Puerto Rico is ready to get their 6th Miss Universe crown. With many stunners gunning for the title of Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2022, I don’t doubt that this small island will make big waves at the 71st Miss Universe pageant. See some of the incredible contestants yourself as I unveil my top eight favorite contestants, as well as some honorable mentions, in the Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2022 preliminary swimsuit and evening gown competitions.
Swimsuit
Adjuntas
Mariana Torres Bernard
One word to describe Mariana: FIERCE! Mariana did not come to play; she came to win. This confident queen is definitely one to keep an eye on.
Aguadilla
Graciela Berrios
Graciela reminds me of the reigning Miss Universe Guatemala, Ivana Batchelor, when she competed at Miss Grand International 2020: big blonde hair; statuesque frame; light yet grounded walk, and friendly, genuine vibes radiating from her to the audience. Graciela will not have a hard time trying to win over the judges and the viewers.
Arroyo
Alexandra Rivera Berrios
The first word that came to mind when I saw Alexandra was spunk. Some pageant girls play it safe, but Alexandra does not. Alexandra’s bouncy, sassy walk is done very well, which makes her stand out among the rest.
Barranquitas
Sarah A Rodríguez Ríos
Another queen that proudly shines her individuality: Miss Barranquitas. Sarah had fun on stage and you could see it. It’s always great when girls have fun on stage. However, they still have to remember to keep their performance tasteful if they are hoping to please the judges and advance to the next round, and Sarah demonstrated how to do just that.
Cataño
Camille Fabery
Camille understood the assignment and aced it. From beginning to end, she delivered a smooth, clean performance; almost made it look effortless.
Fajardo
Ashley Ann Cariño
This familiar face was known for her captivating stage presence at the Miss USA 2021 pageant, and she brought that and much more to the Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2022 stage. With Ashley’s top-notch performance thus far in the competition, Fajardo may very well bag their second Miss Universe Puerto Rico title (first being in 1967 with the legendary Ivonne Coll).
Isabela
Annelise Torres Colón
This girl is Universe ready! The look, the walk, the stage presence… Annelise had everything it took to make her my favorite in the swimsuit competition.
Mayagüez
Ariana Hernández
Everything about her performance was on point. There is something about Ariana that makes me think she is destined for a crown. Is it the Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2022 crown? Or is it another crown? Time will tell.
Honorable Mentions: Camuy, Droado, Luquillo, Río Grande, Toa Alta
Evening Gown
Adjuntas
Mariana Torres Bernard
Mariana was the most consistently strong and fierce performer of the night. Mariana brought her A-game to the pageant and made her stellar performance look easy.
Aguadilla
Graciela Berrios
To see the full impact of this dress, you have to see it under the stage lights. With Graciela’s hair and skin tone suiting the dress perfectly and the orange/yellow lights shining in the background, it appeared as if she was dripping in gold. There was a little hiccup with her shoe getting caught on the dress in the very beginning, but you would have never known if all you looked at was her face. No winces on Graciela’s face, only that winning smile.
Barranquitas
Sarah A Rodríguez Ríos
Every time Sarah stepped on that stage, she lit it up. Both her smile and warm presence is what brought a smile to my face. With that being said, the gown choice was not my favorite. If the gown had embellished sleeves with the same turquoise, gem pattern and the bubble near her hips was smoothed out, I would have liked it more. Nonetheless, her performance was what took center stage.
Cataño
Camille Fabery
Camille is a solid performer; very poise and elegant. The gown is beautiful and reminds me of a stained-glass window. My favorite part of her styling was the hanging diamond sleeves. I would like to see Camille in a white, form-fitted gown adorned with diamonds with the same diamond sleeves. I think it would really be a moment with her dark hair and skin tone.
Dorado
Leonela González
I was so happy to see Leonela step up her game in the evening gown round. Leonela was good in the swimsuit round, but I knew she could do more. Come evening gown, she didn’t disappoint; evening gown is definitely her round to rule.
Fajardo
Ashley Ann Cariño
No surprise that Fajardo was one of the best in this round of competition. Although I was not too keen on her gown, her sultry, sophisticated performance made up for it.
Mayagüez
Ariana Hernández
If Ariana is not on your radar, she is now. This 20-year-old is fighting for her spot in the semi-finals, and I think she has a good shot at achieving it. Her strong performance speaks for itself.
Salinas
Kiara Rosado
When Kiara hit that first turn, I was sold. Her catwalk, face, styling…. everything came together so well that Kiara is my favorite in the evening gown competition. If Kiara advances to the evening gown round in the finals, don’t be surprised if her killer evening gown performance gets her a place in the top five.
Honorable Mentions: Arroyo, Humacao, Isabela, Orocovis, Río Grande, Toa Alta
Don’t miss the Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2022 pageant on Thursday, August 11, live from the Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center in San Juan on WAPA-TV.
Photos: Brandon Cruz/Wapa.tv
Tags: #pageant, beauty, Fashion, MissPuertoRico, MissUniverse, MissUniverse2022, MissUniversePuertoRico, MissUniversePuertoRico2022, MUPR, PuertoRico