End of Preliminaries Sets Up Tonight's Miss New Jersey Finale With Galloway Woman in Contention

The preliminary rounds of the Miss New Jersey Pageant were completed on Friday night, setting up tonight's finale in which the Top 10 contestants will be named and a new winner crowned.

One of the highlights for local fans was an Absegami High School student winning the talent competition. Cierra Kaler-Jones danced to "Here's Where I Stand" to capture Friday night's preliminary.

The annual Miss New Jersey Pageant began Thursday night on the Ocean City Music Pier with 23 women competing to represent the state in the annual Miss America Pageant in Las Vegas in January.

On Thursday and Friday, the contestants were divided into two groups -- with one competing in the evening gown and swimsuit categories and the other competing in talent.

Friday night's winners were:

• Talent: (Tie) Cierra Kaler-Jones, 17, Miss Atlantic County, Galloway Township, Absegami High School, Talent: dance; and Kaitline Davis, 23, Miss Cape Shores, Millville, Fordham University, Talent: vocal.
• Evening Gown: Roopali Pendse,23 Miss Camden County, Morris Plains, Rutgers University.
• Swimsuit: Vanessa Baez, 21, Miss Gateway, Bloomfield, Montclair State University.

Thursday night's winners were:

• Talent: Katie Berry, 22, Miss Central Coast, Mount Laurel, Fordham University, ballet dance.
• Evening Gown: Jachele Velez, 20, Miss Seashore Line, Hillside, Columbia University.
• Swimsuit:  (Three-way tie) Anna Negron, 19, Miss Cape May County, Vineland, Seton Hall University; Jachele Velez, 20, Miss Seashore Line, Hillside, Columbia University; Kaitlin Davis, 23, Miss Cape Shores, Millville, Fordham University.

The pageant continues with a winner crowned tonight.