Weatherford, OK – The spotlight belonged to freshman Selah Bentley on Saturday night as she was crowned Miss SWOSU 2026 in the annual Miss SWOSU Scholarship Pageant at the SWOSU Fine Arts Center.
Bentley, of Laverne, is a Radiologic Technology major. For the talent portion of the competition she performed a flute solo to “Never Enough.” Her Community Service Initiative (CSI) is titled “A Lamp for Little Hearts,” focusing on supporting and uplifting children in need.
This year’s pageant carried the theme “A Salute to the Mother Road,” honoring 100 years of historic Route 66. Seventeen contestants competed for the title in five phases of competition: Interview, On-Stage Question, Active Wear, Talent, and Evening Gown.
The field featured students from across Oklahoma and a wide range of majors and talents:
Caroline Snider, Laverne (Freshman, Allied Health/Radiology), vocal performance “Orange Colored Sky,” CSI: “The Beat Goes On: Protecting Music Programs in Schools”
Jocelyn Treece, Woodward (Sophomore, Business in Finance), vocal “Ashes,” CSI: “Beauty Beyond the Mirror”
Gabrielle Clayton, Clinton (Junior, Pharmacy), vocal “Never Enough,” CSI: “You Are Enough: Supporting Teen Mental Health”
Avari Brown, Cheyenne (Freshman, Pre-Pharm), jazz dance “The Sweet Escape,” CSI: “A Voice Can Save: Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in Teens”
Sophie Hodges, Webbers Falls (Sophomore, Communication Arts), electric guitar “No More Tears,” CSI: “Pets for Prosper”
Dakota Duke, Dewar (Freshman, Pre-Pharmacy), monologue “Mary’s Final Letter,” CSI: “From Deployment to Diploma”
Britlee Russell, Dewey (Senior, Marketing, minor in Public Relations), vocal “In My Dreams,” CSI: “Hospitallers: For the Sake of Every Life”
Sierra Stephens, Weatherford / Mountain View-Gotebo (Junior, Elementary Education), vocal “Speechless,” CSI: “Reading Across the Ages”
Parker Coffman, Bridge Creek (Sophomore, Political Science and History), keyboard performance “Beethoven’s Für Elise,” CSI: “Civics for All: Building an Informed Generation”
Lauren Wicker, Mustang (Junior, History Education), vocal “I Don’t Need a Roof,” CSI: “I Am a Survivor, Not a Victim: Domestic Violence Awareness”
Evann Boyd, Yukon (Sophomore, Allied Health), contemporary dance “The Joke,” CSI: “Care Without Cost”
Presley Evans, Clinton (Freshman, Exercise Science), tumbling routine “Sticky Floor,” CSI: “Feed the Future”
Andrea Stalder, Weatherford (Sophomore, Kinesiology), vocal “Journey to the Past,” CSI: “Fuel Their Futures”
Mackenzie Brown, Tecumseh (Sophomore, Applied Science – Medical Laboratory Program), color guard flag routine to “Nine to Five,” CSI: “The Book Box Project”
Selah Bentley, Laverne (Freshman, Radiologic Technology), flute performance “Never Enough,” CSI: “A Lamp for Little Hearts”
Kristen Range, Owasso (Sophomore, Pre-Pharmacy), monologue “Resilience,” CSI: “Food for Friends: Fighting Hunger and Feeding Hope”
Rylee Ferguson, Mooreland (Freshman, Healthcare Administration), vocal “A Million Dreams,” CSI: “Adopt an Elder: Generations Through Compassion”
The evening also featured a performance by Miss SWOSU 2025 Mia Macias of Leedey. Adding to the show were the Miss SWOSU Little Stars, the Weatherford High School Pom Squad, dancers from Cinderella’s Dance Studio in Weatherford, and live music from the SWOSU Jazz Band, giving the pageant a full production feel.
By the end of the night, Bentley emerged with the crown and the opportunity to represent SWOSU throughout the coming year, carrying her CSI “A Lamp for Little Hearts” into schools, community events, and service projects as the new Miss SWOSU 2026.
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