Hannah Lomax of Russellville was crowned the 67th Miss Tech on Friday night during the 2023 Miss Arkansas Tech University competition at Witherspoon Auditorium.
Daughter of Cathy and Loren Lomax, Lomax is a 22-year old member of the ATU Class of 2024. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in biology with the biomedical concentration and a Bachelor of Arts degree in music.
Lomax won the Zachary McClure Denison Leadership Award, the Red Carpet Award, the On-Stage Interview/Social Impact Initiative Award and the Instrumentalist/Artistic/Spoken Word Award. She and Onnalyse Smith of Nixa, Mo., were co-winners of the Nona Dirksmeyer Memorial Talent Award.
“It does not feel real,” said Lomax moments after being crowned Miss Tech 2023. “I’ve waited for this moment since I was 7 years old. I am so excited to get to work.”
Lomax’s social impact initiative is Letters of Hope. Over the past two years, she has collected approximately 1,700 letters that have been distributed to both service members across the United States and veterans in Arkansas. Lomax is a specialist with four years experience as a member of the Arkansas Army National Guard.
“It was born out of my time in basic training for the Arkansas Army National Guard,” said Lomax when asked about her social impact initiative. “I travel the state of Arkansas and provide children with the opportunity to write letters supporting our nation’s military and service members around the globe.”
Lomax, whose talent was a piano performance of “La Malagueña,” will represent ATU in the 2023 Miss Arkansas competition June 3-10 at Robinson Performance Hall in Little Rock. It will be her third appearance in Miss Arkansas. She was Miss Historic Batesville 2022 and Miss City Lights 2021.
Among the prizes that Lomax receives as Miss Tech is a two-semester tuition scholarship at Arkansas Tech. In all, more than $23,000 in gifts and scholarships were awarded during the 2023 Miss Arkansas Tech competition.
Kate Manuel of Green Forest (first runner-up), Smith (second runner-up), Faith Tooke of Woodlawn (third runner-up) and Jazmine Houston of Plainview (fourth runner-up) rounded out the top five among the 11-candidate field.
Smith won the Kristen Hayes Atchley Dance Award for her lyrical dance to the tune of “Foot Prints in the Sand.” Manuel earned the Lindsey Ahrens McCrary Vocal Award for her rendition of “Feeling Good.”
Star Austin of Russellville, Jazmyne Campbell of Yellville and Tooke shared the Dr. Jim Collins Miss Congeniality Award. Elizabeth Durning of Ozark won the Virginia Bachman Scholastic Achievement Award as the candidate with the highest grade point average.
Other candidates in the 67th Miss Tech competition were Yesenia Arias of Guymon, Okla., Madison Holmes of Van Buren and Rue Recinos of Alma.
