More MISS UNIVERSE Swimsuit Photos

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com

 

Miss Universe Contestants showcase their enviable bodies in the world-famous swimwear show in Miami

By BIANCA LONDON FOR MAILONLINE

Aside from the glittering dresses and charitable pledges, the swimwear round of Miss Universe is one of the most famous and anticipated. And the glossy-haired contestants, who have been working hard in the gym, didn't disappoint as they showcased their toned figures in Miami on Wednesday.

Nearly 90 of the world’s most beautiful women descended on Miami on the Trump National Doral hotel to participate in the Yamamay Swimsuit Runway Show and splashed around in the pool while showcasing their favourite bikinis.

Miss USA Nia Sanchez Is Engaged

BY KELLI BENDER

This is a winning year for Nia Sanchez. The 24-year-old was crowned Miss USA in June and now, she is newly engaged. On Saturday night, 21 & Overactor Daniel Booko, 30, proposed to Sanchez on a private terrace in New York City, Rumor Fi reports.

The couple first met a year and a half ago at an engagement party but didn't start dating until three months later, when Booko saw Sanchez again at church.Booko told Rumor Fix that from the first moment he met his now fiancée, he thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
For the proposal, Booko secretly flew out to New York City, where Sanchez is currently living, and rented out the Suite Royale at the NoMad Hotel, which comes complete with a 700-square-foot terrace. The actor decorated this outdoor space with flowers and candles before inviting Sanchez over for the big surprise."She's thinking she's going to an event with friends … [and] I will be there looking all dapper in a suit decorated with candles and flowers and the whole thing and have her come over – just her and I to have an intimate moment – then get down on one knee and propose, then pop champagne and celebrate," he said.

Booko proposed to Sanchez, who happily said "yes," with a platinum, two-carat diamond ring. Booko also had a red, white and blue stone added inside the band to commemorate Sanchez's Miss USA title.

Donald Trump Completes the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge With the Help of Miss Universe and Miss USA

You know Donald Trump isn't one to back down from a challenge. The business mogul is the latest celeb to take part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and did so with the help of the beautiful Miss Universe and Miss USA on top of one of his famous towers.

"I've been called out by everybody for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge—Homer Simpson, Mike Tyson, Vince McMahon—like everybody is going crazy over this thing," Trump says in the video. "I guess they wanna see if whether or not this is my real hair. Which it is. So here's what I'm gonna do…Miss Universe and Miss USA, I own it, so they're here and they're really gonna do a number on me. I'm challenging President Obama, my son Donald, my son Eric. Let's go ladies."

And that's when two huge buckets of ice (Trump) water gets dumped on Donald's head. And guess what? His hair stayed on his head. Apparently, the 68-year-old didn't get the memo on Barack Obama and the challenge. After being called out by Ethel Kennedy, the oldest living member of the famous political family, the President of the United States opted to pass on getting soaked for the #IceBucketChallenge.

"The President appreciates Mrs. Kennedy thinking of him for the challenge," the White House said in a statement. "The President will be making a donation to an ALS charity this week."

Miss USA Shares Her Go-To Looks

BY: MAE RICE

It’s been two months since Nia Sanchez was crowned Miss USA for 2014, and she’s cheerfully adjusting to her reigning responsibilities. All the parties, charity projects, and meet ‘n’ greets mean that having the title is a full-time job, “but I’m loving every second,” she says. Luckily, she’s also great at dressing for the occasion, whether it’s the swimsuit portion of a national pageant or tae kwon do practice, where, she says, “I try to look as not-fly as possible.” When we got her on the phone, we asked her about her favorite looks for three scenarios she encounters a lot: a night out, a long flight, and a charity appearance.

For a Night Out
Go-to outfit: “Sparkly shorts and a cute blouse, or a romper that looks a little dressy with maybe a gold belt… and then I’ll throw some pumps on.” Her clothes are probably from Zara or Double Zero, the clothing company that sponsored her Miss USA outfits. Go-to beauty product: Fake eyelashes from Flutter Lashes (or Walgreens). “When I apply them, I always use the black glue, so the white stuff isn’t smudged all over your eyes if you mess up.” Nia says that the eyelashes are great for nighttime photo ops, where the flash might otherwise wash out your face. Go-to spot in Las Vegas, Nia’s home city: Brooklyn Bowl, a new venue with two floors of bowling, plus concerts and a restaurant. “It’s huge! You get a variety.”

For a Long Flight
Go-to outfit: “I don’t like skirts and dresses; you can’t get comfortable on the plane in those.” Nia prefers leggings and a chunky wraparound sweater from Double Zero, especially when she’s headed somewhere chilly. Go-to beauty product: Face lotion from Image Skincare. “When I travel, my skin gets really dry, especially [when I’m] going between different climates.” Go-to carry-on item: “A thin but big blanket. I like to fall asleep on a plane. I’m the type of person who can pull my knees up to my chest, put my arms on top of my knees, and just pass out like that.”

For a Charity Appearance
Go-to outfit: Something simple, such as jeans, a blue T-shirt (“blue is one of my favorite colors to wear”), and sneakers. Nia’s especially into wedge sneakers right now. Go-to beauty products: Similarly simple—brown eyeliner, mascara, and a little lip gloss. “Some neutral tones,” she says. “You don’t want to look like a clown when you’re up close, face-to-face with little children.” One of her go-to charities: Project Sunshine. Working with them, she visits hospitalized children and tries to brighten their day with fun projects, such as making maracas and other musical instruments.

Miss USA 2014 to host benefit for The Shade Tree

By Dyuce Woodson

Newly crowed Miss USA Nia Sanchez will host National Lollipop Day benefiting The Shade Tree at Sugar Factory Town Square. The event will be held on Sunday, July 20.

Nevada's first ever beauty queen to win the Miss USA crown will sign autographs and take pictures with fans from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This event is part of Sanchez's official Las Vegas homecoming celebration. Miss Nevada Teen USA 2014 Alexa Taylor will also make an appearance in support of Sanchez.

Sugar Factory will donate 50 percent of all Couture Pops sold both in-store and online on National Lollipop Day to The Shade Tree Las Vegas. Sanchez, who once lived in a woman's shelter with her mother is an advocate for the organization. Sugar Factory signature Couture Pops are priced at $25 each and are endorsed by stars such as Drake, Katy Perry and Sting.

Miss USA 2014 Nia Sanchez on LIVE with Kelly and Michael

Nia Sanchez's First 48 Hours as Miss USA 2014

Miss USA 2010 says Miss USA 1995 is behind Miss USA 2014's carpetbagging problems

By Hollie McKay

LOS ANGELES – Miss USA 2010 says Miss USA 1995 is behind Miss USA 2014's carpetbagging problems. Let us explain.

Miss USA 2010, Rima Fakih, has come to the defense of Miss USA 2014, Nia Sanchez, who was accused of carpetbagging to win the Miss Nevada pageant. Fakih says the director of the Miss Nevada pageant, Shanna Moakler, who was Miss USA in 1995, is the one who should be getting called out. “Many of the girls that you see competing for state titles have moved around. My problem is the people who are organizing the pageant. Did they pick her? Are they the ones who just want to win the title? Maybe it is not Miss USA’s fault,” Fakih told FOX411 in a video interview. “Maybe it is the person who chose her to come and compete for the state.” “Shanna should be the hot seat,” Fakih added. “We should ask her why she is picking girls to compete for her pageant.”

Shanna Moakler took over the Nevada pageant in 2011 after co-directing the Miss California pageant for years. Moakler has remained tight-lipped on the controversy, and repeated requests to her reps and the Miss Nevada office for comment have not been returned. But according to a pageant insider, Moakler has had her eye on Sanchez since she first competed for Miss California years ago. “Shanna often talked about how beautiful Nia was while she was competing in California,” said the source. A look at this year’s Miss Nevada contestants shows that several other former California competitors – Mary Kate Fitzpatrick, Cierra Jackson, Susan Ramanishin and Brittany McGowan – also competed alongside Sanchez for Miss Nevada 2014. Norm Clarke wrote in the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the day after the pageant at Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall at UNLV, he received an email from a disgruntled pageant follower that “California license plates out-numbered Nevada’s in the parking lot” and that “the ‘hoppers’ have taken over.”

Sanchez has denied allegations of carpetbagging, telling FOX411 she lived in Nevada for almost 18 months before scooping the state title. Later, however, she failed to name the capital of Nevada – Carson City -- in a radio interview. 

Diana Falzone contributed to this report.

Miss USA 2014: Miss Nevada Nia Sanchez Wins -- How'd She Do During the Interview?

BY JUSTIN RAVITZ

It would be wise not to get on the bad side of Miss USA 2014: She holds a fourth degree back belt in taekwondo! At the 63rd annual Miss USA pageant—broadcast live on Sunday, June 9 from the Baton Rouge Civic Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana—Miss Nevada Nia Sanchez walked away with the coveted crown.

The pretty martial artist, 24, defeated 50 other beauty queens to win this year's pageant following swimsuit, evening gown and interview portions. and explained that she took up taekwondo as a means to defend herself and bolster her confidence after spending time as a young girl in a women's shelter with her mom. Today, Sanchez volunteers at similar shelters and teachers women and kids to defend themselves against what she called "stranger danger" "I relate to them on a personal level because I've been there myself," she said.

Sanchez also avoided typical beauty-pageant-embarassment when fielding tricky questions from celeb judges. Judge Rumer Willis asked about the high rate of sexual assault on college campuses. "I believe that some colleges may potentially be afraid of having a bad reputation and that would be a reason it could be swept under the rug, because they don't want that to come out into the public," she said. "But I think more awareness is very important so women can learn how to protect themselves. Myself, as a fourth-degree black belt, I learned from a young age that you need to be confident and be able to defend yourself. And I think that's something that we should start to really implement for a lot of women."

Given the crown by Miss USA 2013 Erin Brady, Sanchez bested first runner-up Audra Mari (Miss North Dakota) plus fellow finalists Miss Georgia, Miss Louisiana, Miss Florida and Miss Iowa. Sanchez will go on to compete in the Miss Universe competition this fall.

Miss America vs. Miss USA: Rival pageants seen as similar

BY EMILY BECK COGBURN

In the longtime rivalry between the Miss USA and Miss America pageants, Miss USA is the flashy upstart while Miss America is the modest one with her head in a book. At least, that’s the way it’s supposed to be. The Miss America pageant started in 1921, the talent competition was added in 1935 and the first scholarship was given in 1945, according to the organization’s website. Miss USA began as a breakaway competition, begun by a swimsuit company in 1952 that had been a sponsor of the older pageant. “Competitors in the Miss America Pageant do it for scholarship money for college. They have diverse career interests,” says Valerie Hayes, who bills herself as the Pageant Coach and hosts an online talk radio program about pageants.

In contrast, Miss USA competitors see the pageant as a stepping stone to careers in the entertainment industry — in acting, modeling or broadcasting, she says. Miss USA is a subset of the Miss Universe contest, a for-profit organization owned by casino mogul Donald Trump and NBCUniverse. For the past six years, the pageant was held in Las Vegas until moving to Baton Rouge for the 2014 event. The Miss America Organization, which moved the pageant back to its historic Atlantic City, New Jersey, home last year, is a nonprofit and has connections to charities such as Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
“Since its inception, Miss USA has been unabashedly a beauty/swimsuit pageant. It hasn’t confused its identity by adding talent, making interview a main scoring component or offering educational scholarships — all of which Miss America did after it began. This has allowed the production to embrace the sex, show the women in skimpier bikinis, etc.,” says sociologist Hilary Levey Friedman, a beauty pageant expert. Do these contrasting approaches to pageantry lead to a different reaction from audiences? Not so much, says Hayes. Actually, viewers tend to confuse the two events.

“If someone tells me they watched a pageant last night, I’ll ask which one. If they don’t know, I’ll ask if it had a talent competition. If it did, then it’s Miss America,” Hayes says. “For most viewers, they’re not that different.” Pageant professionals and more experienced fans can distinguish the two, she added. Not surprisingly, the subtle contrast between the pageants has not resulted in much difference in viewership in recent years. Both are significantly down from Miss America’s heyday in the 1950s, when the show in 1952 drew 39 percent of the TV audience. Last year was an exception. Miss America dashed ahead of Miss USA, capturing around 8 million viewers, its best ratings since 2004, when the pageant last appeared on ABC. Miss USA had 4.6 million viewers on NBC, perhaps because it aired at the same time as the NBA finals, according to website zap2it.com, which analyzes Nielsen ratings. Previously, Miss America had looked to be on the rocks, with poor ratings prompting ABC to drop the show and the organization forced to move on to cable stations. Picked up by CMT in 2004, it faltered even more. “The production was abysmal,” Hayes says.

CMT also moved the pageant from its original home in Atlantic City to Los Angeles. The cable station then dropped the Miss America pageant in 2007, after which TLC decided to air it. While at TLC, the pageant’s ratings climbed back, rising to 4.5 million, up from 2 million to 3 million during its time at CMT. It returned to ABC in 2011.

Miss USA’s Gown Was FedExed to Her, Says Designer: “I Was So Nervous It Wouldn’t Get to Her”

by EMILY POPP

When you think of "pageant dresses," poufy, overworked gowns with a smattering of sequins may come to mind. But that's not how it always has to be. Case in point: Miss USA winner Nia Sanchez. The 24-year-old Miss Nevada blew us away with her red, mermaid-style number designed by Michael Costello that she wore as she was crowned Miss USA 2014. It's everything a pageant dress should be. The crimson curve hugging gown totally gives us some Jessica Rabbit vibes, and it's sofigure flattering—although Nia would look stunning in a bolt of burlap (she's a fourth-degree black belt, people!).

We caught up with the designer himself, Michael Costello, and he exclusively revealed all the behind-the-scenes scoop on Nia's winning look. "We had to keep that dress top secret," explained Michael. Originally Nia tried the dress on in a different color. "I said we have to do this in red, it would be everything, yes we must do this in red." After deciding on the dress, Michael had a few tailoring tweaks to make, so he had to FedEx the dress to Nia to make sure it got to her in time. "We shipped it to Nia in Baton Rouge," said Michael. "I remember walking to FedEx, and I was so nervous it wouldn't get to her. I was so afraid. She texted me when she got it, and said, yay it fits her perfectly!"

And here's the cherry on top of the sundae: You can buy this exact dress! Michael posted a pic of Nia in his dress on Instagram with the caption, "CONGRATULATIONS to my beautiful friend @missnvusa2014 Nia Sanchez who won last night @missusa... I am so happy for you. You deserve it. I had a feeling lol!" And he added, "This dress is available to order by emailing MICHAEL@MTCOSTELLO.COM it is available in every color you can dream of. And we ship worldwide. Yup I had to throw that in :)" So, if you've got a "Gorgeous Dress Fund" that you want to break into, we've got just the gown.

Miss USA 2014, Miss Nevada USA Nia Sanchez, Crowning Video

Miss Nevada Nia Sanchez Crowned Miss USA 2014

Source: E! Online

Fourth-degree black belt and all-around stunner Nia Sanchez was crowned Miss USA 2014, the biggest battle of the now former Miss Nevada's life becoming the struggle to hold back all the tears after her name was called at the end of the three-hour beauty-and-personality-fest. Giuliana Rancic and Thomas Roberts did the hosting honors at the Baton Rouge Civic Center in Louisiana. Sanchez clasped hands and traded well wishes with first runner-up Miss North Dakota,Audra Mari, as they waited out those final seconds, but it was the 24-year-old from Las Vegas who stood alone with the bouquet, the sash and—best of all—the tiara.

Sanchez beat out 50 other fellow beauty queens to claim the title, which was handed over by Miss USA 2013 Erin Brady. Her night started to take a turn for the fabulously possible when she was named one of 20 semifinalists shortly after the show got underway. Combined with her bikini strut and her evening gown prowess, Sanchez proved to having the winning answer when judge Rumer Willisasked about recent reports regarding sexual violence on college campuses, and what sort of policy should be implemented to combat the disturbing statistics.

"I believe that some colleges may potentially be afraid of having a bad reputation and that would be a reason it could be swept under the rug, because they don't want that to come out into the public," Sanchez, a Taekwondo expert, said confidently (though by this point, every contestant's voice was wavering). "But I think more awareness is very important so women can learn how to protect themselves," she added. "Myself, as a fourth-degree black belt, I learned from a young age that you need to be confident and be able to defend yourself. And I think that's something that we should start to really implement for a lot of women."

Menifee Home Town Beauty to compete in Miss USA Contest

by Cynthia Nemelka

Former Menifee resident, Nia Sanchez, will be representing Nevada in the Miss USA Beauty Pageant as the reigning Miss Nevada USA 2014. Nia won the Miss Nevada title in January and is determined to be the first Nevada contestant to win the Miss USA title.Nia, who was born in Sacramento, California, moved to Menifee when she was eight years old with her father, David Sanchez and younger brother, “Little” David Sanchez, Jr. She graduated from Paloma Valley High School in 2008, where she won her first Crown as Paloma Valley’s Homecoming Queen. Since then, Nia has won several other titles including: Miss Citrus Valley, Miss Hollywood USA, and she was Second Runner Up in the Miss California Pageant.

As a pageant contestant, of course you have to be a well versed public speaker. Helping to hone her public speaking skills came from teaching groups of up to thirty students at her parents’ martial arts studio, Menifee Martial Arts Academy. Nia is a Certified Instructor and has a Forth Degree Black Belt.Since graduating from high school, Nia has been a regular globe trotter. She has been to twelve different countries ranging from Dubai to the Great Wall of China. When Nia finally landed from all of her travels in 2012, she touched down in Las Vegas, Nevada. Be sure not to miss cheering on Menifee’s very own Nia Sanchez on The Miss USA Contest which will be televised from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on June 8th2014 at 8pm on NBC. ALL OUR BEST NIA!!!!!

2014 Miss USA Pageant begins for Miss Nevada USA Nia Sanchez

By Robin Leach 


Two busy weeks of last-minute packing, fittings, charity events, meetings and prepping come to an end with tonight’s send-off for gorgeous 2014 Miss Nevada USA Nia Sanchez. After the Deuce Lounge party in Aria, she flies out this Memorial Day Weekend for Donald Trump’s Miss USA Pageant on June 8 and airing on NBC from Baton Rouge, La. Nia will compete against 50 other young women after 10 days of rehearsals and filming on the Mississippi River and at southeast Louisiana landmarks before reigning Miss USA Erin Brady turns over her crown to the new winner. Pageant experts have already predicted that Nia will make the Top 10 and could go into the Final Five. If Nia wins, she would then represent the USA in the Miss Universe Pageant. Our thanks to Georgina Vaughan, Fadil Berisha, Oscar Picazo and the Miss Universe Organization for their stunning photographs of Nia.

After several years of the pageant being hosted here at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, our sponsor hotels and convention authority decided to pull its financial support. It had been expected that The Donald would pick Miami Beach as the host city, but he selected Baton Rouge, the first time it has hosted Miss USA.
It’s believed from reports that Baton Rouge and Louisiana kicked in $350,000 to host the telecast in addition to waiving the arena rental and its costs. The Donald’s president, Paula Shugart, said that Baton Rouge was the site of the 2005 Miss Teen USA Pageant but that devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina later that year prevented the organization from returning. “The hospitality shown to us while we were there was second to none,” Paula said. “The sense of community that Baton Rouge has is incredibly inspiring.”
Nia faces the swimsuit, evening gown and dreaded interview and live question segments of the contest. About 100 million people are expected to watch via the internationally televised competition and simultaneously online. My earlier stories about Nia in January and March this year told of her work with our Shade Tree charity here. When Nia was just 6 years old, she spent time in a women’s shelter with her mother when her parents were divorcing. I talked with Nia as she started getting ready for her flight and pageant check-in this weekend. She’s spent this final week working with our state pageant director, Shanna Moakler, who was 1995 Miss USA.

Just days to go now. Emotionally, how do you feel at this moment?

I feel good! I’m ready! I feel like I’m really good at being this emotionally ready for something and then all the fine tuning and details I’m working with Shanna, where everything I need for interview prep and everything I need to learn how to pose when I’m with all the other contestants. I feel good emotionally.

I’m just ready and excited. I know who I am, so I don’t have to pretend to be anyone else; I just get to be me. She’s been great working with me, so I am 100 percent prepared on the interview and feeling comfortable with the walking and posing in every detail.

Have you been following national and global events and doing extra studying in case you get a dreaded question?

Oh, that’s all I do. I watch CNN and MSNBC all day every day. If I’m at home, that’s what’s on TV. You have to be prepared for anything. I have become a news junkie. When you watch it, then you have to sit there and think, “Well, what’s my opinion on this subject?” It’s not just learning about it, but also then figuring out your opinion about it.

You can only go with one suitcase, and it has to last you a year in case you win because if you get the crown, the very next morning you are off to New York for 12 months, and you don’t get home to Las Vegas for a year.

Right — that’s so true. You have to pack because you’re possibly leaving for an entire year. One suitcase has to last you one year in the event you win.

And you have to be prepared. So it means the phone has to be taken care of, the electricity has to be taken care of before you leave. Are you beginning to take care of all of those things before you go?

I am. I’m getting everything in order just in case I happen to be living in New York. I have a roommate here, we live in a house together, so I told her that I’ll pay another month’s rent and then I’ll have somebody come out and pack everything up to put in storage for me, so I’m prepared.

How does a young lady, without getting too personal, pack a year of her life into one suitcase?

I don’t have that many physical things that are really important to me, so I would pack photos of my family and some of my essential outfits and shoes. I feel like everything else I can get by — I’ll get it later.

How do you prepare to do all this? Do you write down a list or do you sit at the computer and work out 52 weeks?

It’s funny that you asked that. I have pages and pages and pages of lists of things to do, things to pack, things to watch and learn about, everything. Then pages and pages of appointments and meetings with my sponsor; I’m a list girl. I have it all written down.

So who is your shoulder in this? Do you have a shoulder?

I have three shoulders, actually. I have Shanna, and she’s amazing because I can call her for anything and she’s always available to answer any questions. And my boyfriend and my mom. I talk to my mom every single day; we’re talking about pageant stuff. She’s actually coming out today so she can help me get packed and get everything organized ahead of time before I leave.

My boyfriend is always there for emotional support. If I’m having a day where there is so much going on and I just need someone to talk to, he’s always there for me. I have three shoulders. Plus, my own two! I’m just really lucky to have people around me who are so supportive right now. I’m so lucky to have Shanna, who’s able to focus her attention on me and get me 100 percent ready. She’s the best.

Nia, how has your life changed since January when you won Miss Nevada?

It’s changed 100 percent. I feel like I’ve been really blessed with all of my sponsors, and I feel like I’ve become even more of a well-rounded person. I thought I was at 100 percent when I was at Miss Nevada, but with my sponsors and Shanna, I’ve been able to really focus in on who I am and who I want to be when I go to Miss USA. It’s been a great journey so far.

Now you’ve told me before that you were racked with nerves just thinking about getting ready for the Miss Nevada interview. Do you think you’ve overcome those fears now going into the Miss USA Pageant?

When it came to it, I was actually very calm and at peace. I had a lot of friends and family sending lots of positive text messages and praying for me, and it just put me at ease. Even going into the interview, which for me is one of the most nerve-wracking things at times, I felt really, really calm and comfortable, and I want to carry that on to Miss USA.

I want to be just calm, comfortable and have a good time. That’s what it’s really about. If you have a good time and you are who you are, that’s who wins. The girl that’s just being herself. That’s what I want to do; try not to be nervous.

When you’re in a very quiet frame of mind by yourself, do you think back to where your life began in terms of running away to Japan and Disney World and here you are now, representing our Silver State, going to the Miss USA Pageant? Go beyond just pinching yourself? How does it all feel at 24 years of age?

I feel like everything happens for a reason because I started competing in pageants when I was 19. I feel like I would have had a completely different experience if I had won a state title at 19 or 20 or 21. I feel like my travels and life experiences, even being in a really unhealthy relationship and having the strength to get out of that, have made me more prepared to handle anything that comes my way.

I feel like winning at an older age, for the pageant world I’m a bit older, I feel like you appreciate the experience so much more because I’m mature enough to handle it.

How do you deal with the … stress is not quite the right word … how do you deal with the nervousness of being cut down from 51 to 15 right out of the box, and then 10 and then five? I’ve already seen pageant blogging putting you in the Top 10. When you stand there on that stage and they’re calling out names and states, do the knees knocks? Does the heart jump? Do butterflies get in your stomach? How do you avoid that natural nervousness?

I mean that certainly happens. It’s part of the excitement. Everybody is going to be a little bit nervous. I go into it mentally thinking whatever is supposed to happen is supposed to happen. If I’m going to win, I’m going to win, and there’s nothing that anyone else can do to prepare differently.

But if I’m not supposed to win, then I’m going to be where I’m supposed to be. I feel like having that mental thought process going into it puts me a little bit more at ease, but I'm always going to be a little bit nervous up there.

Is there one secret that you’re taking to the pageant with you? One beauty queen secret other than butt glue for the swimsuit?

That’s a good one! I have a lot of friends, four of whom won Miss California and one who went on to USA, and I’ve been asking them for their advice. Their secret primarily is just going into it with the right mentality. Envisioning your self winning, envisioning yourself having fun, because if you envision somebody else winning, then somebody else is going to win. You just have to go into it with the right mentality.

I also received really great advice from my friend Raquel, who was a Miss California, and she said just to bring lots of pictures of family, make it feel like home. She said bring pictures of your family, bring a candle and just always love on your family and communicate with them because it can get really hectic and overwhelm you.

Well just know all of Las Vegas will be rooting for you.

Please invite everybody to my send-off party at Aria on Friday night! That’ll get me all fired up to bring home the title and the crown. Since the pageant began in 1952, nobody from Nevada has ever won it. I’ll do my best to be the first!

Nia Sanchez Crowned Miss Nevada USA 2014

By faraway

Nia Sanchez, Miss South Las Vegas was crowned Miss Nevada USA 2014 pageant on Sunday night, January 12 after competing against 32 contestants from all across the state at Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall on the Campus of UNLV in Nevada. Chelsea Caswell of Summerlin who crowned Miss Nevada USA 2013 , handed over the coveted crown to Sanchez, who placed first runner up at Miss Tourismo Latino in Ecuador
Sanchez, 24, won after passing three equal categories: evening gown, swimsuit and private question-and-answer session. Stephanie Cook , Miss Spring Valley finished first runner-up while Miss Clark County, Jessica Davis was named the second runner-up.

Brittany McGowan, Miss Southern Highlands placed as third runner-up while the fourth runner-up selected as Cierra Jackson, Miss Sunrise Manor. Sanchez , who wins a scholarship to Lindenwood University will represent Nevada at the finals of the nationally televised Miss USA 2014 pageant in June, which it could be held at Donald Trump's Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Doral, Florida. The winner of Miss USA 2014 will represent the United States at the 63rd edition of the Miss Universe 2014 pageant.

In the same night Alexa Taylor, Miss Summerlin was crowned Miss Nevada Teen USA 2014.