MONTEGO BAY, St James — Eighteen -year- old Rochelle McKinley was crowned Miss Jamaica Global 2013 at the Hotel RIU in Ironshore on Saturday night.

McKinley who wore the sash Miss Crown Legacy, will represent Jamaica at the Miss Global International Coronation show to be held in Montego Bay in September.

The teenager who lists her hobbies as swimming and horseback riding, was placed fourth last year in the Jamaica leg of the pageant.

Shortly after she was crowned on Saturday night, an elated McKinley told the Jamaica Observer West that she was confident that she would have won the contest from the field of 15 this time around.

” Last year I was not so prepared, but I worked very, very hard this year in preparing for the competition,” said the teenager, who also snagged the sectional prize for Best Stage Presentation during the talent segment.

According to Mc Kinley, she decided to enter the competition because she wants to leave “a legendary mark on the world.”

” Winning is an awesome feeling and I am very, very happy to be wearing the crown,” added Mc Mckinley.

Her prizes include: a trophy, a scholarship valued at $150,000 courtesy of Caribbean Assurance Brokers, an evening gown from CC’s Dressing Room in London, England, jewellery, and a three -night stay at Hotel RIU, Ironshore.

Miss VMBS Leshari Bryan, who copped the Most Aware and Most Talented sectional prizes, emerged first runner-up, while Miss Rainbow Souvenir Shaneen Hosey– the most congenial contestant– secured the second runner- up spot.

Chief judge Lloyd B Smith, who is also the deputy house speaker and Publisher of the Western Mirror, said Mc Kinley was deserving of the crown, as she possesses characteristics that a beauty queen should have– beauty, the ability to speak with intelligence and good personality.

” Overall the contest was very competitive. There were a number of young ladies there who could easily have won. It was really a good batch of contestants,” Smith stressed.

Meanwhile, Miss Global franchise holder Lachu Ramchandani told the Observer West that the pageant, now in its ninth year, was very successful, emphasising that the pageant was conceptualised in a bid to promote beauty and tourism, and not to make money.

” My aim behind the pageant has always been to promote tourism and one of my claims that has always been there is uniting the world through beauty and tourism and this is one of the best way to showcase Jamaica- beauty and tourism,” he explained.