BREMERTON — Megan McCormick, a 2009 graduate of South Kitsap High School, is the new Miss West Sound.

She succeeds Megan Leibold of Poulsbo.

The fifth annual Miss West Sound and second annual Miss West Sound’s Outstanding Teen Competitions were held on Nov. 9 at the Admiral Theatre. Sixteen contestants vied for the title and a spot in the Miss Washington and Miss Washington Outstanding Teen pageants.

McCormick, 22, is a Port Orchard native. She earned a bachelor’s degree in musical arts from Pacific Lutheran University and is the choral graduate-program assistant at Central Washington University. For the talent portion of the competition, she performed a classical vocal, “Notre Amour” by Gabriel Fauré.

“I am eager to represent my community and ignite efforts to support environmental issues,” McCormick said. “It is my hope to create awareness so that future generations can appreciate the same beautiful community that we cherish today.”

In June, McCormick will compete for the title of Miss Washington and the chance to represent the state at the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City in September. Megan Grable, co-executive director of the Miss West Sound Organization, is developing a plan to prep her titleholders for the state pageant. “We strive to create multiple opportunities for both titleholders to develop their public speaking, interview, talent and on-stage performance skills,” she said.

Deidre Morris was crowned Miss West Sound Outstanding Teen 2014. Morris is from Chimacum and plans to study broadcast journalism at Brigham Young University. Some of her accolades include awards for community service, Spirit of America award, and honor roll for four years. She also serves as ASB secretary and is a varsity cheerleader at Chimacum High School. Her talent was a jazz dance performance.

“During my reign, I look forward to promoting my platform, ‘Accepting Rachel’s Challenge’, a non-profit that empowers students to stop bullying and initiate acts of kindness,” she said.

Morris will compete at the Miss Washington’s Outstanding Teen pageant in June for the chance to represent the state at the national pageant next summer. Over the next year, both titleholders will travel throughout the community to visit with government officials, business leaders, community groups and residents to discuss their platform issues.

Miss West Sound and Outstanding Teen helps girls and young women to develop their leadership skills and to take an active role in their communities.

“Both Megan and Deidre are charismatic, intelligent young women,” said Jill Nicks, executive director of the Miss West Sound Scholarship Organization. “We are confident that they will represent our program and community with the utmost integrity.”

Since it was established in 2009, the Miss West Sound Scholarship Organization (www.misswestsound.org) has made available more than $100,000 in scholarships and in-kind funds to approximately 70 contestants, many of them returning contestants from previous years.

The Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance.