Four Adelaide entrants make it to national Miss Universe finals
SOUTH Australia’s quest to secure the Miss Universe Australia title for the first time in two decades has received a boost with a quartet of Adelaide girls making it through to this year’s national final.
SOUTH Australia’s quest to secure the Miss Universe Australia title for the first time in two decades has received a boost with a quartet of Adelaide girls making it through to this year’s national final.
Tharika Rodrigo, 18, Olivia Rogers, 25, Stella Badenoch, 22, and Erin Scott, 19, were chosen from a strong field at this week’s SA heat at the Hotel Richmond, and will represent the state at the beauty pageant’s grand finale in Melbourne in June.
Usually no more than two SA contestants are selected each year but Miss Universe Australia national director Troy Barbagallo said the quality of the field made the judges’ decision extremely difficult.
“Team SA raised the bar significantly this year. So much so that we found it very difficult to separate them. Especially the four selected,” he said.
Not since former Adelaide model Laura Csortan was crowned Miss Universe Australia in 1997 has the state won the national final and represented the country at the annual international event.
Ms Badenoch, of Fitzroy, previously made the national final in 2015 and said this could be South Australia’s year.
“I think any one of us could definitely take the title. We’ll be up against some beautiful, intelligent women so it’ll be nice to see if one of us can take it out,” she said.