LAS VEGAS – Miss Washington Kristen Eddings glided across the Miss America stage with confidence Friday evening, dressed in a flowing, blue evening gown.

The second night of preliminaries, the Silverdale native completed both the swimsuit and evening gown competition with style and grace.

“I think she’ll be the next Miss America,” said the current Miss Poulsbo Brenna Gardner-Brown with a smile. “I think she is the woman for the job.”

Gardner-Brown joins about 150 other Kitsap County supporters who made the trip to Las Vegas to support Eddings as she vies for the Miss America crown.

“We’re a pretty loud group,” said Kristen’s dad Gary Eddings with a chuckle. “It’s pretty exciting … We’ve had some competition, (the) Oklahoma (crowd) is pretty loud.”

Shortly before Friday’s preliminary event got started, Eddings’ family showed their support, standing side-by-side with letters spelling her name. Other signs touting Miss Washington also weren’t hard to miss.

“We have 94 signs” Gardner-Brown said excitedly.

This is the second year the Miss America competition has been hosted in Las Vegas.

The large theater at the Aladdin Hotel & Casino (soon-to-be the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino) was filled with fans from all over the country.

Tonight Eddings will perform her talent, her jazzed-up rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “For Once In My Life.”

Miss America will air at 8 p.m. tonight, Jan. 29, on CMT.