Miss Las Cruces wins pageant crown

PORTALESS — Tears were flowing Saturday night 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 Miss New Mexico's Outstanding Teen.

"I am absolutely ecstatic," Rey said. "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 degree in musical theater.

During preliminaries, Rey won the talent award for singing an animated version of "Art is Calling for Me" and she won the swimsuit competition.

Mascarenas danced her way to success.

"I'm super excited. I've worked really hard for this, and I'm glad it paid off," Mascarenas. As she awaited the announcement with her peers, she said 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 Rey. 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 degree at the University of New Mexico.

Duke City's Miss Outstanding Teen Margeaux Greene, 17, of Sandia Park, was 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 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.