is crowned Miss Arkansas 2018 by her predecessor, Maggie Benton, at the annual pageant Saturday night in Little Rock.
Claudia Raffo of Jonesboro is crowned Miss Arkansas 2018 by her predecessor, Maggie Benton, at the annual pageant Saturday night in Little Rock.

The 22-year-old daughter of Arkansas State University's head baseball coach was crowned Miss Arkansas 2018 on Saturday night in downtown Little Rock.

Claudia Raffo, daughter of Coach Tommy Raffo, walked onstage at Robinson Performance Hall to cheers and hollers for the duration of the competition. An early crowd favorite and a Miss Arkansas pageant veteran, Raffo is enrolled to start pharmacy school at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in the fall.

Saturday was her fourth time competing in the Miss Arkansas pageant. Raffo, who is from Jonesboro, began competing in pageants to win scholarship money because she wanted to go to college and then to pharmacy school, she said in a news conference after her victory.

For her talent, Raffo performed a jazz dance routine to the song "That's Life."

[GALLERY: 250+ photos from Miss Arkansas competition]

Raffo tied with second runner-up Miss Northwest Arkansas Darynne Dahlem for best overall interview and best overall swimsuit presentation. In her interview, Raffo was asked if she thought it is necessary for the United States to be the world's peacekeeper.

"I don't think that it's necessary, but I think that it's part of our responsibility," Raffo said while wearing a white evening gown. "We are a country that's strong and brave, and I think we can be that peacekeeper."

Her cause is "New Life Saves Lives: Umbilical Cord Donation." Raffo said her grandmother went through an operation that used umbilical cord blood, and many Arkansans don't know they can donate their babies' umbilical cords to the Cord Blood Bank of Arkansas.

"People just don't know it's an option," Raffo said.

She will spend her year as Miss Arkansas promoting her cause, making connections with doctors' offices and getting people to swab their cheeks to join the national bone marrow registry.

Netting the Miss Arkansas crown is accompanied with a $30,000 scholarship. Raffo will go on to compete at the Miss America national pageant in September. Three Miss Arkansas winners have gone on to take the national crown, most recently in 2016 when Savvy Shields won the title.

Last year's Miss Arkansas, Maggie Benton of Jonesboro, placed in the top 15 at the national pageant.

Saturday's contestants were whittled down from 44 through four competitions: individual talent, onstage questions, evening wear and swimwear, though the swimwear portion is being phased out, the Miss America Organization announced earlier this month.

The decision signaled a new era for the nearly 100-year-old competition. Saturday marked the final time Miss Arkansas competitors will be judged while wearing a swimsuit.

Host Chris Kane, a KATV anchor, told the audience the swimsuit competition is meant to demonstrate "a lifestyle that reflects overall health and fitness." The top 10 contenders wore identical blue bikinis and nude heels.

When asked about the swimsuit competition, Raffo said since she's personally benefited from it she's "sad to see it go." But, she added, "I'm excited to see how everything is going to be implemented in the future."

Raffo thanked her support system for helping her along the way.

"It takes a village to be able to stand on that stage," she said.

To prepare for the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, N.J., Raffo said she will continue to do what she has been doing. As for Saturday night, she was excited to see her family and talk with former Miss Arkansas winners about the task at hand.

"I'm ready for the challenge," she said.

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The top 10 finalists take the stage Saturday night at the Miss Arkansas pageant at Robinson Performance Hall in Little Rock.

Metro on 06/17/2018

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