New Miss Huntington Beach is a Chapman U. student and Ocean View High grad

Alyssa Welfringer, a 20-year-old Chapman University student who graduated from Ocean View High School in Huntington Beach, was named this year’s Miss Huntington Beach at the annual pageant Saturday at the city’s Central Library Theatre.

Stephanie Miller, 20, was first runner-up and Mara James, 18, was second runner-up.

Welfringer has spent time working in the Huntington Beach tourism industry at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort, Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa and Visit Huntington Beach and is studying public relations, advertising and business at Chapman in Orange.

Miller graduated from Huntington Beach High School and currently attends Cal State Long Beach, where she studies organismal biology with the goal of becoming a veterinarian. She volunteers at local animal shelters and helps run a nonprofit that raises money to benefit homeless animals.

James is a graduate of Fountain Valley High School and currently attends Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa.

The other contestants were Francesca Caponi, 23, a graduate of Marina High School in Huntington Beach and Cal State Long Beach; Roxanne Kohne, 20, a student at Golden West College in Huntington Beach; Candice Johnson, 24, who attends Orange Coast College; and Diana Schwene, 22, a graduate of Marina High School and Texas Christian University.

Each contestant was judged on poise, grace, public speaking, educational and career goals and community service.

The pageant, a tradition for more than a century, is presented by Sand Dollars of Huntington Beach, a nonprofit that promotes civic improvement and community cultural projects.

Miss Huntington Beach and her court appear at various local events. The queen receives $3,000 in scholarship money toward education and the two princesses get $1,500 each, according to pageant representative Stacy Massey.

UPDATES:

1:05 p.m.: This article was updated with the amount of scholarship money awarded.

This article was originally published at 11:40 a.m.