Jana Murrell Biography

Jana Murrell (born 1982) is the former morning traffic reporter for television station KETV 7 in Omaha, Nebraska and former beauty queen who has competed in the Miss USA pageant and in the international Miss Earth 2008 beauty pageant.

Biography

Murrell grew up in Omaha, although she lived for a short time in San Jose, California. She graduated with honours from Omaha North High School and received a full academic scholarship to Creighton University, where she studied physiotherapy.

Murrell won the Miss Nebraska USA 2005 title in a state pageant held in Norfolk, Nebraska in October 2004. She had previously placed first runner-up in both the 2002 and 2003 pageants, winning the title on her third attempt. She was crowned by outgoing titleholder Guerin Austin of Bellevue. As Miss Nebraska USA, Murrell became associated with the Vanbros organisation.

Murrell represented Nebraska in the Miss USA 2005 pageant broadcast live from the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland in April 2005. She did not place in the nationally televised pageant, which was won by Chelsea Cooley of North Carolina.

In September 2005 she began work as a traffic reporter for KETV. Her last day at KETV was August 17, 2007.

In 2007, Murrell competed in the second annual United States Miss Earth pageant and won the title of Miss Earth USA - Air (equivalent of first runner-up) to eventual winner Lisa Marie Forbes of Kansas.

Murrell competed at her second attempt for Miss Earth USA 2008, and won the title. Murrell represented the USA at Miss Earth 2008.

Miss Earth 2008

In the final competition of the eighth edition of the Miss Earth pageant, Murrell was announced as one of sixteen semi-finalists who moved forward to compete for the title. She ended as one of the top 16 semifinalists of Miss Earth. The Miss Earth pageant was held on November 9, 2008 at the Clark Expo Amphitheater in Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines. Eighty-five delegates arrived from October 19, 2008 in the Philippines. The pageant was broadcast live via ABS-CBN in the Philippines and to many countries worldwide via Star World, The Filipino Channel and other partner networks.