Cypress Ranch High school sophomore wins Miss Cy-Fair Houston pageant

Mary Kate Baker, 16, was crowned Miss Cy-Fair Houston 2011 at the second annual pageant, held April 2 at Lone Star College's CyFair Campus Theatre.

The sophomore at Cypress Ranch High School will represent the Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce at activities and local events.

"I'm going to give it 110 percent," Baker said the next day. "It was the best feeling ever."

Baker was crowned by Brooklyn Mattingly, a senior at Cypress Falls High School, who won the first crown last year. This year, the chamber also hosted three competitions for younger girls earlier the same day. From among the 29 contestants, Serena McKinney won the Junior Princess title (ages 12-14), Madison Murray, the Little Princess crown (ages 7-11) and Sydney Prejean, the Tiny Princess category (ages 4-6).

Baker won the title in what she described as a white halter gown, beaded at the middle, with a flowing skirt. She had ordered it online, and it arrived four days before the pageant.

"We took it in to get it altered and picked it up on the way to the pageant," said Baker, explaining that she didn't put on the altered gown until moments before stepping on stage in the evening gown competition.

As part of the top 10, Baker was asked her to describe a recent goal that she accomplished. She said she will attend the 2011 Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Neb., this June after winning a recent acting competition.

Jawaher Al-Zibdeh, a junior at Cypress Ranch, was named most photogenic, and Traci Vega, a senior at Cypress Wood High School, was named Miss Congeniality.

"The competition was so tough," said the winner's father, Jeff Baker, "that it could have been 10 to 1 the other way, and that would have been fine because Mary Kate had a great time and enjoyed being with the other girls."

In addition to her sash and flowers donated by local business sponsors, Baker will receive a $1,000 college scholarship at the end of her reign and a modeling and acting workshop valued at $1,000 from Neal Hamil Modeling Agency, said chamber president Mary Evans.

Girls interested in participating in next year's pageant are encouraged to visit www.misscyfairhouston.com and sign up for the mailing list.

The winner and her mother, Melissa Baker, are active members of the Cypress Belles chapter of National Charity League Inc., a mother-daughter philanthropic organization that's committed to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences. The new Miss Cy-Fair Houston joined the six-year program when she was in the seventh grade.