The 104th annual Trailblazer Queen pageant was held April 7 in the Dolores Doré Eccles Fine Arts Center. Students, faculty, staff and community filled the sold-out auditorium to cheer on the contestants.
The crowned winner of the night, along with a $1,000 scholarship, was Ashley Weber, a junior marketing major from Layton.
The following contestants placed:
- First attendant: Maya Christopherson
- Second attendant: Eden Rasband
- Third attendant: Hayden Murray
- Fourth attendant: Sammie Bartholomew
- Miss Congeniality: Emerson Anderson
When asked what Weber plans to do with her year, she had no hesitation in stating she wants to create an inclusive environment.
“I hope to represent it [Trailblazer Queen] well by being inclusive and showing students that Utah Tech is one of the best places on the planet,” Weber said.
Weber plans on showing up to student events, clubs and being involved as much as she can.
The event was emcee’d by Nui Afulao — a senior exercise science major from St. George and UT Student Ambassador president — along with former Trailblazer Queen, Bella Estes.
“It was super special to see all the work behind the scenes with the production crew, student life and how much work all the contestants put in,” Afulao said.
The judges of the event were:
- Angela Smeed, wife of university president Shane Smeed
- Jonathan Morell, retired Utah Tech professor
- Abbie Sherzinger, Utah Tech alumna
- Cory O’Bray, Utah Tech alumnus
- Shareen Garber, mother of Shane Smeed
In between the different segments, judges were asked what they were looking for throughout the night. Judges gave answers like confidence on stage, community involvement and engagement.
Some aspects of the event were changed compared to recent years. One notable change was the onstage question portion. Instead of picking a random question from a bowl, the on-stage question was created by the judges based on the contestant’s interview from before the pageant.
Another notable change was the price of the event. This year, students got in for free, and community members paid $5.
As the night progressed, the crowd grew louder as each contestant graced the stage with an opening number, talent, evening wear and on-stage questions.
The talent portion of the event showcased the contestants and what they brought to the competition. From dancing, singing, poems and salsa making, the talent portion brought variety and engagement from the audience.
“It feels so amazing, this is the last pageant I’m really going to be able to do, and it was so fun to compete and realize this was such an amazing experience,” Bartholomew, a senior elementary education major from Ogden, said.
Before announcing the results at the end of the event, Estes reflected on her year as reigning Trailblazer Queen. She thanked the Utah Tech Student Association, alumni and the community for inviting her to events and keeping the tradition of Trailblazer Queen alive.
“It was so awesome to come back to campus as a recent graduate and be part of the Trailblazer Queen competition,” Estes said. “I am so excited to see what Ashley and all of her queens get to do.”
To stay up to date with Weber and the other queens, the Trailblazer Queen Instagram will be updated regularly.
