DERRY — With confetti flying and plenty of hugs, Natalie Shaw was crowned Miss New Hampshire on Saturday night, May 3.
Shaw, of Manchester, was crowned by last year's title holder, Rachel Barker. She came out on top from a field of 22 contestants in the 62nd competition, held at Pinkerton Academy's Stockbridge Theatre.
The 23-year-old winner was a six-time contestant in the Miss New Hampshire pageant and was first runner-up in last year's program. She performed "Climb Every Mountain" from "The Sound of Music" for the talent portion of the competition and will now be eligible to compete for the Miss America title in January.
As the new Miss New Hampshire, Shaw won a $15,000 scholarship and other awards and prizes. She currently works as a music teacher in the Manchester School District.
Runners-up in the competition included Brittany Crosby, Katrina Bernard, Justine Barker and Brittany Dube.
Bernard, of Derry, was one of several local women participating in the program. Others with local ties included Londonderry's Lauren Gorgol; Rebecca Scalera and Alyssa McLaughlin, both of Derry; and Janine Mitchell and Olivia Karpinski, both of Auburn.
Bernard, McLaughlin, and Meghan Lamontagne, of Pelham, have ties to the Derry-based Red Star Twirlers and performed dance/twirl routines for their talent offerings in the show.
— Julie Huss
