EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – The Sun Bowl Association announced the 2023-24 Sun Court including the new Sun Queen, Lady-in-Waiting and nine Sun Princesses Friday, July 28 at the El Paso Country Club.
The new Sun Queen, Kaitlyn Deguire, Lady-in Waiting Alessandra Vasquez and nine new Sun princesses joined the Sun Court while also representing the City of El Paso.
“We are only one of two bowl games that has a group of representatives such as our Sun Court, which is a very important part of our association and events,” Executive Director Bernie Olivas said. “This group is a strong and outgoing group of young women who will make a difference in our community and beyond.”
“I just want this year’s court to get involved in the community and to have fun doing it. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I will work to lead this group to represent the Sun Bowl Association and the El Paso community well, Sun Queen Deguire said.
The Sun Court Coronation has been a part of the Sun Bowl since the first-ever college Sun Bowl game played in 1936. Coronation played a huge social role in the “Sun Carnival”, the week-long pageantry associated with the Sun Bowl.
According to the 1938 Sun Bowl game program, “The social side of the Sun Carnival centers around the Coronation of the Sun Queen with her Lady-In-Waiting and Royal Court of Princesses from all the cities of the Sun Empire and the Grand Ball tendered by the Association in honor of Her Majesty and Court.”
Today, the Sun Court serves as ambassadors for the city of El Paso, according to the Sun Bowl Association.
The ladies of the court volunteer at various community events and make appearances at the Glasheen, Valles & Inderman Sun Bowl Parade, WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational, the Sun Bowl Basketball Skills Camp, Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl, Peter Piper Pizza Punt, Pass & Kick, the Sun Bowl Adult Flag Football Tournament and many other events throughout the year.
2023 Sun Queen:
- Kaitlyn Deguire, daughter of Henry Deguire and Emma Saucedo-Cordova, is an Eastwood High School graduate, majoring in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at El Paso.
- Aside from being on the Dean’s list and receiving the UTEP Emerging Leader Award, Deguire is also involved in UTEP Edge, Alpha Xi Delta, and is a Miner Ambassador. As a research assistant at the W. M. Keck Center, Deguire focuses on training Department of Defense personnel in additive manufacturing and the qualities of various 3-D printed plastics.
- Being a 2022-2023 Sun Princess gave Deguire the opportunity to be a role model for girls as both an ambassador for El Paso and as a woman in STEM. One of Deguire’s favorite events as a Sun Princess was the 89th Annual Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl which filled El Paso with an unimaginable energy she will never forget.
- As the 2023-2024 Sun Queen, Deguire is looking forward to representing the Sun Bowl Association and the El Paso community in the best way possible. Deguire’s goal as Sun Queen is to embody the spirit of El Paso, showcasing its warmth, generosity, and inclusivity every chance she gets.
Lady-in-Waiting:
- Alessandra Vasquez, daughter of Ricardo Vasquez, is a graduate of the Valle Verde Early College, and most recently a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso, where she is now studying towards a master’s degree in business.
- In addition to being on the Dean’s List, Vasquez fills her on-campus life by being a member of the Accounting Society, the Business College Council, and the Women’s Empowerment Organization. Vasquez also dedicates her time to volunteering at the El Paso Food Bank, the Kendra Scott Cares program, at Valle Verde Early College and the Center Against Family Violence.
- Having attended Charm Camp, the Sun Court inspired Vasquez to become a Sun Princess and now Lady-In-Waiting, to keep this tradition alive, and inspire a new generation of Sun Princesses. After being a Sun Princess and working with the Kendra Scott Cares program, Vasquez found a passion for working with non-profit organizations and giving back to her community. Being an ambassador as a part of the 2023-2024 Sun Court is a great way for Vasquez to continue helping her hometown.
Nine new Sun Princesses:
- Violeta Amaya – (UTEP)
- Lauryn Brown – (Texas)
- Sofia Gomez – (Notre Dame)
- Kathryn Goodrich – (Arkansas)
- Raegan Jabor – (Texas Tech)
- Reese Mann – (Mississippi)
- Bailey Muckelroy – (Texas Tech)
- Caitlyn Pena – (Sul Ross State)
- Ashley Rios – (Texas A&M)
For complete bios on 2023 Sun Princesses go to www.sunbowl.org/about/sun_court.
Travis Burnett
A pioneer in the flag football community, Travis helped co-found the Flag Football World Championship Tour, FlagSpin and USA Flag. Featuring 15+ years of content creation for the sport of flag football, creating and managing the largest flag football tournaments on the planet, coaching experience at the youth and adult level as well as an active player with National and World Championship level experience.
