Irvine, Calif. -- Former UC Irvine women's basketball player Kiara Belen will compete in Cycle 19 of America's Next Top Model. The show premieres on Friday, August 24 at 8:00 p.m. on the CW with the first-ever "College Edition".
"I think being an athlete helped me on the show," Belen said. "My athleticism and competitiveness gave me an edge, but knowing how to be coached was vital to my success. I'm excited for the show to begin and to have the opportunity to represent UC Irvine."
Belen will join 12 other women as they battle it out to earn the prestigious title of "America's Next Top Model" and compete for a career-launching prize package that includes a fashion feature in Nylon Magazine, as well as $100,000 cash and campaigns with Nine West and Smashbox Cosmetics, in addition to a modeling contract with LA/NY Models and being named the face of "America's Next Top Model" perfume Dream Come True.
During the premier, fans will be encouraged to tweet support or send a message to Kiara at @ _KiaraBelen
Belen played for the Anteaters from 2008-2012, appearing in 100 career games. The forward was the only player to have started all 30 games last season, averaging 6.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest. The defensive specialist posted a career-high 17 points last season at Northern Colorado. She graduated with a degree in sociology.
Former UCI student-athletes have been successful in reality television competitions with men's basketball player Aras Baskauskas winning Survivor: Panama in 2006 and women's golfer Selaneé Henderson finishing as the runner-up in the Golf Channel's Big Break Atlantis last month.
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