Pageant training keeps Keegan on her toes

GARDNERVILLE - Tools of the trade in Miss Nevada Christina Keegan's "appearance bag" include an autograph book and pens, her sash and crown, a change of clothes, make-up and her dance bag so she's always ready to practice.

"I'm always hungry so I bring something to eat and bring a water bottle," said Keegan, a 2004 Douglas High School graduate and Nevada's candidate for Miss America 2010.

After competing for six years within the Miss America organization, this was her last year of eligibility. Keegan is 23 and reigning Miss Americas may not be 25 years old. Since being crowned Miss Nevada in July, she's been training full time to be Miss America.

Her schedule includes ballet practice three times a week, strength training twice a week and speaking engagements with service clubs and community groups throughout Northern Nevada.

"I go to Arizona monthly for Miss America training, my wardrobe sponsor is in Florida, my choreographer is in Los Angeles so I go there for my talent work," she said. "I stay prepared and ready for travel."

The Miss America Pageant is Jan. 25-30 at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Only the final night of the competition with the 15 finalists is televised, but the 53 total contestants participate in preliminaries all week. Keegan has her private interview on the first day, with her onstage question, swimsuit and talent preliminaries on each day following.

Keegan's talent for the competition is ballet en pointe to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."

"It's a fun and energetic song. No one has ever done anything from Queen in the Miss America Pageant," she said. "It's important to find a way to stand out and having the support of the audience is huge."

Miss America is an outlet to help Keegan financially as a medical student. She graduated from the Undergraduate Women's College at Rosemont, Pa., with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology in 2008 and completed her first year of medical school at the University of Utah this year.

She said she's leaning toward the field of neurology with a pediatric specialty, but is taking a year off school to fulfill her duties as Miss Nevada and compete for Miss America.

"I've received $20,000 in scholarships, so for me as a medical student, anything I don't have to pay back is wonderful."