LOS ANGELES, May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Oregon's own Sara Jean Underwood, 23, is Playboy's 2007 Playmate of the Year. The petite blond beauty is featured in an eight-page nude pictorial in Playboy's June issue (on newsstands and at http://www.playboydigital.com/ Friday, May 4) and stars in her own DVD release, Video Centerfold: 2007 Playmate of the Year Sara Jean Underwood (on sale Tuesday, June 19). Along with her title, Sara receives $100,000 in prize money and a 2007 chili-red Mini Cooper S convertible. After being named Playmate of the Year at a Thursday, May 3 luncheon ceremony at the Playboy Mansion, Sara will make her first public appearance at Louisville's Crown Royal Playboy Lounge pre-Derby party on Friday, May 4. Sara's wholesome girl-next-door appeal first caught Playboy's attention when photographers visited Oregon State University (OSU) in search of "Girls of the Pac 10" for the magazine's October 2005 college issue. Sara was selected from hundreds of hopefuls to appear in the 10-page pictorial, and her fresh-faced, all American look landed her on Playboy's October 2005 cover. She went on to become Miss July 2006 and has since been featured in numerous episodes of E!'s hit reality show The Girls Next Door. Sara is a senior business major at OSU's Corvallis campus, and graduated from Scappoose High School in 2002. Five other Playmates originate from Oregon, two of whom were also named Playmate of the Year: Jo Collins (Miss December 1964 & 1965 Playmate of the Year); Donna Smith (Miss March 1985); Monique Noel (Miss May 1989); Tawnni Cable (Miss June 1989); and Jodi Ann Paterson (Miss October 1999 & 2000 Playmate of the Year). Sara is the first ever Miss July to become Playmate of the Year. Now in its 48th year, the Playmate of the Year tradition has officially recognized Playmates from all months. Playboy named its first Playmate of the Year, Ellen Stratton, in 1960. DATASOURCE: Playboy Enterprises Inc. CONTACT: Rob Hilburger, +1-310-315-8360, , or Theresa Hennessey, +1-312-373-2444, , both of Playboy Web site: http://www.playboydigital.com/

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