Mayra Avila, 25, of Yonkers was crowned Miss Westchester 2014, Scarsdale's Stephanie Bavolar, 16, is the new Miss Westchester Teen 2014, Brittany Drahos, 22, of Queensbury, N.Y. was crowned Miss Hudson Valley 2014 and Kayla Lonergan, 17, of Yorktown Heights took the title of Miss Hudson Valley Teen 2014.
The four pageant winners will represent Westchester County and the Hudson Valley region at the Miss New York USA and Miss New York Teen USA Pageants at Purchase College Performing Arts Center in January.
The panel of judges from the worlds of entertainment, beauty, fashion, journalism and philanthropy evaluated the contestants ages 14-26 in the categories of interview, swimsuit, evening gown and on stage question.
This year’s group of judges included Jesus Estrada, a designer and past contestant on Project Runway; Marina Bonci, a public relations/talk show host for skincare; Sharon Mosley, an award-winning cable TV talk show host and producer; attorney Christopher Gulotta; Jillian Hassett, a director of a print and commercial modeling agency in New York City.
The award winners were: Congeniality, Jordan Decker, 16, Pleasantville; Photogenic, Kayla Lonergan; Style, Kiersten Ahle, 16, New City; Spirit, Domenica DiSapia, 23, New Rochelle; Service, Crystal Scott, 21, Yonkers; People’s Choice, Jordan Decker.
The winners of the Photogenic and Style Awards were judged by members of the media: Danny LoPriore, the Daily Voice; Jennifer Walford, Found in Yonkers; Jovan C. Richards, WVOX Radio.
The awards were presented by Dr. Dominic P. Artuso, of New Image Laser & Med Spa. The People’s Choice Award was presented by Mary Grace Henry, founder of Reverse The Course Foundation, the beneficiary of a fund-raiser by the pageant contestants.
For more information on the pageants, visit the Westchester Pageants website.
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