2011 Miss Poway and Miss Teen Poway Named

It was a night of gowns, heels, sashes and tiaras at Saturday evening’s 2011 Miss Poway and Miss Teen Poway Scholarship Pageant at the .

After rounds of questions and numerous walks across the stage, Alyssa Soto was crowned Miss Poway and was crowned Miss Teen Poway.

Soto is a freshman at Palomar College and Jackie Foster is freshman at Poway High School. Jackie Foster will fill her older sister's shoes as , a Poway High School junior, was last year’s Miss Teen Poway.

“We are all so proud of you, honestly,” said Poway City Councilman and the evening's Master of Ceremonies, Jim Cunningham, to all of the contestants. “I’m just bursting with pride here, and I’m not even your father.”

In addition to the Miss Poway and Miss Teen Poway titles, Soto and Jackie Foster won the Miss Photogenic and Miss Teen Photogenic awards.

There were eight Miss Poway contestants and nine Miss Teen Poway contestants. Third runner-up Ginna Tornambe, second runner-up Emma Castor and first runner-up Kayla Snyder were selected to the 2011 Miss Poway Court. Third runner-up Vandana Bhairi, second runner-up Jillian Kernus and first runner-up Ayla Cottrell were selected to the 2011 Miss Teen Poway Court.

Cottrell and Katherine Fernandez were named Miss Teen Congeniality and Miss Congeniality.

Spirit of the Queen awards were given to the contestants who raised the most advertisement sponsorship funds. Miss Teen Poway contestant Kristen Reynolds and Miss Poway contestant Fernandez received the Spirit of the Queen awards.

The pageant opened with Rancho Bernardo High School senior Kristi Krause, who was an American Idol contestant this season, singing the national anthem.

Westview High School Bayanihan Club members then pumped up the crowd by jumping down the aisles and waving glow sticks to Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Let's Groove” in the dark theater.

After the curtain was raised, contestants performed a disco-esque routine to the song, also using glow sticks. Attendees joined in, too, with glow sticks that were provided.

After a hip-hop dance routine by the Bayanihan Club, contestants walked on stage in skirt or pant suits for the “in the spotlight” competition. Cunningham asked each contestant a question related to their biography.

He asked Soto to explain "emergency medicine," which she listed as her passion in her biography.

She explained emergency medicine as “a medical specialty in which physicians care for patients with acute illnesses or require immediate medical attention.”

“I’m very interested in the medical field because I really enjoy helping other people and would like to positively impact someone else’s life,” Soto said.

She added that she plans to pursue a career in medicine and become a doctor in the U.S. Navy.

Cunningham asked Jackie Foster why she loves singing and acting.

“What I love most about singing is I love making people smile when I have the opportunity to perform for them,” she said. “What I love most about acting is it gives me the chance to view life through someone else’s eyes.”

Jackie Foster said her most memorable acting experience was when she played Eponine in the musical Les Miserables.

Next, the contestants showed off their evening gowns in the second competition of the 49th annual pageant.

With her hair pinned up, Jackie Foster wore a light green sparkly dress with straps. Soto, who had her hair down, wore a bright blue strapless dress that also sparkled.

After a 20-minute intermission, contestants were asked impromptu questions, which they drew randomly.

Jackie Foster was asked to explain the nicest thing her mother does for her.

“(She) encourages me through everything that I do. With my performing, she’s always there for me, every step of the way,” she said, which drew a collective “aww” from the crowd. “Thank you, mom. I love you.”

Soto was asked what she would do if she had one "free day."

“If I had one free day to do whatever I’d want, I’d like to sleep in one morning for the first time,” said Soto, which made audience members laugh.

She added that she would also like to spend the day with her brother playing baseball and basketball, catch up on Lakers games and relax with her family.

Before the winners were announced, last year’s titleholders gave farewell speeches and took a final walk across the stage.

Miss Poway 2010 Whitney Dahlgren and Miss Teen Poway 2010 Nicole Foster were escorted to the stage by their parents.

Cunningham presented Nicole Foster and Dahlgren with Certificates of Appreciation from the City Council, and Pageant Director Sharon Gruber gave them memory books.

Krause then took the stage a second time and sang Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb” as all the contestants walked down the aisles onto the stage.

In addition to their sashes and tiaras, as Miss Poway 2011 and Miss Teen Poway 2011, Soto and Jackie Foster receive scholarships and various other prizes. During their reign, they will act as ambassadors for the city and attend a variety of community events.

“They’re amazing young women and they inspire me all the time,” Gruber said about all the contestants and former titleholders.