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The Brooklyn Paper / Bess Adler

Here she is: Miss Brooklyn Keelie Sheridan won the tiara on Sunday at Long Island University's Downtown campus.

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The Brooklyn Paper / Bess Adler

She wowed them with this "fitness and lifestyle" category outfit.

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There she is — Miss Brooklyn, Keelie Sheridan.

The pride of Manhattan Beach was handed the tiara as the new queen of Kings on Sunday, propelled to the title thanks to her Irish jig and her performance in a nerve-racking “lifestyle and fitness” competition.

That’s the swimsuit contest, of course.

“I was the least comfortable with it, but I don’t know anyone who likes it,” Sheridan told The Brooklyn Paper in her first interview since besting eight other Brooklyn women. “I hope the judges don’t look at it like a hot swimsuit body contest.”

(One of the pageant’s four judges revealed to The Brooklyn Paper that Sheridan did not do well on his “swimsuit” scorecard, but are you going to take his word for it or believe your own eyes?)

Before dazzling spectators, the 22-year-old impressed the Long Island University crowd in the talent portion of the pageant.

Her performance was fraught with last-minute tension when contest officials told her she had to rearrange her tap routine because she would not be allowed to gambol around the entire stage.

No biggie for a true Miss Brooklyn.

“I had choreographed my number to dance all across the stage,” said the English and theater major at Empire College.

“I could have gotten upset about it, but that wouldn’t have done any good.”

Sheridan felt most confident about her platform: arts education for children.

“It’s something I’m very comfortable talking about and something I’m very passionate for,” she said. “I think that might have done something to help me win.

“I couldn’t believe that I won until they put the tiara on me.”

Sheridan’s victory returns the crown to Brooklyn, because last year’s winner, Leigh–Taylor Smith — who went on to become Miss New York and then third runner-up in the Miss America competition last month — actually lived in Manhattan.

©2009 The Brooklyn Paper

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