Sadra will represent Clarendon

Jermaine Francis, Gleaner Writer

On Sunday evening in front of a large audience at the Versalles Hotel in May Pen, Sadra Sutherland was crowned Miss Clarendon Festival Queen 2011.

Sutherland, who demonstrated poise and confidence from the beginning of the show, managed to beat nine other contestants to capture the title.

"I feel blessed and highly favoured to know that I was chosen to represent my parish because all the contestants were truly beautiful and talented, and I'm heading into the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen competition with poise and grace and with the spirit that I hope will be good enough to bring the title to the parish of Clarendon," said a beaming Sutherland after she was crowned.

The pageant got off to an early start began with the contestants introducing themselves and telling the audience about their respective sponsors.

talent section

The show then quickly progressed to the talent section and most of the contestants did not disappoint.

However, the most entertaining performances of the evening were Alicia Aikens' comedic piece titled 'Mi a go dig it up', which she delivered with confidence; and Sutherland's performance of a song she wrote and composed, titled I Love Me. Sutherland showed her skills as not just a talented song-writer but also as a gifted singer, and eventually took the prize for Best Performance, much to the crowd's approval.

After the performances, it was time for the contestants to parade in their formal wear and then the top five were announced.

The top-five contestants were Shaneen Hosey, Miss Body Essentials Day Spa, 20; Nickesha Clarke, Miss May Pen Ice Company Ltd., 24; Alicia Aikens, Miss Parts-A-Lot Ltd., 25; Sheniel Fearon, Miss Merl's Magic Mirror, 19; and Sadra Sutherland, Miss National Self-Serve Wholesale, 25.

finalists

The five ladies all demonstrated that they had the mettle to represent the parish of Clarendon at the national finals of the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen competition, but in the end Shaneen Hosey, a student of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts, was named second runner-up, Alicia Aikens, a public relations officer, was crowned first runner-up, and the eventual winner was final-year student at the University of the West Indies, Sadra Sutherland.

The winner of the sectional prizes were Sutherland - Best Performance and Most Culturally Aware, Fearon - Most Congenial, Nickesha Clarke - Most Cooperative, and Alicia Aikens - Most Poised and for the Planning Institute of Jamaica award for the performance that best represent the Vision 2030 theme.