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Strawberry Queen finalists impress the judges

CLAIRE LEADEN PHOTO | The nominees for this year’s Strawberry Queen are (from left) Jasmine Clasing, Rebecca Piraino, Brittney Longley, Leah LaFreniere and Olivia Vayer.

Wearing a fancy dress and schmoozing some judges isn’t all it takes to win the coveted title of the Mattituck Strawberry Queen, for this is not your average beauty pageant.

The five finalists for Queen all impressed the judges last Thursday at Vineyard Caterers in Aquebogue. Dressed to impress, the five girls answered a variety of questions from judges and the audience.

The five finalists are:

• Brittney Longley, Mattituck High School

Olivia Vayer, Mattituck High School

• Rebecca Piraino, Mattituck High School

• Leah LaFreniere, Southold High School

• Jasmine Clasing, Southold High School

The dinner is an opportunity for the girls to show the judges who they are.

“We want to know what they will stand for, what they believe in,” said Katherine Fritz, one of the three judges. “That’s an important part of our mission. We notice girls that are very personal and open up to talk about their life, their friends and family and their issues.”

Seventeen girls entered essays for this year’s competition. The winner is crowned June 15 at the Strawberry Festival.

To read more about each contestant and the selection process, pick up a copy of this week’s Suffolk Times.

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