THOUGHTS OF MISS USA
PRETHOUGHTS

2009


Congratulations Miss USA 2009, Kristen Dalton of North Carolina! Only four years later, the top two of 2005 repeats itself! Beauty runs in the family as Kristen is the daughter of Miss North Carolina USA 1982, Jeannine Boger.

Oh my God! My top two flipflopped and the highly touted California's win-in-each-decade streak is broken by the narrowest of margins! North Carolina's heavenly Kristen Dalton captured the Miss USA crown and her 1st runner up was California's Carrie Prejean who received a controversial question about gay marriage and she said that she was against it. Some say she was just being true to her beliefs but the fur is gonna fly (and I'm not talking about the fur at the bottom of Carrie's gown) especially since that was asked by popular internet gossip columnist Perez Hilton!
So the results were a complete tease in comparison to my predictions. My top two ladies flip-flopped in the final results but I correctly pegged Utah as 3rd runner up. I got 6 semifinalists, 2 alternates and 2 honorable mentions and a whopping 4 that just fell short of making my list made it. 3 of those 4 (Connecticut, Minnesota and Virginia) were eliminated in the first round and South Carolina narrowly advanced. The only real shocker here was Idaho. And I'm glad all the ladies in the top 5 were in my list.
My final commentary on the pageant will be posted on May 11.

ACTUAL TOP 15

MY PREDICTIONS

Winner=North Carolina-Kristen Dalton

Winner=California-Carrie Prejean*

1st Runner Up=California-Carrie Prejean

1st Runner Up=North Carolina-Kristen Dalton*

2nd Runner Up=Arizona-Alicia-Monique Blanco

2nd Runner Up=Rhode Island-Alysha Castonguay

3rd Runner Up=Utah-Laura Chukanov

3rd Runner Up=Utah-Laura Chukanov*

4th Runner Up=Kentucky-Maria Elizabeth Montgomery

4th Runner Up=Nevada-Georgina Vaughan

FINALISTS

FINALISTS

6. Texas-Brooke Daniels

Texas-Brooke Daniels*

7. Tennessee-Kristen Motil

Kansas-Courtney Courter

8. Arkansas-Chanley Painter

Hawaii-Aureana Tseu

9. South Carolina-Stephanie Smith

New York-Tracey Chang

10. West Virginia-Jessi Pierson

District of Columbia-Nicole White

SEMIFINALISTS

SEMIFINALISTS

11. Virginia-Maegan Phillips

Arizona-Alicia-Monique Blanco*

12. Minnesota-Erica Nego

Florida-Anastagia Pierre

13. Georgia-Kimberly Gittings

Nebraska-Meagan Winings

14. Idaho-Melissa Weber

Kentucky-Maria Elizabeth Montgomery*

15. Connecticut-Monika Pietrzak

Illinois-Ashley Bond

 

ALTERNATES:Tennessee*, Washington, Massachusetts, Georgia*, South Dakota

 

HONORABLE MENTIONS:Louisiana, Vermont, Maine, West Virginia*, Arkansas*

 

* = made actual top 15

(((Below are my 3 series of prethoughts leading up to the pageant.)))

Okay, here it is folks. The long anticipated list of my predictions for Miss USA 2009! Enjoy!

TOM'S FINAL PREDICTIONS FOR MISS USA 2009:

Winner=California-Carrie Prejean

This should be no surprise to anyone who has been following my previous prethoughts but I put my faith in Carrie and she absolutely delivered. She has a remarkable presence, hair, body and gown and definitely will do what it takes to win the crown. Several factors working in Carrie's favor include maintaining California's historical trend of being the only state to have a winner in every decade and this decade depends on a win from California. Carrie narrowly defeated former Miss Teen USA 2003, Tami Farrell to win the state title and was a top 5 finalist the previous year to her competitive state title which is adding to her strength and she also has the support and backing of Shanna Moakler, Miss USA 1995 who is a head director for Miss California USA. All these factors working in Carrie's favor make her the top contender.

1st Runner Up=North Carolina-Kristen Dalton

Heavenly. Just heavenly. Kristen is absolute gorgeousness and if California wasn't competing this year, I would readily hand the crown over to Kristen. I have thought all along that she is a lock for top 5 as she has an incredible face, eyes that sparkle, luscious blonde hair, a fabulously toned body and a beaming, flowy, blue gown that is a breath of fresh air and will compliment her eyes too. I counted on Kristen and she certainly is giving a remarkably strong performance. As mentioned before, Kristen is the daughter of Miss North Carolina USA 1982, Jeannine Boger and Kristen's sister Julia was second-runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2008. Beauty runs in this family!

2nd Runner Up=Rhode Island-Alysha Castonguay

This beauty has consistently been strong and has several titles under her belt already. Alysha has a fantastic body, face, hair and gown. Her height does not matter as it shouldn't. You may recall that she was a semifinalist at Miss Teen USA 2002, which is also the Miss Teen USA class to have the most Miss USAs. The two ladies are Tara Conner in 2006 and Rachel Smith in 2007. Will Alysha be the third Miss USA from the Teen USA class of 2002?

3rd Runner Up=Utah-Laura Chukanov

She certainly has the look that Donald Trump will go for. The tall Eastern European supermodel type with a great body and a memorable performance in gown. She's got the glamour to make it this far and she is expected to deliver.

4th Runner Up=Nevada-Georgina Vaughan

The hometown girl may have appeared to have gained weight in some earlier shots but she seems to have been strong enough in the preliminaries and has the crowd support to get a high spot. She looked great when she won her state pageant and I was eyeing her since then. I have a feeling she will switch to a white gown on finals night but we'll see what happens.

FINALISTS:

Texas-Brooke Daniels

The reigning Miss USA is from Texas which will of course put the pressure on Brooke especially since Texas was the last state to do the impossible and crown 5 Miss USAs in a row from 1985 to 1989. Brooke was first runner up to Crystle Stewart at Miss Texas USA last year and then won the state title the following year. This was the same scenario for Miss USA 1989, Gretchen Polhemus from Texas and her first runner up at the state level, Stephanie Kuehne went on to win the state title in 1990 but only placed as a semifinalist and therefore broke the winning streak Texas had. Again, I liken this scenario to Brooke as I consider her strong enough for a top 10 placement but I don't see her going further than that. Brooke was decent in swimsuit and has a sheer, sexy gown.

Kansas-Courtney Courter

The brown hair makes her blue eyes really stand out in her lovely face and she also has a nice body and a great gown as well. Overall, she has a look and a name to be remembered so I think she will do quite well.

Hawaii-Aureana Tseu

Aureana now holds the distinction of having the longest wait period (10 years) between competing at Miss Teen USA (1999) and Miss USA (2009) and she clearly has improved dramatically since then. Her body is looking toned, yet very womanly and I normally love the cuffneck gown and the red sparkler is great. There was some talk about that video that appeared on the Miss USA website showing Aureana and her roommate, Carrie Prejean dishing about an unnamed delegate's eating habits and it seemed to have turned some people off to Aureana. I thought it was a bit of an overreaction but there was some thought that it may have been referring to "Awesome," a fictitious male delegate that has been rumored to be making an appearance during Miss USA. What exactly this is all about, we will probably learn during the telecast.

New York-Tracey Chang

Her performance in the preliminaries was quite strong and she is just so cute but she appears to be quite intelligent at the same time. I'm loving her hair in swimsuit and she's a standout so I think she will do quite well.

District of Columbia-Nicole White

A lot of people have complimented her radiant skin and she seems to have a great aura about her. She was one of my early favorites because she has a nice face and she seems to have performed well in the preliminaries so I decided to stick with my earlier instinct and give her a top 10 placement.

SEMIFINALISTS:

Arizona-Alicia-Monique Blanco

Earlier pictures I saw of her were strong but this still of her in swimsuit isn't so hot but I like the unique 'grass-skirt' gown and others have said she performed well in preliminaries so I'm giving her a top 15 spot.

Florida-Anastagia Pierre

Earlier, I had questions about her because her facial features can look somewhat wideset but she really seems to have controlled that with her smile and hair and she does have a really nice body and one of the seemingly popular sheer gowns so this was enough to make me think she can be semifinalist.

Nebraska-Meagan Winings

I'm giving her a spot just because I like her. I loved her at Miss Teen USA 2004 and was anticipating her at Miss USA but her presence seems to have diminished somewhat as she seems a little too low-key but I'm hoping the judges will see what a true beauty Meagan is. I was unsure of whether to give her a semifinalist or alternate spot but I decided to give her a spot after all.

Kentucky-Maria Elizabeth Montgomery

She's tall and has a really toned body and a really striking gown that can pull her into the semifinals.

Illinois-Ashley Bond

She has a great face, eyes, body and gown. I think overall she has the potential to do quite well but she doesn't really seem to be talked about much but in spite of that, I have given her the last top 15 spot.

ALTERNATES:

Tennessee-Kristen Motil

This was hard to do but Tennessee narrowly fell out of my semifinalist list this year which is a really rare thing to happen as I normally love Tennessee's delegates but this year's delegate is looking a tad frail in body and I don't particularly care for this gown either. Other people really seem to like her but for some reason, I don't feel too particularly strong about her.

Washington-Tara Turnure

This one was hard too because I feel that she performed to the best of her ability but it just wasn't enough to make my list. Her headshot had a bit of an awkward smile in it which turned me off a smidge but still she could be up there.

Massachusetts-Alison Cronin

She could be up there but there's something that's just not quite there. Some say the gown looks a bit dated but her body and hair are decent. She did also beat out favorites Monique Jones and Lacey Wilson for the Massachusetts crown so we'll see.

Georgia-Kimberly Gittings

Sure, I gave the edge to Nevada but Georgia is looking a bit too hefty and the gown looked better in some pictures than others. I was debating on her but after preliminaries, she has become an alternate.

South Dakota-Jessica Rowell

What? Have I gone bazongas? Well, this delegate I find somewhat titillating so I decided to include a departure delegate in my alternates. I figure if Leah Laviano can 'bust' into the top 5 last year and stay abreast of the competition by finishing as first runner up, then why not South Dakota? This one might be a gamble... Get it? Las Vegas? Gamble? (snort). Just for the shock value, she just might be included because actually she performed quite well in preliminaries and the gown is looking good. Bubes.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Louisiana-Lacey Minchew

She could be up there but she isn't coming across as powerfully as I think she could be. Her body is decent. The gown can be worked out so we'll see.

Vermont-Brooke Werner

This one was a surprise because usually not a lot is expected by Vermont but this year's delegate seems to be sexing it up good with her nice body and hot red gown.

Maine-Ashley Underwood

Another surprise! I said earlier that Maine appeared to be a nice girl but I didn't think she would go anywhere and then I saw her in preliminaries and the gown is a yes! She is also looking decent in swimsuit so this girl just might be up there.

West Virginia-Jessi Pierson

I just like her. Plain and simple. However, she is only an honorable mention because even though I like the face, hair and gown, I cannot discount the body. Her body has a bit of an odd shape to it as I mentioned earlier but it looks like she tried to mask that as much as she could by keeping her hands on her hips and she has a great stance too.

Arkansas-Chanley Painter

Others are impressed by her. I say she's trying too hard giving us the Miss Rhode Island USA 2004 gown dramatics. I'm not that impressed with the face but others liked her so let's see.


Others narrowly missing my list include:

Connecticut - As I said earlier, she's tall but there's no spark.
South Carolina - This isn't Mrs. USA...
Oklahoma - The nice uniquely-colored orange gown was a standout but she just doesn't do it for me facially.
Minnesota - Some say she impressed during prelims but I look at her face and lack of bust and I think, 'Really?'
Michigan - I thought she could be a surprise but no one seems to be jumping on the bandwagon. Someone at preliminaries said they could see her bra and panties under her gown.
Virginia - Some like her but I wasn't terribly impressed with her body.


So there's my list for this year and of course, there are going to be surprises but I'm not going to rack my brain trying to figure out what's going to happen. Normally, my list is about half-right anyway but we'll know the truth when the glamour and magic unfolds before us live in Las Vegas on April 19 on NBC!




Other tidbits include:

The judges are: Robert Earl, owner and co-chairman of Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino; Miss USA 2004 and television presenter, Shandi Finnessey; co-host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Willie Geist; President of Entertainment, MTV Networks Music Channels, Brian Graden; star of "Days of our Lives," Shelley Hennig; the internet's most notorious celebrity gossip columnist Perez Hilton; "Access Hollywood" contributor and KVBC News Entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs; "Deal or No Deal" model and star of "The Celebrity Apprentice," Claudia Jordan; John Miller, Chief Marketing Officer, NBC Universal; Kelly Monaco, season one celebrity winner of "Dancing With the Stars,"; comedian and cast member of "Saturday Night Live," Kenan Thompson and Eric Trump, Executive Vice President, Development & Acquisitions of The Trump Organization.

Producer and recording artist Kevin Rudolf will perform his chart-topping single "Let It Rock" during the swimsuit competition of the live telecast, and the pop star duo, The Veronicas, will perform their hit song "Untouched" during the evening gown competition. As previously announced, "Access Hollywood" co-host Billy Bush along with "My Name is Earl" star Nadine Velazquez will host the live telecast of the 58th Annual Miss USA Pageant from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in one of the world's liveliest cities, Las Vegas.

Diamond Nexus Labs, the official jewelry sponsor for the Miss Universe Organization, has created an eco-friendly, custom-designed crown for Miss USA 2009.


SECOND ROUND PRETHOUGHTS


Witness the magic unfold on April 19 on NBC when the Miss USA 2009 pageant broadcasts live from Las Vegas, Nevada. The ladies have arrived, rehearsals and photo shoots are in full swing and this year promises to have a return that magical Vegas glam. Of course, my predictions will be finalized after I have had a chance to view all the delegates competing in preliminaries but in the meantime, a lot of you have been asking of who I think the early contenders are so here is a 2nd round of prethoughts of each delegate.

Alabama - So Alabama has only won the crown once in 1967 and that winner Sylvia Hitchcock went on to win Miss Universe that year. The last time Alabama placed was in 2006 thanks to Haleigh Stidham. This year's delegate, Rachel isn't on a lot of lists. Facially, she could stand be stronger but she does seem to be among the better prepared contestants. Currently, she is not on my list.

Alaska - Recently, a former Alaska pageant girl, Sarah Palin, made the spotlight as running mate to the Republican candidate for the U.S. presidency, John McCain. This state hasn't been so successful as they have never won the crown and last made the semifinals back in 1990 with Karin Meyer. This year's delegate, Jessica Nolin, seems like a nice girl but doesn't seem quite prepared enough. She's seems fit but appears underexperienced and therefore is not on my list.

Arizona - Arizona's only titleholder, Jineane Ford, inherited the crown after South Carolina's Shawn Weatherly won Miss Universe in 1980. This year's girl is a contender but I'm constantly switching her around either as a top 10 or 15 placement. Her body and gown are looking good and she has a nice, fresh, exotic look to her.

Arkansas - Hmmm... I didn't rank her as highly in swimsuit but her gown is a nice color. But I think I'm going to pass on her. Arkansas last won the crown in 1982 thanks to Terri Utley back this state hasn't had a lot of luck placing in the semifinals recently after Terri's win, Arkansas only placed once again in 2005.

California - While California and North Carolina are my runaway top contenders this year, I've given the edge to Carrie as she is my winner so far and I think that's no secret to anyone who read my first round prethoughts. As mentioned earlier, California needs to win this year to keep their streak as the only state to have a Miss USA titleholder in each decade. She also defeated former Miss Teen USA, Tami Farrell at the Miss California USA state pageant. Carrie is well prepared and has the backing of Miss USA 1995, Shanna Moakler and Carrie seems poised, focused and very ready for the crown. Her body is fantastic and she has very strong presence in gown.

Colorado - This state also doesn't have a great placement history last making the semifinals in 2000 with Tiani Jones and never having a winner. For this year's delegate, the body is not strong enough but some have said that she bears a slight resemblance to Miss USA 2007, Rachel Smith. This delegate is not on my list.

Connecticut - Some people love her and others don't quite see it and I am of the latter persuasion. Yes, she's tall but I'm not feeling any spark from her. She is currently an alternate on my list but she could make it but she doesn't really seem to be making a strong impact. Connecticut doesn't have a great placement history either. They last placed in 2002, thanks to the experienced Alita Dawson but their placement before that was way back in 1969 and Connecticut has never won the crown.

Delaware - The only state that has never placed in the history of Miss USA. The body isn't strong enough and the gown doesn't seem to have generated any more positive reactions. She is currently not on my list.

District of Columbia - I'm very torn on this girl. Currently, I have her as an alternate as I like her face and her body and gown are decent but I can see her being passed on. DC has won the crown twice (1964 and 2002) and last placed in 2006 so we'll see what happens.

Florida - When she won her state title, I'll admit that I questioned her chances since her facial features can look somewhat wideset at times but she has really stepped up her game so much that I currently have her as a top 10 placement. Her body and presence in gown are looking great and her controlled presentation of face and hair are really helping her. Although this state has hosted numerous Miss USA and Universe pageants, Florida has never won the crown. They did inherit it in 1967 though when Sylvia Hitchcock went on to win Miss Universe.

Georgia - Kimberly is in my list but I don't exactly know where to place her quite yet (probably top 15 but she could become an alternate based on my impressions after preliminaries). I really like her gown and she is looking quite busty. Although this state has had several placements in the semifinals, Georgia has surprisingly never won the crown.

Hawaii - This girl has come a long way since competing at Miss Teen USA 1999. 10 years later, she is competing at Miss USA giving Aureana the distinction of having the longest wait period between competing at Miss Teen USA and Miss USA. She has really improved her body and made a great gown choice and she is currently in my top 10. Hawaii has won the crown four times and their most recent winner, Brook Lee also won Miss Universe.

Idaho - This state has only placed thrice in the history of Miss USA but it does have a titleholder (Brandi Sherwood inherited the Miss USA crown in 1997 and she was also Miss Teen USA 1989 making Brandi the only woman in history to hold both titles.) This year's delegate however is not on my list.

Illinois - This state has won the crown four times and this year's delegate is also currently in my top 15. She a really nice face and striking eyes and I'm impressed with body and gown.

Indiana - Indiana has never won the crown although they were first runner up in 1981. This year's delegate is the only one of East Indian descent and is a former teen titleholder but she seems to lack height and overall doesn't seem to be making a strong impact. She is currently not on my list.

Iowa - Iowa has been on my lists in the top 5 for the past two years but they haven't actually made the semifinals since 2000. This state even has a Miss Universe titleholder (Carol Morris in 1956). This year's delegate though will not be on my list as the body is not quite there.

Kansas - Something about the blue eyes and brown hair really makes her a standout for me. It really gives her face that mesmerizing appeal. I currently have her as a top 10 placement. Of course, Kansas' only Miss USA winner, Kelli McCarty made headlines recently for becoming a porn starlette. Will that extra publicity bring Kansas back in the spotlight?

Kentucky - This state won the crown in 2006 thanks to Tara Conner and this year's delegate looks promising. I'm liking the gown and the body looks strong but I'm not quite sure where to place her yet. She will probably either be in my top 10 or 15.

Louisiana - Louisiana has won the crown three times and this year's delegate has a decent body but I'm not so sure about gown. Currently, I have her as an honorable mention although she was in my list at one time so we'll have to see where this one goes.

Maine - This state rarely makes the semifinals. Their placement in 2006 was a surprise and their last placement before that was back in 1977. This year's delegate seems like a nice girl but she is currently not on my list.

Maryland - Maryland's only Miss USA, Leona Gage in 1957 was also the only Miss USA to be dethroned since it was soon discovered that Leona was a married mother of two. This year's delegate doesn't quite come across as prepared enough so she is currently not on my list.

Massachusetts - At the state level, Alison defeated favorites Monique Jones and Lacey Wilson to take the Massachusetts crown. She is currently an alternate on my list but I wouldn't be surprised to see Alison in the top 15. This state has won the crown twice (1998 and 2003).

Michigan - She actually looks quite good in body and gown and although nobody seems to be talking about her, she has potential to be a surprise delegate. I currently have her as an honorable mention but you never know what could happen. Michigan won the crown in 1990 and 1993 and those two ladies, Carole Gist and Kenya Moore are also the first two Miss USA titleholders of African-American descent.

Minnesota - This state won the crown once in 1976 thanks to Barbara Peterson and their placements in the semifinals have been somewhat scattered. I'm not quite feeling this year's delegate so she is currently not on my list.

Mississippi - This state pulled a surprise first runner up placement last year but this year's delegate does not appear to be a contender so she is not on my list.

Missouri - The show me state captured the crown in 2004 thanks to the breathtaking Shandi Finnessey. This year's delegate is a head scratcher for me. The body is looking good but I'm not really a fan of the hair or the gown although the hair makes her look unique. If she does make my list, it may be as an honorable mention.

Montana - This state hasn't placed since 1958. This year's delegate is also not on my list.

Nebraska - This one is a real painstaking struggle for me. I loved Meagan at Teen and I still like her but she seems too low key and I'm confused about the gown so sometimes I have her in top 15 and other times, I have her as an alternate. She will be in my list somewhere but I'm having a hard time determining where. Nebraska hasn't made the semis since 1980.

Nevada - Okay, so I did have the hometown girl in my top 5 but...she appears to have gained weight. Her face is looking fuller/rounder and now I'm all confused. She still does look nice though and I'm thinking if Michelle Arnette can be 1st runner up in 2003 with a fuller figure, Georgina can too and the hometown advantage could help her so she will be in my list but I'm waiting until preliminaries to determine where.

New Hampshire - This state's placements in 2000 and 2004 where both surprises and their last placement before that was 1980. I did raise some interest in New Hampshire after mentioning that their 1991 titleholder, Adriana Molinari, also starred in porn films. This year's delegate does not seem strong enough and is therefore not on my list.

New Jersey - Well, if she can beat Alyssa Campanella, she must have something but I'm not really seeing it with this girl. The gown and body are decent but if she does make my list, it will probably be as an honorable mention.

New Mexico - This state won the crown once in 1984 thanks to Mai Shanley. This year's delegate doesn't have the body for this competition so she is not on my list.

New York - This state has captured the crown 3 times (1952, 1979 and 1999) and inherited the crown in 1995 and has several strong placements in Miss USA history. This year's delegate is a refreshing choice, appears intelligent yet cute simultaneously and I think Tracey is a strong contender overall. I currently have her as a top 15 placement.

North Carolina - Well, it's no secret that I absolutely adore this girl. She is just overall gorgeousness and she will likely be first runner up in my list simply because I decided to give the edge to California but I would be just as thrilled if Kristen took the crown. As mentioned earlier, Kristen is the daughter of Miss North Carolina USA 1982, Jeannine Boger and Kristen's sister Julia was second runner up at Miss Teen USA 2008 so clearly beauty runs in this family! North Carolina captured its first crown in 2005 thanks to Chelsea Cooley.

North Dakota - This state has only placed thrice in Miss USA history and I don't expect this year's delegate to change that. She is not on my list.

Ohio - This state won the crown in 1965 and 1981 and had a very notable 1st runner up with Halle Berry in 1986. This year's delegate seems to have a bit of a stomach issue though. It looks almost as if she lost a lot of weight suddenly. She is not on my list.

Oklahoma - With several placements in Miss USA history, this state has yet to win the crown. Last year's delegate came close but ended up with a 3rd runner up placement. This year's delegate might be an honorable mention at best in my list but I'm waiting until preliminaries to determine that.

Oregon - Oregon has never won the crown even though they have 3 Miss Teen USA titleholders. I don't see this year's delegate as a strong contender so she is not on my list.

Pennsylvania - Penn State won the crown once in 1971 and last year's delegate did well to place as 4th runner up but this year's delegate is another one that is not really making a strong impact so she is not on my list.

Rhode Island - Ah, the striking Alysha Castonguay continues to impress with that great body and face. She also has a stunning, unique, black gown similar to what Miss Kosova wore at Miss Universe last year. Alysha is my second runner up and that probably will not change. Rhode Island also seems to have developed a streak in the semifinals placing as a semifinalist in 2006, 1st runner up in 2007 and as a semifinalist last year. Alysha will likely keep that streak going.

South Carolina - Well, South Carolina is of course that state with a storied pageant history with two Miss Universes, three Miss USAs, one Miss Teen USA, two Miss Americas and one Miss World. This year's delegate is another head scratcher for me. Some say the tan is a bit much and the short blonde hair and her overall appearance make her appear much older than she is. Her body and gown seem decent but I can see her being passed on. She will probably either be an honorable mention on my list or not in it all.

South Dakota - This state has only placed twice in Miss USA history. The last time being 1974. As for this year's delegate... Oh dear.

Tennessee - This powerful state has had many strong titleholders and captured the crown in 2000 and 2007. This year's delegate is a bit of a concern for me. Sometimes I think she's top 15 and other times, I have her as an alternate. She looks okay facially but her body appears a bit weak sometimes and the gown isn't terribly strong either so I'm waiting until preliminaries to determine where I will place her.

Texas - Like I mentioned earlier, Brooke was the first runner up at the state level to the reigning Miss USA, Crystle Stewart before winning the Texas crown the next year. This was also the same scenario was Gretchen Polhemus won Miss USA 1989 and Stephanie Kuehne placed only as a semifinalist the following year in 1990. I am again likening the same scenario here as I consider Brooke to be perhaps good enough for a top 10 placement but I don't really see her advancing further than that.

Utah - Well, this year's delegate, Laura has come on strong and is currently in my top 5. She has a great body, gown and overall look. Her Eastern European looks also will probably make her one of Donald Trump's favorites as he seems to favor this look. Utah won the crown in 1960 and that winner, Linda Bement, went on to win Miss Universe and they inherited the crown in 1957 when the original winner was dethroned. Utah also has a bit of streak going placing in the semifinals in 2005, 2007 and 2008 so Laura is expected to keep this streak going.

Vermont - I wasn't expecting her but she seems to be turning it on and is looking good in terms of face and body presentation and okay in gown. Vermont won the crown in 1955 but they haven't placed since 1982. Could this be a comeback year for Vermont? I currently have her as an honorable mention but she might move up after preliminaries. We shall see.

Virginia - Virginia won the crown in 1969 and 1970 and has had a few scattered placements here and there. This year's delegate is decent overall but could stand to be stronger so I currently have her as an honorable mention.

Washington - Good body and nice gown. Sometimes her pictures look a smidge awkward but I've been flipflopping on her. Sometimes she's a top 15 placement and other times, she's an alternate. I'm waiting for prelims to make a final decision. Washington won the crown in 1968 and their most recent placement in 2004 was a surprise.

West Virginia - Okay, here's the thing with this candidate. I like her face and gown but the body has a bit of an odd shape to it so as a result, I think she will probably not be on my list. West Virginia has never won the crown and their last placement was in 2005.

Wisconsin - This state doesn't have a great history at this pageant. Their placement in 2007 was a surprise and their last placement before that was in 1979. This year's delegate is not on my list.

Wyoming - This state has made the semifinals only once (1986) but this year's delegate is also not on my list.

So there you have it, a quick run through of some of my opinions of who's in and who's out so the final list will be determined after the preliminaries and of course, the truth will be unveiled on April 19!!



FIRST ROUND PRETHOUGHTS



Who will succeed the fabulous Crystle Stewart and be crowned Miss USA 2009?
The time is nigh... It is the dawning of a new day... and time to crown a new Miss USA. All the state titleholders have been chosen so I thought I would start posting my prethoughts on some of the delegates who are my early eyecatchers and will likely be a strong indication of how my predictions will look this year. I will also present some other interesting tidbits.


CALIFORNIA'S LAST CHANCE: The pressure is on Carrie Prejean...
Miss California USA 2009, Carrie Prejean
As I have mentioned several times before, California is the only state to have won the Miss USA crown at least once in each decade. Terry Lynn Huntingdon did it for California in 1959, Maria Remenyi in 1966, The California 5: Terry Lynn Huntingdon - Miss USA 1959, Maria Remenyi - Miss USA 1966, Summer Bartholomew - Miss USA 1975, Julie Hayek - Miss USA 1983, Shannon Marketic - Miss USA 1992Summer Bartholomew in 1975, Julie Hayek in 1983 and Shannon Marketic in 1992 which brings us to the final year of the 2000s and all eyes are on the woman on whom was bestowed the prestigious title of Miss California USA 2009, Carrie Prejean. Before talking about Carrie, I want to discuss California's previous titleholders. Summer Bartholomew (Miss USA 1975) was a much loved titleholder who went to star in various game shows like Sale of the Century and a brief stint on Wheel of Fortune preceding Vanna White as the letter turner. Miss Georgia Teen USA 1996, Summer Newman was even named after Bartholomew. Julie Hayek, Miss USA 1983 played a pivotal role in history as she became the Miss USA who would crown the very first Miss Teen USA. Miss USA 1983, Julie Hayek competes at Miss California USA 1982 Julie will forever be remembered fondly for her evening gown presentations. Her winning gown at Miss USA which she also wore at Miss Universe was a figure-hugging, cleavage-boosting, spaghetti-strap, heavenly blue number that had the world in awe. You might be hard pressed to find a delegate that has ever looked as hot as Julie did in that timeless classic evening gown. It was one of the hottest and timeless evening gown presentations in history and it even saw Julie experience a narrow defeat at Miss Universe 1983 as Julie placed 1st runner up to New Zealand's Lorraine Downes. Shannon Marketic became one of the most popular Miss USAs in history not only because of her stunning visage but also because of her controversial episode with the Sultan of Brunei that followed her reign. Miss USA 1992, Shannon Marketic Shannon had been invited with other women as a guest to stay in Brunei to be seen with the Sultan and his friends but Shannon claims that this invite became sexual in nature and she had to have certain medical tests and that she was told by one of the Sultan's friends that he loved Shannon's real breasts (but he used another word for breasts...). This resulted in Shannon paying her way to fly back home and filing a lawsuit against the Sultan that was later dismissed. Certain heads of state have some sort of immunity to these things it seems. Some other Playboy playmates said that they knew of these types of goings-on but some claimed that Shannon wrecked it for the rest of them by drawing attention to it but Shannon didn't believe that anyone would want to be a part of such a lifestyle.

Now back to Carrie Prejean... Carrie was also a top 5 finalist the previous year at Miss California USA during the controversial year when Cristina Silva was mistakenly crowned Miss California USA 2008 on the night of the pageant only to be told to relinquish her crown due to a tabulation error in the votes. Miss California USA 2009, Carrie Prejean This resulted in the title being assigned to Raquel Beezley, who became a top 15 semifinalist at Miss USA 2008. Carrie was stunning then and remains outstanding now and already several pageant watchers have Carrie pegged as the favorite for Miss USA 2009, not only to maintain the historical trend of California crowning a winner in every decade but also because she has what it takes to win the crown. One other very notable fact was that Carrie's 1st runner up at Miss California USA was none other than Miss Teen USA 2003 herself, Tami Farrell. Tami follows in the footsteps of Christie Woods (Miss Teen USA 1996) and Ashley Coleman (Miss Teen USA 1999) as the former Miss Teen USA winners who were unable to win a state title to compete at Miss USA. All Miss Teen USAs who attempted to win their state title prior to this (Kelly Hu, Brandi Sherwood, Jamie Solinger and Shauna Gambill) were successful on their first try at winning their Miss USA state title. But will Tami break the hex and make another attempt at the title and possibly win it all? That's a question that we will know the answer to in the future but if Carrie can defeat Tami... then shouldn't that add to her star-power and ability to take the Miss USA crown??? Carrie will certainly be a central point of focus for Miss USA 2009 and will add to the excitement of this year's event. However, Carrie does have some very tough competition to face as described by some other delegates below.


Beauty Runs in the Family
Kristen Dalton, Miss North Carolina USA 2009
Jeannine Boger, Miss North Carolina USA 1982 and mother of Miss North Carolina USA 2009, Kristen Dalton and Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2008, Julia DaltonNorth Carolina is being represented by the gorgeous Kristen Dalton who, with that amazing face, is already considered a lock for the top 5 at Miss USA 2009 and could quite possibly take it all. If the Dalton name sounds familiar, it should as Kristen's sister Julia placed as 2nd runner up representing those who are 'tarheel born and tarheel bred' at Miss Teen USA 2008. The beautiful Dalton sisters are the daughters of another pageant veteran, Jeannine Boger who was Miss North Carolina USA 1982 pictured here competing at the Miss USA 1982 pageant. So clearly, beauty runs in this family! Can Kristen take it all for North Carolina only four years after Chelsea Cooley won their first Miss USA crown in 2005?


Will There Be a Third Miss USA from the Teen USA Class of 2002?

Alysha Castonguay, Miss Rhode Island USA 2009That's what Rhode Island's Alysha Castonguay hopes to have happen. Two former Miss USAs (Tara Conner in 2006 and Rachel Smith in 2007) also competed and placed in the top 10 at Miss Teen USA 2002 which makes this Teen pageant class the one to produce more Miss USAs than any other. Alysha Castonguay hopes to maintain that stranglehold and become the third Miss USA from the Teen class of 2002. And with that gorgeous face, it should be quite easy for Alysha to ease her way up there. Although, she is among the shorter delegates this year, Alysha is still a standout who also has some other prestigious titles under her belt including Miss Teen America and Miss Teen Galaxy. Alysha was also a cheerleader for the New England Patriots. Rhode Island has never won the Miss USA crown and although it is the smallest state, it has sent us some memorable delegates. Will Alysha bring that first Miss USA title to Rhode Island?


Odds on the Hometown Girl?

Georgina Vaughan, Miss Nevada USA 2009This year's pageant will again be held in Las Vegas, Nevada and the host state representative, Georgina Vaughan also looks like she is poised to handle the pressure. Georgina was also Miss Nevada Teen USA 2006 but did not place as a semifinalist at Miss Teen USA but after seeing her winning reaction at Miss Nevada USA, I think she can become a favorite as she did look incredible.


Can Texas Pull the Back to Back Magic Again?

Brooke Daniels, Miss Texas USA 2009Of course, let's not forget the state that has captured the Miss USA crown more than any other state, Texas! This year's representative is Brooke Daniels who incidentally was 1st runner to Crystle Stewart (the reigning Miss USA) at Miss Texas USA last year. No state has won two years in a row since Texas did the impossible and won 5 years in a row from 1985 to 1989. Interestingly enough, in 1989 when Gretchen Polhemus won Miss Texas USA, her first runner up Stephanie Kuehne went on to win the next year's Miss Texas USA crown but Stephanie broke the chain and only placed as a top 12 semifinalist at Miss USA 1990. I am already likening the Crystle/Brooke scenario to the Gretchen/Stephanie scenario. But you never know what could happen!


Hawaii's Aureana Tseu will break the record previously held by Florida's Christen Duren for the longest wait period from competing at Miss Teen USA to Miss USA. Christen competed at Miss USA 2006, 9 years after competing at Miss Teen USA 1997 but now Aureana will compete at Miss USA 2009, 10 years after competing at Miss Teen USA 1999.
New Jersey's Kaity Rodriguez pulled an upset win over the astonishing dynamo Alyssa Campanella (1st runner up at Miss Teen USA 2007 and my prediction to win that year). I was very happy to see Alyssa return to the pageant stage and expect her to win her state title to get to the Miss USA stage very soon and when she does, y'all better watch out!!!


Kelli Was Just Wondering... If 'THIS' Was What You Had in Mind????

Kelli McCarty, Miss USA 1991 turned porn starlette in action
Kelli McCarty, Miss USA 1991So the word is out that Kelli McCarty, Miss USA 1991 and the only Miss USA titleholder from Kansas has become the first Miss USA winner to become a porn starlette. Kelli signed with well known adult entertainment company Vivid and stars in the film 'Faithless'. When asked about it, Kelli said that she was between jobs and wanted to combine her passions for acting and sex and that she approached the head of Vivid Entertainment and was signed. Kelli is most noted for playing the maniacal Beth Wallace on the soap opera 'Passions' for 7 years and Kelli is perhaps also well known among pageant fans as one of the most dramatic transformations among Miss USA titleholders. Kelli has been very open about receiving cosmetic surgeries and while she reigned as Miss USA, Kelli had long blonde hair but afterwards changed to have short, dark hair. There have been mixed reactions among fans to Kelli's most recent foray. Some people applaud her for following through with her choice and making a new name for herself and yet others chastise her for perhaps not being an ideal role model as a former Miss USA. I say it's her life and she can choose what she wants to do with it. But the story doesn't end there. There is another contestant from Miss USA 1991 that even at the time of the pageant was involved with the porn industry and perhaps she could have inspired Kelli's entrance to the porn world. That woman is Miss New Hampshire USA 1991, Adriana Molinari, also known by the name of 'Alex Taylor' in the porn industry. Miss New Hampshire USA 1991, Adriana Molinari (aka Alex Taylor)Miss New Hampshire USA 1991, Adriana Molinari (aka Alex Taylor) After having also made several films for Vivid and being featured in Playboy several times, Adriana / Alex has retired from the porn industry. Adriana while competing at Miss USA 1991 later confessed that she had been a stripper and even felt that competing in the Miss USA pageant was a waste of time since she was losing so much money by not stripping. To bring her story to light, Adriana / Alex starred in a porn film entitled 'Dethroned' where a pageant winner is threatened with being stripped of her title due to her undercover life. In the film, a male character says to Alex, "You broke the contract." Then Alex snaps back with a breathy reply. "But the contract says 'no nude pictures'. That's all it says!!" After Alex makes this declaration in the film to her defense, she then has to think of... ways to keep her title...

So those are my thoughts for now but the action will take place in Las Vegas in April when the truth unfolds before our eyes. It's going to be exciting! Until then!


 

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Some photos courtesy Miss Universe L.P., LLLP