PUHI — Jasmine Ornellas, one of the audience favorites, was crowned Miss Kauai 2006 before one of the larger audiences for the scholarship pageant, at the Kaua’i Community College Performing Arts Center. Ornellas, who presented a contemporary adaptation of an
PUHI — Jasmine Ornellas, one of the audience favorites, was crowned Miss Kauai 2006 before one of the larger audiences for the scholarship pageant, at the Kaua’i Community College Performing Arts Center.
Ornellas, who presented a contemporary adaptation of an ‘auana hula, “Sophisticated Hula,” for her talent presentation, kept wowing the audience throughout the night, as mini placards danced wildly whenever she made her stage appearances.
Enroute to being crowned Miss Kauai 2006, Ornellas garnered the Spirit Award for her sales of ads in the program booklet, as well as for ticket sales.
Competition in the talent was keen, and Angela Everhart followed Ornellas with another contemporary adaptation of a Tahitian ahuroa number, as she presented “the real story of ‘Mutiny on the Bounty.'”
That presentation earned her the talent award, which counted for 35 percent of her total score towards the eventual crown of Miss Garden Isle 2006.
Everhart also took the swimsuit phase, as her stage appearances were also filled with shouts of approval, those shouts turning to “Angela, I love you!” as she was crowned Miss Garden Isle.
Both winners received a total of $12,292 worth of scholarships and tuition waivers for attendance at Hawaii Pacific University on O’ahu.
Rachael Lahela Gonzales, who grew up on —an inter-island fishing boat, according to the presentation by host J Robertson, was crowned the first runner-up, and the recipient of $9,784 worth of HPU scholarships and tuition waivers.
Gonzales will fill in for either Miss Kauai, or Miss Garden Isle, should they be crowned Miss Hawaii, or if for any reason either of them cannot serve their year’s worth of duties in their official capacities.
Malina Leiahi Pereza, an intern with Lihu’e attorney Warren C.R. Perry and the daughter of Tommy and Caroline Pereza, was named the second runner-up.
Ashley Igaya, a student at Kaua’i High School, was voted the most congenial.
Although there were people who came to the scholarship pageant to view the younger dancers of the Excel Dance Studio led by Sherrie Holcomb, a former title-holder, in the end, there was support for the contestants and eventual queens who will represent Kaua’i at the Miss Hawai’i Scholarship Pageant later this year.
Excel Dancers provided appropriate chapter presentations between the different phases of the competition, and, in some cases, were part of the introductory pieces that led to presentation of the contestants.
Additionally, the scholarship pageant was enhanced by special performances by outgoing Miss Kauai Lilinoi Grace, and outgoing Miss Garden Isle Cindy Jackson.
Malika Dudley, Miss Hawai’i 2005, helped with the coronation of the two newest Kaua’i beauty queens, and also entertained the audience with a special performance early in the pageant.
Everything was laced together by pageant host J Robertson.
New to this year’s competition was the addition of a casual wear phase which was interwoven into the opening number.
This phase allowed the contestants to dress in wear that would best display their personalities.
Ornellas is the daughter of Gabriel and Lehua J. Ornellas, and aspires to obtain a doctorate degree in education.
Everhart is the daughter of Thomas and Rachelle LeMasters, and aspires to obtain a doctorate degree in education psychology as well as a master’s degree in business administration.
Other contestants in the field included Raelen Self, Kalai Sina Kamuaoha and Hannah Montgomery.
