Lamb-Ferro, a 23-year-old resident of Federal Way, won the local event Saturday night at Jason Lee Middle School in Tacoma.

She is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University and works for the American Cancer Society in Tacoma. Her talent is classical piano, and her platform is the Cancer Society’s annual Relay for Life event.

The first runner-up was Jacqueline Mendez of Puyallup. The PLU senior played classical violin and spoke on a platform of cancer research.

The second runner-up was Lisa Graham, a senior at the University of Puget Sound and a resident of Tacoma. She performed an opera vocal and spoke on a platform of advancing the arts in our communities.

The third runner-up was Hannah Parker, who performed a pop vocal and advanced a platform of finding a student voice through voting. Her residency and student status weren’t available.

The contest featured 11 contestants. Lamb-Ferro will make her third trip to the state pageant; last year she appeared after winning the title of Miss Spokane.

“We’re hoping the third time’s a charm for her,” said Sarah Vollmer, a member of the board of directors for Miss Pierce County.

The local pageant is the forerunner to Miss Washington and Miss America, the world’s largest scholarship organization for young women.

This year’s second runner-up at the Miss America pageant was Elyse Umemoto, who was Miss Pierce County 2006. The PLU senior appeared and sang two numbers Saturday night.

Matt Misterek, The News Tribune