Miss St Ann Festival Queen 2013 Mishka Walford (centre, seated) is flanked by first runner-up Kedejah Green (right) and second runner-up Christal Gooden after the coronation Saturday night in Ocho Rios, St Ann. - Photo by Carl Gilchrist
Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer[color:c672=blue !important][color:c672=blue !important]OCHO [color:c672=blue !important]RIOS, St Ann:
TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD Mishka Walford will represent St Ann in the national Festival Queen competition as the parish seeks to keep the crown it won last year with Kemesha Kelly.
Walford was crowned Miss St Ann Festival Queen 2013 last Saturday night in a ceremony held at the [color:c672=blue !important][color:c672=blue !important]St [color:c672=blue !important]John's Anglican Church Hall in Ocho Rios. Walford won ahead of eight other contestants.
Kelly, last year's winner, crowned the new queen and said she expected to hand over the national title to her parishioner later this year.
Wearing the sash Miss Fern Gully, Walford won the sectional prize for Most Culturally Aware ahead of first runner-up Kedejah Green (Miss Nine Miles) and second runner-up Christal Gooden (Miss Drax Hall).
"I am feeling very blessed," Walford told The Gleaner after her victory. "There were some very competent ladies in the competition, and I'd like to congratulate all of them because I think we all did our best."
Feeling very confident
Walford said she was confident throughout the competition and said she would carry the same confidence to the national finals and retain the crown for St Ann.
