COEUR d'ALENE - Gabrielle Vietri was named Coeur d'Alene's newest Distinguished Young Woman on Friday night at the Kroc Center.

Vietri, a Lake City High School student, was selected from a pool of 27 high school juniors from within the Coeur d'Alene School District, who spent two days competing in front of judges in several categories including interview, talent, scholastic, fitness and self-expression.

Vietri won the talent competition in which she performed a piano solo: "L'Orage" by Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmuller.

"The talents we saw were really unique this year," said Denise Leonard, this year's chair of the Distinguished Young Women program in Coeur d'Alene.

Girls performed displays of archery, speed-painting and yoga on stage. One girl showed off her modeling skills.

"She changed four or five outfits behind a curtain, which was great," Leonard said. "I think the diverse talents made for a really entertaining show for the audience."

Distinguished Young Women, formerly named Junior Miss, is a national scholarship competition. Vietri will now compete in the state event to be held in October in Idaho Falls.

"Our program awarded $7,500 in scholarships to the Distinguished Young Women in the Class of 2014," Leonard said.

Amber Ferguson was this year's first runner-up, and Cheyenne Fisher was named finalist. Both girls tied for the "Spirit of Distinguished Young Women" honor, which is voted on by the other participants, Leonard said.

"That says a lot about how they are viewed by their peers," she said.

Leonard's daughter, Madison, a Coeur d'Alene High School graduate, participated in the program in 2009, and went on to win the state, and then the national competition. The name was changed from Junior Miss the year Madison was involved, so in 2010 she became America's First Distinguished Young Woman.

Leonard said she chaired the program this year because she's passionate about Distinguished Young Women.

"I've had three daughters go through it, and they've all benefited from it," she said. "When you can do anything to empower a high school junior girl, to help her gain confidence, I think that's important."

The theme of this year's event was "Superheroes: Dare to be you."

Kylee Solberg, last year's Distinguished Young Woman from Coeur d'Alene, illustrated the theme's principle during this year's program, Leonard said. Solberg appeared on stage in a jumpsuit, blue suede boots and a red cape, while the girls danced to the song "I Need a Hero."

"It was a clever opening," Leonard said.

Other awards and scholarships:

* "Be Your Best Self" - Rachel Averett

* Fitness - Amber Ferguson, Paige Momerack, Ashley Lagrou

* Self-expression - Amber Ferguson, Kaity Widmyer, Ashley Lagrou

* Talent - Gabrielle Vietri, Miranda Anderson, Rachel Averett

* Scholastics - Kaity Widmyer, Gabrielle Vietri, Chyenne Fisher

* Interview - Amber Ferguson, Gabrielle Vietri, Tayler Petticolas