Miss Jamaica World 2009, Kerrie Baylis, is flanked by first runner-up Keri-Ann Bridgewater (left) and second runner-up Stephanie Hazle at the grand coronation show, held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston, last Saturday night. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
Twenty-year-old Kerrie Baylis on Saturday walked away with lucrative prizes and the mandate to represent Jamaica at the Miss World competition in South Africa later this year.
After making several appearances, with fellow contestants, the 5 feet 10 inches beauty was awarded the title, Miss Jamaica World (MJW) 2009 at the grand coronation show, last Saturday at The Jamaica Pegasus.
"I did not expect it," a super excited Baylis told The Gleaner after the show. "May be my answer to the question put me over the top," she added.
Perhaps she is correct. The contestants were all judged on beauty of face, figure, charm, personality and ability to converse. And while all 18 fulfilled the first two criteria, it was in the chit-chat segment where the top-10 contestants (chosen through MJW Fast Track competitions and selection on coronation night), conversed with one of the hosts of the show, Paula-Anne Porter-Jones, that the unveiling of the winner began.
At the end of the chit-chat, the five remained smiling were the crowd favourites Keri-Ann Bridgewater, Stephanie Hazle, Kamila McDonald, Calee Scharschmidt along with Kerrie Baylis.
But, it was Baylis who had the full house cheering with her response to judge Imani Duncan's (another former MJW Queen) question: If she had the power, how would she solve the Jamaican economic crisis? Confidently, she replied in part, she would "cut down on agricultural import".
Final results
Bridgewater, Hazle and Scharschmidt also gave creditable responses to questions from other former MJW Queens Laurel Williams-Demercado, Desiree DePass-Pullen and Terri-Karelle Reid. But in the end, their answers were not good enough to give them the crown. And when the final results were announced, Hazle was placed third and Bridgewater second.
Bridgewater also received The Gleaner-sponsored sectional prize for the Most Aware contestant, while Kimberly Patterson was adjudged the Most Congenial by her fellow contestants. Christina Benjamin won the 'Beauty with a Purpose award' for her One Love Charity project. The show's theme was 'Beauty With a Purpose'.
Mixed views
Earlier, the show got off to a spirited start with a dance from the Stella Maris Dance Ensemble. And the contestants made four appearances before the top 10 were announced.
Along with the Stella Maris Dance Ensemble, entertainment for the show was provided by D'Angel, I-Octane, Hezron and an upcoming vocalist named Denyque.
And so it was not surprising that when the spectacular Miss Jamaica World 2009 grand coronation show concluded, the audience had mixed views on the results.
Sports analyst Toni-Ann Doyley and student Natalee Jones agreed with the judges' decisions. However, Stephen Gabbadon believed that the more charismatic Bridgewater should have won.
Joining Porter-Jones as host for the evening was former MJW winner Yendi Phillipps.
Chief judge was Tommy James. Other former beauty queens Alison Cross, Sara Lawrence and Tonya Toyloy-Williams, along with Clive Williams, completed the list of judges.