DERRY – Three Merrimack teens will vie for the crown in the eighth annual Miss New Hampshire’s Outstanding Teen Competition. The contest is set for 2 and 7 p.m. Feb. 11 for two preliminary competitions, and 4 p.m. Feb. 12 for the finals at the Stockbridge Theatre at Pinkerton Academy in Derry.

Twenty-one contestants will vie for scholarships and the right to compete at the eighth annual Miss America’s Outstanding Teen in August in Orlando, Fla. New Hampshire’s Outstanding Teen Competition is a program for girls 13- 17 years of age. It is the little sister program to the Miss America Organization. The competition is intended to encourage and reward talent, communication skills, community service and academic achievement. The Miss New Hampshire Scholarship Program Inc., the official state chapter of the Miss America Organization, sponsors the teen program.

Miss New Hampshire 2011, Regan Hartley along with the first NH’s Outstanding Teen, Meghan Lamontagne, will serve as co-emcees of the event and Miss New Hampshire’s Outstanding Teen 2011, Lauren Percy, of Bow, will crown her successor. The program’s producer is Miss New Hampshire 2003, Candace Glickman and the choreographer is Heidi Sullivan LaRoche, owner of Dance Visions Network in Manchester. Co-chairs of the event are Miss New Hampshire 1995, Dr. Stephanie Foisy Mills; Miss New Hampshire 2005, Audra (Paquette) Burns; and Pattie Lamontagne.

The teens are scored using the same general criteria as the Miss New Hampshire and Miss America competitions. During the preliminary competitions, the scoring is: interview – 30 percent; talent – 35 percent; evening wear/on-stage question – 20 percent; life style and fitness in sportswear – 10 percent; and scholastic achievement – 5 percent.

Sunday will begin with an opening and a top 10 will be announced. The top 10 will compete in the on-stage events, with 35 percent of each contestant’s score carried forward from the preliminary in the form of a composite score. Talent will be worth 35 percent, eveningwear worth 15 percent and sportswear worth 15 percent. By the end of the evening, a top five will be named followed by the announcements of the runners-up and winner.

Tickets are available at the door for $30 for adults and $15 for students under 18 or seniors older than 62. The one ticket allows entrance to both Saturday preliminaries and the finals on Sunday. The box office at the theater opens at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and at 3:15 p.m. on Sunday.

Local teens participating include:

FROM HUDSON: Victoria Whalen is a freshman and the daughter of Alice and Glenn Whalen. During talent, she will perform a song and dance to “Show Off” from The Drowsy Chaperone.

FROM MERRIMACK: Emily Curtis is a freshman at Merrimack High School, and the daughter of Kathy and Wade Curtis. For talent, she will perform a Ballet en Pointe to “Mama Mia.”

Sarah Oswald is an eighth grader at Merrimack Middle School and is the daughter of Jim and Allison Oswald. During talent she will perform a theatrical jazz dance to a “Can Can Medley.”

Katherine Smith of Merrimack is a freshman at Merrimack High School and is the daughter Richard Rowe. She will perform a lyrical dance to “Angel.”

FROM MANCHESTER: Kaylee Oberlies is a junior at Manchester Memorial High School and is the daughter of Paul and Gail Oberlies. She will perform a lyrical dance to the song, “Songbird.”

Meredith Padfield is the daughter of Rose and Paul Padfield. She has junior standing as a home-schooled student and will accompany herself on guitar while singing “Walking On Sunshine.”

Kaitlin Soucy is a seventh grader at the Middle School at Parkside. She is the daughter of Tim and Sue Soucy. She will perform a ballet en point to “Yankee Doodle Dandy” during talent.

FROM PELHAM: Avery Goss is a sophomore at Pelham High School and the daughter of Thomas and Clair Goss. Avery will perform a flue solo to Bond’s “Explosive.”

FROM WINDHAM: Jaycie Greenberg is a sophomore at Windham High School and is the daughter of Frannie and Michael Greenberg. She will perform a dance/twirl to “Footloose” from the 2011 film.