Natural Competitor Miss Texas Looks Forward To Miss USA Pageant

Miss Texas Kelsey Moore is a born competitor.

She plays on UTEP’s volleyball team and now, she is vying for the crown of Miss USA.

“I’m there to compete, and I’m there to have fun,” Kelsey, 19, said of the pageant. “I’m really good at visualizing and this is what I’ve been doing for the past few months – just seeing myself there, just seeing myself with a new crown in my hands.”

Glamourously dressed in a deep fushia, one-shouldered gown at a recent party in her honor, Kelsey instantly garners attention.

Her parents say the they never dreamed of seeing their 6-foot-2 star athlete sparkle on stage.

“She called us up and said, we’re going to this pageant, and we’re like uh…ok,” her father, Pat Moore said.

Her mom, Diana Moore, couldn’t believe it when her daughter won Miss El Paso.

“When they announced her name, when she won Miss El Paso – I know I sat there like … for a couple seconds and couldn’t breath. I was like, really?”

A self-described tomboy who didn’t know how to walk in high heels, Kelsey now practices her strut on her way to class.

“I never expected to be holding a crown in my life,” Kelsey said.

Cramming for finals, the Arizona transplant has to make sure her grades are good enough for her to stay on UTEP’s volleyball team.

Now, after months of preparing, there’s only one thing on her mind – Vegas, baby!

Links:Slideshow:Miss USA Swimsuit SlideshowSlideshow:Miss USA Gowns SlideshowSlideshow:Miss Texas SlideshowSlideshow:Miss New Mexico SlideshowVideo:Interview With Miss TexasVideo:Interview With Miss New Mexico