LIHU‘E — Topaz Fernandez was crowned 2011 Miss Kaua‘i Filipina before a large vocal fan base Saturday night at the War Memorial Convention Hall. Fernandez, who just graduated from Kaua‘i High School where she was a leader of the school’s
LIHU‘E — Topaz Fernandez was crowned 2011 Miss Kaua‘i Filipina before a large vocal fan base Saturday night at the War Memorial Convention Hall.
Fernandez, who just graduated from Kaua‘i High School where she was a leader of the school’s cheer squad, garnered special awards in Terno, Speech and Interview en route to her crown.
With the new title, Fernandez, the daughter of Reynard Fernandez and Patricia Wong, advances to the state Miss Hawai‘i Filipina contest next month on O‘ahu.
Nicholette Levinthol, who recently graduated from Kapa‘a High School, was awarded the First Runner Up crown. As such, she would fill the position of Miss Kaua‘i Filipina in the event Fernandez is crowned Miss Hawai‘i Filipina at the state pageant. The daughter of Nicholas Levinthol and Loida Bombay, she did a strong aparima Tahitian dance combining interpretive hula about the drums of the island to win the Best in Talent award en route to her overall standing.
Mary Lindsey captured Best in Swimsuit and was voted the Most Congenial by the eight contestants of this year’s pageant en route to being named the Second Runner Up, garnering the third highest points in the overall competition.
The contest played out before more than 600 guests, many vocally supporting their favorite contestant.
Kiersten Beltrame of Anahola earned the Most Photogenic award en route to filling in the Third Runner Up spot.
Raevyn Simone Ibia of Lihu‘e earned the Spirit Award for the most tickets sold and Sherilyn Melchor won the Spirit Award for the most ads sold for the program booklet.
Tahmineh Venzon, performing a Filipino song she likes to sing and has been singing for years, rounded out the field of the 53rd Annual Miss Kaua‘i Filipina Scholarship Pageant.
Liza Trinidad, president of the Kaua‘i Filipino Community Council, host of the annual event, noted that at 53 years, the scholarship pageant is one of the longest-running events in the state, and as a demonstration of its benefits to the community, called on 10 scholarship recipients spanning all of Kaua‘i’s public high schools to the stage.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
