URI Student Taylor Kinzler Named Miss Massachusetts

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (AP) — A journalism student at the University of Rhode Island has been named Miss Massachusetts.

Twenty-year-old Taylor Kinzler won the Miss Massachusetts Scholarship Pageant on Saturday night. She is a staff writer for GoRhody.com at URI and has been a member of the school's cheerleading team.

Kinzler will get more than $8,500 in scholarships for winning the pageant. The Lakeville resident competed as Miss Norfolk County against 15 others. Pageant organizers say she is an accomplished gymnast. She performed an acrobatic dance in the talent portion of the competition.

Kinzler will now compete in the Miss America pageant in Las Vegas in January. She will promote volunteerism during her year of service as Miss Massachusetts.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.