MISS FLORIDA USA PRELIMINARY REPORTS

» West Coast Super Pageant - December 11, 2004

For the first time in Florida history eight titles were up for grabs in the first ever Miss Florida West Coast USA Super Pageant! Sarasota’s Bay Shore High School Performing Auditorium was the venue for the biggest night of pageantry ever seen in the region. Pageant Directors Marianne Oden and Katy Carson prepared quite the weekend of pageantry for the thirty-nine delegates competing for the titles.

First up was preliminary interview’s at Sarasota’s Bayshore High School the afternoon of the pageant. This is the first chance for the judges to meet the delegates and everyone was excited to get the day of pageantry started. It was clear this one going to be one competitive pageant!

Then Saturday evening began the final competitions for the titles. Starting with pageant director Marianne Oden who greeted the audience and opened the show with Co-Director Katy Carson as Emcee for the evening. The contestant introductions featured opening outfits in a sea of holiday red. After the opening number it was time to begin the pageant!

Soon followed the traditional pageant competitions. The first competition was in swimwear as the delegates competed in one or two piece suits of their own choosing. Then former Miss Florida America Katy Carson sang a rendition of “Black Velvet” that brought the house down. After that performance it was time for the regal evening gown competition.

Then the first surprise of the evening took place when the Top 10 became the top 12 because of several ties! The semifinalists in the Miss Teen USA Division were named first: Brooke Milner; Courtney Watson; Skylar Shinn; Karrisa Basch; Megan Polly; Myriaha Musgrave; Rachel Rossi; Sara Long; Stephanie Camp;

Tiffany Brijbag; Heather Mowry and Krystin Gearhart. Then it was time to announce the semifinalists in the Miss USA Division and ties led to a Top 11! Shilah Goodwin; April Gregory; Sheena Monnin; Genevieve Jann; Amy Cash; Megan Ortagus; Crystal Mulock; Alanna Giuliana; Ashley Avis; Nikki Desman and Chelsey Flack.

Then a semifinalist interview was in store for the delegates before the final vote. The delegates answered questions onstage as this was one last impression before the titleholders were chosen. Before the final announcement it was time to give the special awards to Miss Amity and Miss Photogenic in both categories. These ladies are now eligible for the state competition. Miss Amity awards were given to Karrisa Basch and Genevieve Jann while Miss Photogenic went once again to Karrisa Basch and Nikki Desman.

Then it was time to announce the results in The Florida West Coast Teen USA division:

4th runner-up Myriaha Musgrave
3rd runner-up Racheal Rossi
2nd runner-up Tiffany Brijbag
1st runner-up Karrisa Basch

Miss Ft. Myers Teen USA 2006 is Heather Mowry!
Miss West Coast Teen USA 2006 is Stephanie Camp!
Miss Sarasota Teen USA 2006 is Sara Long!
Miss Manatee County USA 2006 is Megan Polly!

Then it was time for the final results in The Miss Florida West Coast USA
4th runner-up April Gregory
3rd runner-up Nikki Desmond
2nd runner-up Alanna Giuliani
1st runner-up Krystal Mulock

Miss Ft. Myers USA 2006 is Ashley Avis!
Miss West Coast USA 2006 is Megan Ortagus!
Miss Manatee County USA 2006 is Sheena Monnin!
Miss Sarasota USA 2006 is Genevieve Jahn!

When the titles were all distributed it was clear that this one special evening of pageantry! Special congratulations go to directors Marianne Oden and Katy Carson who ran a great pageant. Good luck to all of our new titleholders and look forward to seeing them at state in Hollywood next year! Up next is a well deserved holiday break on The Road To Hollywood. See everybody once again this January 15^th at Miss Polk County USA. Until then happy holidays!

STATE PAGEANT ELIGIBILITY STATS

Miss Florida USA 2006

Delegates Entered: 12

Delegates Eligible: 45

Miss Florida Teen USA

Delegates Entered: 12

Delegates Eligible: 32

Every week more delegates become eligible to compete at state. The season started with qualifiers from the past year. All of each pageants top15 qualify along with Miss Amity & Miss Photogenic. Each preliminary pageant qualifies delegates as “at large” status with their finalist, amity, photogenic and peoples choice awards. Next Pageant January 15 – Miss Polk County USA & Miss Polk County Teen USA.

(FLORIDA USA QUALIFIERS)

Qualifiers from Miss West Coast USA

April Gregory
Nikki Desmond
Alanna Giuliani
Krystal Mulock

Eligible At Large Delegates - 44

(FLORIDA TEEN USA QUALIFIERS)

Qualifiers from Miss West Coast Teen USA

Myriaha Musgrave
Racheal Rossi
Tiffany Brijbag*
Karrisa Basch

Eligible At Large Delegates - 32

THE ROAD TO MISS USA UPDATE:

Regality Check

Bangor Daily News

There's royalty in the house!" someone called out earlier this week when Erica Comeau showed up in the newsroom wearing a tiara. The 19-year-old Brewer native had just arrived from Portland where, on Sunday, she won the title of Miss Maine USA 2005. She stopped by to show off her crown and her sash and to talk about her victory. She has wanted to be a beauty pageant queen her whole life, but she started training only a year ago for last weekend's competition. At 19, Comeau is one of the youngest women to win the title, and she's the first winner from Brewer since the pageant's founding in 1952. She competed against 18 other Maine women in bathing suit, evening gown and interview segments. When it came down to the last two contenders, she and the other finalist shakily held hands and stared into each other's eyes. Then came the tears, the crown, the hugs with Mom.

Now, Comeau said, she'll promote the Miss USA platforms of breast and uterine cancer research. And the 2003 Brewer High School graduate will travel around the state encouraging other young girls to follow their beauty queen dreams. She also may encourage them to do sports. Comeau holds the school record for the high jump: 5 feet, 2 inches. A waitress at Ground Round and manager at Abercrombie & Fitch in Bangor, Comeau has completed one year of business school and eventually will resume studies in broadcast journalism. But there's another event in April she hopes to score big on before that: The Miss USA Pageant.

Below are excerpts from her visit at the NEWS. Before leaving, however, she bumped into more royalty: 1961 Miss Maine Potato Blossom Queen Sandra Kennedy, who works in the advertising department. "It's a pleasure to meet you," said Comeau, flashing her winning smile and offering a regal handshake.

BDN: So, you won?

Comeau: Yes. It was worth every piece of lettuce I ate.

BDN: Some women start preparing for a beauty contest when they are little girls. You did it in a year. How did you prepare?

Comeau: I went to the gym twice a day. And I have a trainer in Cincinnati whose name is Rocko. He helped me a lot. I was already in decent shape, but seeing as this was my first contest, I wanted to be as close to perfection as I could get.

BDN: Was it hard to eat salad every day?

Comeau: At first, yes, because I have a huge sweet tooth.

BDN: Why did you do this at this point in your life?

Comeau: I wanted to go for the Miss just to see what would happen. I knew it would be a wonderful experience but I also wanted to win. I'm a very determined girl. I proved you don't have to be in pageants your whole life to win. You just have to want it.

BDN: Do you want to stay in Maine?

Comeau: I love being from Maine. It's a beautiful state. We have lots of hills and mountains and trees. We're known as Vacationland, and that's cool. I'm going to stay in Maine as long as I can, and then hopefully go to New York.

BDN: Every contender has to submit a question for the other competitors for Miss Maine. What was yours?

Comeau: "Do you need the crown or does the crown need you?" I wasn't trying to stump anyone, but I wanted to know why a person wanted the crown.

BDN: What question did you get? And how did you answer it?

Comeau: "What is courage?" I told the judges that courage comes from within, and that each one of us standing up here shows courage. Getting into a bathing suit in November and standing in front of everyone is courageous.

BDN: How relevant is beauty in your life?

Comeau: Very. I believe that beauty comes with confidence. Confidence on the inside makes beauty.

BDN: What are your responsibilities as Miss Maine?

Comeau: I'm a role model.

BDN: Beauty pageants have, for some women, been controversial. Are they for you?

Comeau: Some people think it's degrading. But I can't even express to you the confidence level I had to attain to get up there in a bathing suit. I found myself as an individual. I've always been a leader but now I have a purpose!