Miss New Mexico, teen winners crowned

PORTALES — Tears were flowing Saturday afternoon as Miss Las Cruces Taylor Rey, 22, was crowned 2017 Miss New Mexico.

Rio Grande's Outstanding Teen Sienna Mascarenas, 16, of Albuquerque, was crowned the 2017 Miss New Mexico's Outstanding Teen.

"I am absolutely ecstatic," said Rey. "I never actually thought this would happen."

Rey had competed three times previously, twice for Miss New Mexico and once for Miss New Mexico Outstanding Teen. Previous to the win, however, she took two years off to finish college.

"I really wanted to be able to concentrate and do the job," said Rey, who graduated from Oklahoma City University with a bachelor's in musical theater.

Rey and Mascarenas's talents were both musically oriented: the teen danced while the Miss sang and performed.

"I'm super excited. I've worked really hard for this, and I'm glad it paid off," Mascarenas said following the pageant. As she awaited the announcement with her peers, she mostly just felt nerves, but she had felt good about herself and her performances throughout.

Other competitors expressed congratulations to the winners.

"I wish Taylor the best of luck," said Miss Sacramento Mountains Brandi Blair, the second runner-up in the Miss competition.

This was Blair's sixth and final competition year.

Miss Albuquerque Amelia Linde, third runner-up, said she is feeling great following the announcement and could not be happier for Taylor. She said she has big plans for the upcoming years.

"I am following a career in media relations and marrying my man," said Linde, who will be marrying her fiancé in one year and just finished a master's at the University of New Mexico.

Duke City's Miss Outstanding Teen Margeaux Greene, 17, of Sandia Park, won first runner-up for the Miss New Mexico Outstanding Teen title .

"I feel amazing," said Greene, who started competing in pageants when she was 14 and has competed in Miss New Mexico twice but has never won any placement at the state pageant. She said she previously won New Mexico's Miss Teen USA.

"Being able to come back and be first runner-up is an amazing feeling, because it's a goal that I've completed now," Greene said. "This is a huge accomplishment."

"Just going out into my community and promoting my platform" is what Mascarenas looks forward to with the being the outstanding teen, she said, adding that her platform is promoting women in STEM careers (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

"I enjoy math a lot and only 24 percent of women actually pursue a career in STEM, so I would like to encourage more to," she said, adding that she wants to be a veterinarian.

Rey said her whole future is concentrated on going to Miss America.

"I'm going to make the state very proud," she said.

The following were awards given at the end of the teen pageant finals:

• Teen in Action: Picacho Hill's Outstanding Teen Abrianna Morales, 15, of Las Cruces

• Scholastic Award: Picacho Hill's Outstanding Teen Abrianna Morales, 15, of Las Cruces

• Miss Congeniality (chosen by fellow contestants): Enchanted Forest's Outstanding Teen Emille Enriquez, 16, of Alamogordo

The following are the awards given out at the Miss competition:

Miss

• Swimsuit: Miss Las Cruces Taylor Rey, 22, of Las Cruces

• Talent: Miss Capital City Ashley Fresquez, 22, of Albuquerque (contemporary dance), and Miss Sacramento Mountains Brandi Blair, 23, Alamogordo (classical vocal performance)

Teen

• Lifestyle and fitness: Santa Teresa's Outstanding Teen Camila Mosier, 17, of El Paso, Texas

• Talent: Rio Grande's Outstanding Teen Sienna Mascarenas, 16, of Albuquerque, for a jazz dance performance to "Breath of Life."

• Miss Congeniality: Miss Black Eastern New Mexico Phoebe Green, 19, of Lubbock

• Miss Miracle Maker: Miss Capital City Ashley Fresquez, 22, of Albuquerque