Twenty-four women competed for the Miss Massachusetts crown on Saturday, July 2 at the 77th annual Miss Massachusetts Scholarship Pageant in Worcester, including Kristen Victoria Rose, of Dartmouth, who ran as Miss New Bedford.

Rose did not win the Miss Massachusetts title, nor place, but she did not walk away empty-handed. Rose, along with 11 other contestants, received a $100 scholarship.

Ultimately, Miss Cambridge Alissa Musto, of Rehoboth, was selected as Miss Massachusetts 2016 and was awarded a $12,000 scholarship, along with several other prizes.

During the two-day pageant, contestants competed for scholarship money and the opportunity to represent Massachusetts at the 96th Annual Miss America Pageant in September 2016. Miss Massachusetts 2015 Meagan Fuller of Attleboro was in attendance.

The Miss Massachusetts Scholarship Pageant is a preliminary to the Miss America Program. Last year, the Miss America Organization and its state and local organizations made available more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance.

Contestants for this year's Miss Massachusetts contest had to meet the following requirements: must be 18-27 years of age as of December 31, 2016; must never have participated in a previous national Miss USA Pageant; may only compete in one Miss USA State Pageant (including the District of Columbia) per pageant year.

According to Miss Massachusetts website, general requirements for the Miss America organization include: must be single, with no history of divorce or an annulled marriage; must never have given birth, cannot currently be pregnant, nor be a parent; must be of good health and moral character; and must be a citizen of the United States, with a history of residence in their state and ability to represent their state in Miss USA if selected.

Miss Bay State, Miss Commonwealth, and Miss Mayflower pageants were open to all contestants that had competed this season in any Miss Mass local, regardless if they were a runner-up or not. Contestants needed to raise $100.00 for the Miss America Organization's national platform—the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. There is a $400 cap to each contestant's fundraising efforts.