SOUTH BEND — The third time was a charm for Mackenzie Kuiken of South Bend, who has been crowned Miss Washington Teen USA for 2023.

Kuiken, a junior at South Bend High School, competed in the program twice before, initially not placing and then reaching the semifinals.

Amid competition from 15 others, she was crowned with the tiara and sash at the event in Renton last month. She will participate in the national Miss Teen USA competition next fall.

Kuiken, 16, has participated in cheerleading, volleyball, basketball, softball and track. Her platform for the program is “Girls With Game,” which encourages girls to become involved with sports, clubs and the arts.

She emphasizes the need for young athletes to take care of their mental as well as physical health. In an online post, she mentioned that the Girls With Game program organizes camps to teach athletes how to improve their skills and donates money and equipment to players in need.

“As a multi-sport athlete, I understand the mental health struggles and the love-hate relationship with sports,” she wrote. “Reminding myself to have fun is one thing that helps me stay mentally in the game.”

‘Mental toughness’

An individual player can affect a game, she noted.

“When I’m down, I bring the entire team down because the chemistry is off. I could help my team if I obliged myself to stay positive and have fun, instead of getting into my head.”

She said the key is learning to cope with stress and developing “mental toughness,” which is almost as important as physical fitness. “Even the best athletes can succumb to pressure, so mental training is an essential skill to have,” she said.

“Negative external or internal psychological factors can cause mental blocks, resulting in breaks in focus and preparation, poor performance, and, in some cases, athlete injury. They can cause physical disturbances such as muscle tightness, shaking and increased perspiration.”

Kuiken is the daughter of Wyatt and Neomie Kuiken. Her father is a career and technical educator (CTE) with Willapa Valley schools; her mother teaches fourth grade at Mike Morris Elementary in South Bend. She and older sister, Makaylee, a senior at SBHS, both take Running Start classes through Grays Harbor College.

Service activities

One week before her state win, Kuiken participated in the Queens for a Cure pageant to raise money for breast cancer awareness.

She has worked on community service projects with the South Bend Fire Department and a local elementary school. She is a member of National Honor Society. As a sophomore, she was class president. She has also worked with FFA, as social media manager for Key Club, a service group, and competed on a Knowledge Bowl team.

She was one of four cheerleaders — whose fall assignment is supporting the combined South Bend-Raymond Ravens high school football team — who traveled with their coach Wendy Manlow to perform during the pregame show at the Citrus Bowl college football game in Orlando, Florida, on New Year’s Day 2022.

Kuiken hopes to become a sports physical therapist.