Beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, January 18, sixty-one of the Alabama's most outstanding high school senior girls will compete at the Montgomery Civic Center for the title of Alabamas Junior Miss for 2002.

These young women will also compete for a share of more than $41,000 in college scholarships.

Judges for the Alabama state program include: Bob Harris, state chairman of South Carolina's Junior Miss and a Junior Miss volunteer for 37 years; Traci McMillian, Delaware's Junior Miss in 1990 and a physician who resides in North Carolina; Lea Mack, a board-certified music therapist who founded Dream Big Enterprises, which offers motivational programs for children, teens and adults; Eugene Attkisson, a regional coordinator for America's Junior Miss who has been involved with the Junior Miss program in various capacities for more than 20 years; and Rose Mary Compagine, Florida's Junior Miss in 1994 and a post-production coordinator for "American Experience," PBS's longest-running historical documentary series.

Don Day and Donnalee Blankenship will serve as emcees for the two preliminaries and the final night of competition.

Day is the host of a radio show on WLWI-FM.

This will be Day's tenth year serving as co-emcee for Alabama's Junior Miss program.

Blankenship will join Day in the hosting duties this year's Junior Miss participants.

She was Shelby County's Junior Miss in 1985 and has been a volunteer with the program since that time.

Tickets are available for the two preliminaries and the final evening of competition.

Ticket prices are $15 for each preliminary and $25 for the final competition, or a weekend pass may be purchased for $45.