History will be made this weekend as two Normandy Park sisters compete for the title of Miss Washington.

When Miss Burien 2006 Melody Gilbert and Miss Burien 2005 Amelia Gilbert walk on the stage Thursday at Tacoma's Champions Centre, it will be the first time in pageant history that two sisters have vied for the state crown in the same year.

The winner, who will move on to compete for Miss America, will be selected Friday.

Amelia, who is competing as Miss Emerald City 2006, downplays rivalry at the pageant.

"It doesn't enter in being competitive with other, it's just individually doing our best," Amelia noted. "It's not so much every girl for herself. Most of the girls have really good attitudes."

Representing the Miss Burien Pageant last year, Amelia came very close to the state crown as first runner-up. She was third runner-up the previous year as Miss Puget Sound.

"If this year is not my year, I'll be back next year," Amelia declared.

"It's a process of self-development. It's not one day suddenly you are Miss America. You keep working harder."

Younger-sister Melody was second runner-up in the Burien pageant the year her big sister was crowned Miss Burien.

Facing her first state competition, Melody says she is "more excited than nervous."

She sees the Tacoma competition as a way to become stronger and says she plans to return to the pageant in subsequent years.

"Amelia has been my personal coach and a tremendous resource." Melody added.

Despite the upcoming competition, the two sisters insist they have never been closer.

They started growing closer in their early teen years.

Before then, "I was a tattletale and Amelia was off doing her thing," Melody recalls.

Their parents, Dan and Charlotte Gilbert of Normandy Park, treated each equally so there was no jealously over who was the favorite, they say.

Amelia and Melody have been featured in advertisements for their dad's dental practice in Normandy Park.

Amelia, 21, is a junior at the University of Washington where she is pursuing bachelor degrees in Communications and Business. She plans to go on to earn a Masters in Business Administration.

Her platform issue is Cancer Prevention and Education. She's been talking to student groups about preventing cancer by making good decisions.

For her talent presentation, the reining Miss Emerald City will portray the Wicked Witch of the West singing "Defying Gravity" from the musical Wicked.

Melody, 19, just started at the University of Washington after graduating from Highline Community College. She is seeking a degree in Public Health and plans to earn a masters in Nutrition.

Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention is her platform issue. Like Amelia, she speaks in front of student groups about making good nutrition decisions.

She will perform a vocal jazz rendition of "Mr. Paganini." at the pageant.

The Gilbert sisters won't be the only young women from the Highline area competing for Miss Washington.

Jackie Graybill, this year's Miss Burien first runner-up, will be vying for the state crown as Miss Puget Sound. The Pacific Lutheran University student is the daughter of Jon and Retha Graybill of Burien.

Jackie, 24, is majoring in Communications with a minor in Film.

Her platform issue is The Choice to Wait, which encourages teens to practice abstinence from sexual activity.

Jackie's talent presentation is a crossover piano solo of "Piano Fantasy."

During this pageant season, Amber Trillo, the daughter of Javier and Teresa Trillo of Burien, will represent the Miss Burien program in the Miss Seafair contest later this month.

Whoever is crowned Miss Washington will move on to a pageant markedly different from the traditional Miss America program.

The national pageant will have elements of a television reality show with viewers calling in to vote for their favorite.

Preliminaries get underway in September with the finale set for January.

For a second year, the pageant will be held in Las Vegas instead of Atlantic City.

Amelia and Melody attended last year's pageant in Nevada.

"Las Vegas is an exciting city," Amelia reported. "I think it is a great change from Atlantic City."

This weekend's Miss Washington Pageant also signals a major change for the Miss Burien program.

Diane Kennish, who has been the executive director since the Burien pageant was restarted in 1999, is stepping aside because of a job schedule change.

"She's been a blessing to work with," Amelia noted. "She cares very deeply about Burien. She'll be missed."