An excellent all-round performance by 16-year-old University of Guyana student, Jenel Cox won the hearts of the judges and made sure that she walked away with the Miss Guyana Talented Teen 2006 crown last Sunday night.

Jenel, who outscored the other seven contestants, was an obvious crowd favourite throughout the entire 2 1/2 hour show. She also walked away with the `Best Smile' and `Best Talent' prizes.

Pretty in pink, with her hair bundled at the top of her head, the English major gracefully and confidently paraded across the stage during the entire show.

This year's pageant, the seventh of its kind exhibited fairly good coordination, excellent performances by several local artists and stiff competition among the delegates in their bid to attain the title.

Unfortunately, despite all the hard work put in by Mrs Pamela Dillon and her staff at Simpli Royal, some members of the audience marred the proceedings by shouting obscenities at the contestants. This was particularly evident during the swimsuit and evening gown segments, which saw the majority of the distasteful comments coming from the males. The question and answer segment was the quietest as most of the audience listened to the responses first then hurled their comments after.

The Miss Guyana Talented Teen pageant was held under the theme `Flowers in Bloom' and on Sunday this was very evident. The girls had moved from the average teenager to well rounded young ladies.

It all started three months ago when Marsha Chester, Carmlita Flue, Ashma John, Kimanda Dickson, Sussan Simon, Rushelle October, Shebeke Williams and Jenel Cox were chosen for this year's competition. The young flowers in bloom ranged in age from 14 to 18.

Several weeks ago the teens held their Cotillion and dinner at the Ocean View International Hotel during which they showcased their newly acquired ballroom dancing skills. Ballroom dancing, make-up application, AIDS awareness and etiquette were only some of the things the teenagers were taught during their three months of training.

On Sunday night the curtains were opened about one hour after the scheduled 8 o'clock start by which time many members of the audience had grown restless.

Local artist Celeste David got the show on the road with a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem, which was well received by the audience.

The eight flowers then took to the well-decorated stage. Dressed in knee length baby doll dresses and high-heel shoes, the delegates introduced themselves to the audience.

This was followed by a dance to Timeka Marshall's single "Nothing At All" by three members of Le Classique Dance company. These ladies, who were dressed in two-piece red suits - short pants and a short top - and high-heel shoes, had the crowd on their feet as they gyrated to the beat of the song.

Then two local groups, G-money and 24Karat took to the stage and entertained the crowd with their talented voices.

Talented singer, Alabama performed his hit single "Dem Don't Care", which was well received. Alabama's voice was almost drowned out by the audience, many of whom sang the lyrics from beginning to end.

The competition then began with the swimsuit segment in which the delegates paraded in two-piece swimsuits. in this segment, the judges were looking for muscle tone, poise and fit.

Then things heated up with the talent pieces. Most of the girls chose to do dramatic pieces while a few sang and danced.

Jenel, who was the last to perform, was dressed like an old woman carrying a basket on her head. Her big bottom and her perfect interpretation of an elderly woman particularly impressed the crowd. Jenel's dramatic piece was about an old woman who is dissatisfied with the way young people are behaving today. Patrons wanted an encore when she was finished.

The eight delegates with their escorts then performed the Flower Drum Song for the audience. This song is the official song of the Miss Guyana Talented Teen pageant and is performed by the delegates every year.

Many of the teenagers disappointed patrons with their inability to express themselves properly; some even found it difficult to answer simple questions based on their chosen platforms

However, Jenel shone when she was asked about herself and the steps she would take to protect an endangered species.

Special prizes were awarded to several of the delegates before the judges decision on who would wear the crown was given. Kimanda Dixon was named `Miss Congeniality'; Sussanne Simon, `Miss Stick to it'; Ashma John `Miss Photogenic', `Miss Humanitarian' and `Miss Body Beautiful'. The prize for best gown went to Marsha Chester for her stunning prom queen-like creation.

Then hostess Shonette Moore who was the 2003 Miss Guyana Talented Teen announced the runners up and the queen.

Rochelle October was adjudged third runner-up; Ashma John, second runner-up; Marsha Chester, first runner-up and Jenel Cox Miss Guyana Talented Teen 2006.

Jenel put on an outstanding performance, displayed the spirit of a true champion during the run up and expressed confidence in herself. Her gracefulness was evident throughout all the segments. zoisa_f@yahoo.com