BRINKLEY — Madison Gibson of Jonesboro (Craighead County) was named 2016-17 Miss Arkansas Rice on Saturday at the Brinkley Convention Center. Gibson is a junior at Brookland High School and is the daughter of Scott and Karie Gibson.

Libby Thornhill of Wynne (Cross County) was first runner-up. Second runner-up was Dawsyn Smith of Newport (Jackson County). Other county winners participating in the state finals were Torri Dumond of DeWitt (Arkansas County), Kristen Lanni of White Hall (Jefferson County), Chloe Griffith of Marianna (Lee County), Lacy Smith of Ward (Lonoke County), Libby Wilkison of Brinkley (Monroe County), Alexandria Rawls of Palestine (St. Francis County) and Gabriella Winkler of Augusta (Woodruff County).

The goal of the Miss Arkansas Rice program is to encourage interest in rice promotion and to publicize the importance of the Arkansas rice industry to the state's economy. Contestants were judged on their promotion activities and knowledge of the rice industry. They also cooked a rice dish at the competition on which they were judged. Gibson’s recipe was “Get Your Gumbo On!”

The Arkansas Rice Council sponsors the annual contest in cooperation with Arkansas Farm Bureau and the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Arkansas Farm Bureau is a nonprofit, private advocacy organization of more than 190,000 families throughout the state working to improve farm and rural life.