Winners named in Miss Pennsylvania USA, Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA pageants in Richland
Aug. 1—Sydney Robertson of Williamsport was crowned Miss Pennsylvania USA 2021 and Yvonne Burke of Doylestown was crowned Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA 2021 Saturday evening at the Richland Performing Arts Center.
The two-day pageants were first held in Johnstown in 2019. There was no pageants last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nearly 80 young women and teens participated in the competitions. Both pageants featured interviews and evening gown competition. There was swimsuit competition for Miss Pennsylvania USA contestants and activewear competition for the Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA contestants.
Contestants were narrowed down to the top 16 on Friday. On Saturday the five finalists were selected.
Tristin Kresak, representing Cambria County, was one of the finalists for Miss Pennsylvania USA.
The other finalists were Billie LaRaé Owens, representing Phoenixville; Katherine Santiago, representing Lehigh County; and Jennifer Santiago, representing Northampton.
Johnstown's representative, Elony'a Veney, did not make the final five.
Finalists for Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA were Lauren Reehl, Collegeville; Alexandra Jones, Monongahela; Jackie Snyder, Sugarloaf, and Cayla Kumar, Scranton.
Pageants Executive Director Melissa Pitchford said the Richland High School venue was nearly filled for the competition.
"That would be families and supporters that came from all over the state and came to Johnstown for these pageants," she said.
Robertson will compete for Miss USA in November in Tulsa. The winner of that pageant will compete for Miss Universe, Pitchford said.
