National spotlight/Alamogordo grad to compete for Miss Teen USA

Alamogordo Daily News

By J.R. Oppenheim, Staff Photographer

Alexis Duprey has competed in beauty pageants since she was 7 years old. Now, she will be competing on the national stage.

Duprey, an 18-year-old Alamogordo High School graduate, will represent New Mexico at the upcoming Miss Teen USA pageant. She will compete against 51 other teens on July 31 at the Atlantis Paradise Island Resort in the Bahamas.

The winner will be crowned by Stevi Perry, a Hamburg, Ark., native who won the title last year.
"I'm actually really looking forward to it," Duprey said. "I've never been to a national pageant, as long as I've been doing it. I've only been in local and state pageants, but I think I have a pretty good idea of what to expect."

The Miss Teen USA pageant is part of the Miss Universe Organization, owned by real-estate developer and TV personality Donald Trump. According to a news release on the pageant's Web site, the organization is a joint venture between Trump and NBC Universal that also features the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants. The new Miss Universe will be crowned Aug. 23, also in the Bahamas.

Duprey earned her chance to compete for Miss Teen USA by winning the Miss New Mexico Teen USA crown Jan. 17 at the Inn of the Mountain Gods in Mescalero. It was her third attempt after finishing fourth runner-up and third runner-up in the previous two pageants.

Competing in the state pageant as Miss Southern New Mexico, Duprey beat Brianna Morphin for the title. Morphin competed as Miss Northern New Mexico, which created a bit of confusion once the winner was announced.

"Everyone thought I lost because the first thing I did was I put my head in my arms and I just started crying, and she (Morphin) gave me a hug," Duprey said. "Everybody thought it was backwards and were kind of confused for a while."

Since Duprey and Morphin were good friends, Duprey said, both contestants would have been happy with the outcome one way or the other.
"It was funny because we've been doing the pageant together for three years," she said. "We started at the same time and ended at the same time, so she told me 'There's nobody else I'd rather lose to.' If she won, I would have told her the same thing."

According to Karen Duprey, Alexis' mother who also coaches pageant contestants, Alexis is the first Alamogordo native to become Miss New Mexico Teen USA. For winning the state title, Alexis Duprey received a $1,000 cash prize, a $1,500 wardrobe allowance and the traditional crown and sash, among other prizes. It also secured her spot in the Bahamas.

On July 31, Duprey will compete in three phases of competition evening wear, swimwear and interview with the judges. This pageant varies from the Miss America organization. In Miss USA, contestants do not compete in a talent competition and they do not need their own platform in which to compete, Duprey said. Titleholders support a platform the organization endorses, she added.

To be eligible for Miss Teen USA, Alexis Duprey said contestants must be older than 19 during their title reign. "She's got as much chance as anybody else," Karen Duprey said. "She'll do all right at this thing. At the very least, what an opportunity."

For the competition, Alexis Duprey said she'll wear a custom-made gown designed by dress maker Tony Bowls. She also wore a Bowls gown during the state pageant.
Duprey has also been working with Rosemarie Ferrara, a certified personal trainer at Alamo Shape, in order to stay physically fit.

Ferrara said she has been using interval training, which involves alternating short repetitions of high-intensity cardiovascular endurance and strength training. That type of workout is ideal for Duprey, Ferrara said, because Duprey comes from a cheerleading background, having been on the high school's varsity squad.

"With the cheerleaders, I know that they are athletes," Ferrara said. "They do squats and runs and lunges and pushups like bodybuilders and weightlifters do because they are lifting real weight over their heads. That's why she's able to do a lot of what I asked her to do right away."
Ferrara believes Duprey has a great shot at the national pageant.

"She's always a lady and she's always positive and upbeat in her demeanor," Ferrara said. "I think she has the presence that just a pretty girl or a smart girl (has). It's more than that. It's the whole package together.
"Her star power isn't about being pretty. It's about motivating people to do good, and I think that's where she will go."

The competition is more than looking good on stage. It also involves staying informed on current events, as judges could ask any range of questions during the interview.
"You have to know what's going on in the world," said Duprey, who plans on attending New Mexico State University in the fall. "You know that's probably not what people are thinking beauty queens reading the newspaper and checking the Internet."
Karen Duprey said the interview portion is one of the most important phases of competition.
"The interview, in my opinion, will win or lose it for you," she said. "You have a very little bit of time to make them know you and like you."

Alexis Duprey must complete her reign as Miss New Mexico Teen USA before she can compete in any other pageant. She hasn't ruled out competing in pageants in the future, but she's currently focused on winning the Miss USA Teen title.
"Well, of course, it would be cool to win. I'm not going to be just crushed or heartbroken if I don't win," she said. "I'm just really looking forward to the experience and the exposure and what I can gain from it. ... If I make top 15, that would just be the coolest thing ever."

Contact J.R. Oppenheim at jroppenheim@alamogordonews.com.