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Hilary Carol Cruz from
Louisville, Colo. smiles after being crowned Miss
Teen USA 2007. The awards ceremony took place at the
Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calif.
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PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — An 18-year-old
Colorado woman who aspires to become an entertainment journalist was
crowned Miss Teen USA 2007 during a Friday night ceremony carried live
on NBC.
Miss Teen Colorado Hilary
Carol Cruz received her crown from outgoing Miss Teen USA Katie Blair at the
conclusion of the two-hour competition at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
Blair's reign was marked by
controversy last year when Mothers Against Drunk Driving announced it was
severing its ties with the Miss Teen USA organization after news reports
surfaced that the 18-year-old Billings, Mont., woman had been seen partying
in New York City nightclubs with Miss USA Tara Conner.
Donald Trump, owner of the
Miss Universe Organization that controls the Miss Teen USA and Miss USA
pageants, allowed Conner to keep her crown after she was seen drinking in
New York City bars when she was 20. Trump said at the time that Conner, a
small-town girl, had been overwhelmed by New York City nightlife and
deserved a second chance.
At Friday night's pageant
contestants competed in swimsuit, evening gown and interview categories.
Cruz said that in five years
she hopes to have earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and landed
a job with a TV entertainment news program.
Judges for the pageant
included Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks, actress Melissa Joan Hart,
Miss Teen USA 2004 Shelley Hennig, actor Joey Lawrence and professional
skateboarder Ryan Sheckler.
First runner-up in the
competition was Miss New Jersey Teen USA Alyssa Campanella. The rest of the
top five, in order, were Miss North Carolina Teen USA Kaitlin Coble, Miss
South Carolina Teen USA Lauren Caitlin Upton and Miss West Virginia Teen USA
Chelsea Welch.
Miss Maryland Teen USA Allison
Farrow captured the photogenic award and Miss Mississippi Teen USA Anne
Elise Parks won the congeniality award.
