I will post my full commentary on Miss USA 2024 on August 12.



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THE PREDICTIONS (August 4, 2024)

The big night is tonight August 4 on the CW!

The hosts are: Garcelle Beauvais and Keltie Knight of E! News who returns for a second consecutive year.
The judges include: Miss USA 1990-Carole Gist, Miss USA 1994-Lu Parker, Vanderpump Rules star-Scheana Shay, Anastasia Beverly Hills CEO-Anastasia Soare. motivational speaker-Natasha Graziano, APL managing partner-NJ Falk and shoe designer-Jojo Bragais (who appears to be a last minute substitute for singer Gavin Degraw).
The color commentators are: Miss USA 2022 Morgan Romano and YouTube star Patrick Starrr
And now, here come the predictions for Miss USA 2024! I'm assuming this year's format should replicate that of the recently concluded Miss Teen USA pageant so I suspect we will have the top 20 ladies competing in swimsuit and then cut to top 10 competing in gown then a cut to top 5 answering the final question.
It's interesting to note that at Miss Teen USA 2024, West Virginia's delegate fell into one of the orchestra pits in the stage during the preliminary active wear competition but recovered nicely and pulled a Miriam Quiambao and parlayed that fall in preliminaries into a top 5 placement! Will the same thing happen to Pennsylvania and Iowa's delegates who also fell into the orchestra pit during the state costume competition??
You can view the preliminaries here:

After reviewing preliminaries, bios, videos and pictures, I have now come up with my final predictions for Miss USA 2024 and they are as follows!



TOM’S FINAL PREDICTIONS FOR MISS USA 2024

Winner=Nevada-Najah Ali

Najah just had the overall best impact after preliminaries for me. This illusion gown is so ornate like a chandelier and is absolutely stunning but apart from that, Najah has such mesmerizing facial beauty and a great overall doll-like look and body and I expect her speaking skills to be strong since she is a 23-year-old recent summa cum laude graduate with a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Nevada, hails from a family of seven and lived in Italy for six months as a recipient of the esteemed Gilman Scholarship and Najah won her state title on her first try. Nevada won their only Miss USA crown in 2014 and last placed in 2023 so is it time again for the Silver state?

1st Runner Up=Virginia-Himanvi Panidepu

I adore Himanvi and I think she has a great overall look and is one of two contestants of Indian descent competing this year and we know those Indian girls are accomplished and interview well and this is one smart young lady as she is a Cum Laude graduate of Virginia Tech trailblazing in cybersecurity and a well-rounded athlete, artist, model and advocate. Even though Himanvi didn't place at Miss Teen USA 2018, she was recently a runner-up to Miss Texas USA, Aarieanna Ware at the regional city title of Miss Dallas USA and we have seen other non-placers at Miss Teen USA later triumph at Miss USA like Miss USA 2018-Sarah Rose Summers, Miss USA 2005-Chelsea Cooley, Miss USA 2003-Susie Castillo and Miss USA 1999-Kimberly Pressler. Virginia won the crown twice back in 1969 and 1970 and last placed in 2021.

2nd Runner Up=Alabama-Diane Westhoven

Stunning Diane is well positioned you see since last year, she was 2nd runner up for Miss Alabama USA 2023 which was won by Sophie Burzynski who made top 20 for Miss USA 2023 but do you know who the 1st runner up was last year at Miss Alabama USA?? Yup, none other than Noelia Voigt who later statehopped to Utah and won that state title and then went on to win Miss USA 2023! Since Sophie and Noelia both placed, it's only logical that Diane places too and she certainly is placement worthy so here she is in my list. Alabama has won the Miss USA crown only once back in 1967 with the late Sylvia Hitchcock who would go on to win Miss Universe that year.

3rd Runner Up=Kansas-Bella Whitlock

This one totally took me by surprise but what an amazing preliminary performance by young Bella! She definitely had the moves and body in swimsuit and her hair up in this bun is reminiscent of the Audrey Hepburn sported by Kosovo's 2009 delegate while the gown is reminiscent of Oklahoma's 2012 delegate, Lauren Lundeen. Bella is only 19 years old and is one of the youngest contestants this year along with Wyoming who is also 19. Bella is a Presidential Scholar at the University of Miami majoring in finance with a minor in business law. Kansas won the Miss USA crown once back in 1991 thanks to Kelli McCarty and they placed in 4 of the last 5 Miss USA pageants so will Bella finally get another win for where there's no place like home??

4th Runner Up=Illinois-Grace Rodi

Grace is tall and graceful with a great body and carries herself well on stage. This two-piece gown is unique and sparkles in the spotlights. Grace was also runner-up to last year's Illinois rep and top 20 finisher, Samantha Elliott at the state level. Grace is a Chicago native and University of Texas graduate where she obtained her degree in Public Relations and now works for a marketing firm. Illinois currently has a 4 year streak in the semifinals with two of those placements being in the top 5 and they have captured the crown 4 times thanks to Myrna Hansen (1953) who turns 90 on August 5 and is making an appearance during a video segment for this year's pageant, Marite Ozers (1963), Amanda Jones (1973) and Karen Morrison (1974).

FINALISTS:

Kentucky-Connor Perry

Someone please tell me who told Connor to wear this Big-Bird-nightmare gown?? Ugh...Connor was my WINNER! Then, I saw this gown and God help us all if she doesn't have some new miracle gown for finals. I don't even think you're allowed to change from your prelims gown anymore except for emergencies like Texas last year whose gown ripped and she borrowed Alaska's gown. Okay, maybe she doesn't want to win given the controversies of last year. I'm going to give her a pass and give her a top 10 spot in my list and hope the judges will judge the girl and not the gown because Connor really does possess the right overall look, height and intelligence of a Miss USA. Connor has that absolutely gorgeous face, friendly demeanor, natural charm and graceful moves on stage as she is a professional dancer and dance teacher who even won her state title on her first try! She holds a degree in Neuroscience and will pursue continued education and a career as an Anesthesiology Assistant so this is an exceptionally bright, beautiful woman. Kentucky has claimed two Miss USA crowns thanks to Tara Conner in 2006 and Elle Smith just recently in 2021.

Texas-Aarieanna Ware

Are ye unaware of Aarieanna Ware? Well, thou shouldst be! This ho-hum gown also makes me think she doesn't want to win and since I can't see a gown like this making top 5, I have placed her among my finalists. Aarieanna was very capable of taking the crown and it would make sense if she did as she is the third black Miss Texas USA and the first two, Chelsi Smith and Crystle Stewart both went on to win Miss USA and Chelsi even won Miss Universe so should this be a slamdunk for Aarieanna? She did win a very competitive state title of Miss Texas USA on her first try and even Chelsi and Crystle didn't win on their first tries so we shall see if this custom home builder who prides herself in her Jewish faith can pull off yet another win for the Lonestar state that has claimed the Miss USA crown ten times with the most recent in 2022 going on to win Miss Universe.

Tennessee-Christell Foote

Standing at "Six Foote Four", Christell towers over the competition with her height and she does have a great look, body and gown but does she have the interview skills? It did take several attempts to win her state title as she was previously 2nd runner-up at Miss Tennessee USA 2023, a semifinalist in 2022, 4th runner-up at Miss Georgia USA 2021 and a semfinalist in 2020 in Georgia so this makes me question but I did keep her among my top 10. Tennessee has won the crown twice thanks to two phenomenal beauties, Lynnette Cole in 2000 and Rachel Smith in 2007 and they last placed in 2022.

Louisiana-Sydney Taylor

Sydney won her competitive state title on her first try. She was previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2020 (4th runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2020) so she is certainly one to watch. Louisiana has won the crown 3 times (1958, 1961, 1996) but they haven't placed since 2021 so will Sydney bring Louisiana back in a big way?

California-Samantha Ramos

The host delegate did well in preliminaries. Samantha studied business at Cal State University, Fullerton and currently serves as the Marketing Director at her family-owned restaurant group. She is an ambassador for Girls Inc., a nonprofit encouraging young women to be strong, smart, and bold. She is passionate about empowering Latinas. She is also a singer and covers well-known pop music with a Latin twist getting over 10 million TikTok views, leading to her being discovered by Atlantic Records. Samantha proudly represented California as a finalist on NBC’s The American Song Contest. I think she's top 10 material so that's where I have her at the moment. California placed among the top 20 in 2023 and they have won the Miss USA crown 6 times (1959, 1966, 1975, 1983, 1992 and 2011) once in each decade excluding the 2000s when they earned 3 1st runner-up placements(2005, 2006 and 2009).

SEMIFINALISTS:

Arizona-Kristina (K) Johnson

I decided after all to put K in my list. K? K. Kristina (going by K) is the oldest contestant so far in the history of Miss USA at age 41 and it was rather appropriate as our "golden girl" of the pageant that she wore a gold gown! K had previously placed among the top 10 of the notable class of Miss California USA 2010 (won by Nicole Johnson who would marry Olympic gold-medal winning champion swimmer, Michael Phelps). Although I can see slight signs of age, K showed up in peak physical condition and she really wants this and has waited very long to step on the Miss USA stage which is a chance that was eluded her until the age limit and marriage restrictions changed this year and K's placement will surely encourage others in her age group. Arizona inherited its only Miss USA crown in 1980 after Shawn Weatherly won Miss Universe and Arizona had placed 3 years in a row from 2014 to 2016 but hasn't placed since but K's about to change that. K? K.

Indiana-Stephanie Sullivan

One of the anomaly delegates being a 33-year-old wife and mother of 3 boys, Stephanie is also Mexican-American and has a law degree from Purdue University but works as a model, makeup artist, and owner of an award-winning beauty and wellness studio. I decided to put her in my list along with Arizona. K? Indiana has never won the crown but they were 1st runner up in 1981 thanks to Holli Dennis and they last placed in 2020.

Massachusetts-Melissa Sapini

This was another one that wasn't really on my radar but Melissa seems to have won a lot of favor after prelims with her distinct gown style and hair up in a bun. She also seems to have a spunk about her that people seem to like. Melissa is a professional model, television commercial actress, and entertainment reporter of The New England Sports Network. Massachusetts has won the crown twice in 1998 and 2003 and last placed in 2018.

New York-Marizza Delgado

Previously Miss Earth New York 2022 and Top 20 at Miss Earth USA 2022, Marizza is Filipina-American so she has a strong chance of winning the online vote! She also advocates for women in STEM. She walked in New York Fashion Week and has appeared in Vogue Philippines. She works as a Data Scientist at Rent the Runway and serves on the Girls Who Code Advisory Council. New York has won 3 Miss USA crowns (1952, 1979, and 1999) and inherited one crown in 1995 and they last placed in 2020. Others seem to speak highly of her and I can see her appeal so I have Marizza among my top 20 currently.

Ohio-Macy Hudson

I think her unique look, great body and sass will get her noticed. Ohio has won the Miss USA crown twice (1965 and 1981) and has a very famous 1st runner up with Oscar winning actress Halle Berry and Ohio last placed in 2022. Macy is a graduate student pursuing an MBA and likes thrifting and fashion hoping to start her own sustainable styling company. A classically trained violinist and dancer, Macy works for a major fashion company in New York and has a story about losing her sister in 2021 causing her to raise awareness about blood disorders so this story could win the judges' favor.

Pennsylvania-Noni Diarra

Will the fall in the orchestra pit during state costume translate into a high placement for Noni? I think she deserves it as I like Noni's confidence and unique, smoldering look. She's smart too as she earned her Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology from West Chester University in 2022 and works as a Research Technician in a cancer research at a children’s hospital. Noni is a trained dancer and dance educator and we know how well dancers move on stage. She rose up to be a woman in STEM and was the daughter of a determined single mother and she wants to inspire girls with similar backgrounds. Pennsylvania won the crown in 1971 and placed among the top 5 last year and I'm thinking Noni can pull off a placement. I had her higher originally but am not getting enough of a consensus on her placing so I lowered her on my list but would be happy to see her place higher.

North Carolina-McKenzie (Kenzie) Hansley

Kenzie has extensive pageantry experience. She was Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2017 but went unplaced at Miss Teen USA 2017. Prior to that, she was Miss North Carolina's Outstanding Teen 2015 and later Miss North Carolina Collegiate America 2019 and 1st runner up at Miss Collegiate America 2019 and she was runner-up to her state title last year. I know she has questionable hips which seems to be forgiven more these days and a platform about surviving sexual assault which might be a no-no but I think she knows the right thing to say if she wants the job. She studied Broadcast Journalism and Business as well as obtaining her Master’s Degree in Integrated Marketing Communications. North Carolina has done very well in recent years with their current 3 year streak in the semifinals and even inheriting the crown for 2022 in addition to winning three other Miss USA crowns in 2005, 2009 and 2019.

Georgia-Emmaline Farmer

Emmaline is a Registered Nurse and Family Nurse Practitioner student at Emory University who believes in challenging disparities that hinder comprehensive healthcare for women. I think she looked great in preliminaries so I reserved a spot for her. Georgia has never won the crown even though they have several runners-up and they last placed in 2020.

Florida-Peyton Lewis

Peyton's gown is amazing and she has a great body and overall look but I don't see much consensus on her placing so maybe there's something I don't know but based on prelims, I think she is placement-worthy. She is a realtor who works to empower women and promote financial literacy. Florida placed among the top 20 last year but surprisingly, the Sunshine state has yet to outright win Miss USA. Their 1967 titleholder, Cheryl Ann Patton was originally 2nd runner up that year but accepted the crown after Sylvia Hitchcock won Miss Universe 1967 and the 1st runner up from California did not accept the title.

Hawaii-Breea Yamat

I think Hawaii is in the current Miss USA organization owners' good books given that the reigning Miss USA, Savannah Gankiewicz accepted the crown for Hawaii in that state crowned by Hawaii's governor, Josh Green after Utah's Noelia Voigt resigned so does this guarantee Breea a placement? Breea is even the sister of Miss Hawaii USA 2022, Kiana Yamat who went unplaced at Miss USA 2022. Of Mexican and Filipino descent, Breea has a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Hawaii and is working towards becoming a family medicine physician. I think Breea has a great body and overall look and did well in preliminaries so I gave her a spot in my list. The Aloha state has won the Miss USA crown 4 times and inherited the crown 1 time (last year).

ALTERNATES:

Arkansas-Madeline Bohlman

Madeline was previously Miss Arkansas Teen USA 2021 but went unplaced at Miss Teen USA and she is also the first cousin of the reigning Miss America-Colorado's Madison Marsh but being related to another titleholder is never a guarantee of a placement. Just ask the sisters of Logan West-Miss Teen USA 2012 and Kristen Dalton-Miss USA 2009 who both went unplaced when they competed in later editions of the pageants won by their sisters. She could place but I don't know who to take out to fit her in so I kept her as an alternate. Arkansas has won the crown once in 1982 thanks to Terri Utley and they placed among the top 20 last year.

Utah-Alyssa Chandler

The resigned Miss USA 2023, Noelia Voigt represented Utah so I don't know if Utah is now in the current organization's bad books. Alyssa was previously 2nd runner up at Miss Missouri USA 2023 to a delegate that did not place so I'm not expecting a placement for this delegate but she was decent in prelims and people seem to like her but I just don't feel strongly enough for some reason. Utah's Miss USA history is interesting as they inherited the crown in 1957 when the winner from Maryland was dethroned and Utah won the crown in 1960 and that winner, Linda Bement while Utah's 2023 Miss USA winner was the first to resign so some very unusual wins for Utah!

New Jersey-Jabili Kandula

After prelims, I was feeling strongly enough about Jabili even if she is one of the more accomplished delegates as a private pilot and an aviation journalist for Aviation for Women magazine working on her commercial pilot license at Air Fleet Training Systems. She is a M.S. candidate at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, studying Aeronautics with a specialization in Space Operations. She also holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and media studies from Rutgers University-NB. New Jersey has never won the crown and they last placed in 2023.

Maine-Anne Baldridge

Maine has never won the crown but they did have a 3 year streak placing from 2010 to 2012 and they did place in 2018. Anne is a television journalist and she did have an interesting reveal during the evening gown competition that triggered some audience reaction so we'll see if that did the trick.

Mississippi-Kaylee Brooke McCollum

Another former teen delegate, Kaylee was Miss Mississippi Teen USA 2019 finishing as 3rd runner up at Miss Teen USA 2019. I kept her as an alternate but she is a strong candidate but might be deemed a bit too pageant patty. She does have a story of losing a friend to suicide, after which Kaylee founded #YOUmatter to advocate for mental health issues. She also works as a registered nurse. Mississippi just won its first Miss USA crown with Asya Branch in 2020 and they last placed in 2021.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Nebraska-Kamryn (Kami) Buchanan

Kamryn was actually quite good in preliminaries in terms of body and gown but perhaps not facially. She is a 24-year-old biracial model, a working counselor and grad student at the University of Nebraska where she is pursuing both her master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology. Nebraska won their first crown in 2018 thanks to Sarah Rose Summers and they placed as 2nd runner up last year in 2022.

Oklahoma-Danika Christopherson

I think Danika may have come across as too sexy during preliminaries which might do better with more males on the panel of judges of which we only had one. Oklahoma last placed in the top 3 for 2019 and 2020 and they won their first Miss USA crown in 2015 thanks to Olivia Jordan. Danika was preiously Miss Oklahoma Teen USA 2020 and placed among the top 16 for Miss Teen USA 2020. She is a self-taught seamstress and designed every piece of her competition wardrobe for Miss USA. Danika is a high achiever who can even sing the Periodic Table of Elements.

New Mexico-Mackenzie Sydow

The land of enchantment did pull off a win in 1984 and they did place as 1st runner up in 2019 and they had a top 20 placement last year as well. 22-year-old Mackenzie is a delicate beauty that seems to exude a genuine warmth and she has quite the story as she became the legal-guardian and primary caregiver for her brother who has Autism Spectrum Disorder while she was still in high-school after losing both parents at a young age. She is an advocate for Autism and for those with special needs. After preliminaries, I wasn't seeing enough consensus on her placing so I put her here.

Iowa-McKenzie Ariana Kerry

She fell in the newly covered-up orchestra pit during the state costume competition so will that translate into a placement? McKenzie has a cute look to her and her feathered gown was unique. She was 1st runner up for her state title for 2023 and 2nd runner up for her state title in 2022. McKenzie certainly appears to be charming and she works as a corporate trainer, community leader, and professional cheerleader. She graduated magna cum laude from UNC Charlotte with a B.S. in Business and moved over 1,000 miles to launch her career in Des Moines, Iowa. Iowa last placed in 2019 and Carol Morris in 1956 won Iowa's only Miss USA crown and later also won Miss Universe that year.

District of Columbia-Kleo Torres

She just looked way too mechanical during preliminaries and the loose neck on her gown was bugging me so unfortunately, I wasn't sold on it but she can interview her way in. DC has been doing suspiciously well placing in 6 of the last 8 Miss USA pageants and even winning two of those crowns. Kleo founded a nonprofit organization providing a safe space for children affected by parental incarceration. The nation's capital has won the crown 4 times thanks to Kára McCullough in 2017, Deshauna Barber in 2016, Shauntay Hinton in 2002 and Bobbi Johnson in 1964.

NEXT TIER:

Colorado (tall!), Connecticut (openly lesbian but one of the judges, Carole Gist is very Christian), Delaware, South Carolina, West Virginia

I also wanted to give shoutouts to Idaho and Maryland. Idaho's gown was amazing but those platforms were soooo high that it was visibly difficult for her to walk in them and props for her very cool state costume starting out as a sack of Idaho potatoes to reveal underneath that Marilyn Monroe white dress from 'The Seven Year Itch' and Maryland is the second trans delegate to compete at Miss USA but this gown with the snakes or all-consuming flowers was too costumey and distracting so it gets the unique gown award!

There’s my list for this year! So we’ll find out how I did and who I may have missed that ends up in the mix and who will be the new Miss USA!

Tell everyone to watch Miss USA 2024 on August 4 on the CW!



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SECOND ROUND PRETHOUGHTS (July 28, 2024)



Preliminaries are on August 3 when we will see all 51 contestants compete in swimsuit and gown and then the 2024 Miss USA pageant will air on the CW on August 4 live from the Peacock Theatre in Hollywood, California at 5pm Pacific Standard Time. Spread the word and get people to watch Miss USA on the CW this year!
There's allegedly more chaos behind the scenes as state directors are stating that they didn't get an itinerary fr the pageant until just last week causing a lot of last minute scrambling to schedule and make travel arrangements and handle wardrobe so some directors are pointing the finger at Laylah claiming she has poor communication skills. Could this into a huge mess? The deposit on the Peacock Theater was allegedly only recently put down. Will we see a lot of reluctance among the contestants to enter this environment or are we taking a note from a previous era when controversy was good for publicity?
The ladies are arriving in Hollywood. I'm going to assume like last year that there is a top 20 this year with 19 chosen by the judges with the 20th spot for the winner of the Internet vote. I heard that interview is worth 50% of the preliminary score whereas swimsuit and gown are each 25% so we should look for strong interview skills and unique accomplishments first before body or beauty and a lot of delegates have a background story but like always, surprises are to be expected. As always, it's going to be difficult to predict who actually will make the final cut so let's see how I do this year.



I will be posting my final predictions for Miss USA 2024 on the morning of August 4 but in the meantime, I will be posting my present thoughts on each delegate.

Alabama Diane Westhoven Diane is well positioned you see since last year, she was 2nd runner up for Miss Alabama USA 2023 which was won by Sophie Burzynski who made top 20 for Miss USA 2023 but do you know who the 1st runner up was last year at Miss Alabama USA?? Yup, none other than Noelia Voigt who later statehopped to Utah and won that state title and then went on to win Miss USA 2023! Since Sophie and Noelia both placed, it's only logical that Diane places too and she certainly is placement worthy so she is among my top 20 currently and will likely stay there. Alabama has won the Miss USA crown only once back in 1967 with the late Sylvia Hitchcock who would go on to win Miss Universe that year. Alaska Brenna Schaake Alaska placed in 2017 among the top 10 which was their first time placing since 1990 but the northernmost state has never won the Miss USA crown. Brenna is 29 years old and permitted to compete this year since the previous age limit of age 28 has been discontinued but this delegate is not expected to place. Arizona Kristina (K) Johnson Arizona inherited its only Miss USA crown in 1980 after Shawn Weatherly won Miss Universe and Arizona had placed 3 years in a row from 2014 to 2016 but hasn't placed since. K is the oldest contestant in the competition this year at age 41. K? K. She had previously placed among the top 10 at the notable class of Miss California USA 2010 (won by Nicole Johnson who would marry Olympic gold-medal winning champion swimmer, Michael Phelps). Will her unique status garner the attention of the judges and get her that placement? I'm leaning towards no because mom-bod is a thing but that hasn't been much of an issue in recent years so we'll see how she performs in preliminaries. Arkansas Madeline Bohlman Madeline was previously Miss Arkansas Teen USA 2021 but went unplaced at Miss Teen USA and she is also the first cousin of the reigning Miss America-Colorado's Madison Marsh but being related to another titleholder is never a guarantee of a placement. Just ask the sisters of Logan West-Miss Teen USA 2012 and Kristen Dalton-Miss USA 2009 who both went unplaced when they competed in later editions of the pageants won by their sisters. I'm on the fence with this delegate but for now I have her as an alternate. Arkansas has won the crown once in 1982 thanks to Terri Utley and they placed among the top 20 last year. California Samantha Ramos Samantha studied business at Cal State University, Fullerton and currently serves as the Marketing Director at her family-owned restaurant group. She is an ambassador for Girls Inc., a nonprofit encouraging young women to be strong, smart, and bold. She is passionate about empowering Latinas. She is also a singer and covers well-known pop music with a Latin twist getting over 10 million TikTok views, leading to her being discovered by Atlantic Records. Samantha proudly represented California as a finalist on NBC’s The American Song Contest. I think she's top 10 material so that's where I have her at the moment. California placed among the top 20 in 2023 and they have won the Miss USA crown 6 times (1959, 1966, 1975, 1983, 1992 and 2011) once in each decade excluding the 2000s when they earned 3 1st runner-up placements(2005, 2006 and 2009). Colorado Jessi Kalambayi This delegate is currently not among my picks. Colorado last placed in 2012 but they have never won the crown. Connecticut Shavana Clarke We found the Rainbow Connecticution with openly lesbian Shavana who proudly supports the LGBTQ+ community and has a unique talent of being able to crochet outfits and even crocheted the swimsuit she wore during her state pageant. I do have her among my top 20 currently as she is just uniquely interesting and has a glow about her but I don't know if her platform might not be deemed G-rated enough so we'll see. She won Miss Connecticut USA on her third try placing as 3rd runner up for 2023 and unplaced for 2021 before getting the win this year. Connecticut won their only Miss USA crown in 2013 and last placed in 2023. Will Shavana make it 3 years in a row for the Constitution state? Delaware Alysa Bainbridge Delaware placed for the first time ever in 2015 thanks to Renee Bull who made the top 10 but they haven't placed since. Alysa is a cross-over from the Miss America system previously holding the titles of Miss Pennsylvania 2022 going unplaced at Miss America 2023 and Miss Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Teen 2016 making top 11 at Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2017 and advocates for mental health intervention after losing her brother to opioid addiction so Alysa is certainly one to watch but I'm somehow unsure about her so I have her as an alternate currently so we'll see if that changes after preliminaries. District of Columbia Kleo Torres DC has been doing suspiciously well placing in 6 of the last 8 Miss USA pageants and even winning two of those crowns. Kleo looks like a strong candidate who founded a nonprofit organization providing a safe space for children affected by parental incarceration so I have her in my top 20 currently. The nation's capital has won the crown 4 times thanks to Kára McCullough in 2017, Deshauna Barber in 2016, Shauntay Hinton in 2002 and Bobbi Johnson in 1964. Florida Peyton Lewis Peyton certainly looks the part and she is a realtor who works to empower women and promote financial literacy. I have her among my top 10 presently. Florida placed among the top 20 last year but surprisingly, the Sunshine state has yet to outright win Miss USA. Their 1967 titleholder, Cheryl Ann Patton was originally 2nd runner up that year but accepted the crown after Sylvia Hitchcock won Miss Universe 1967 and the 1st runner up from California did not accept the title. Georgia Emmaline Farmer Emmaline is a Registered Nurse and Family Nurse Practitioner student at Emory University who believes in challenging disparities that hinder comprehensive healthcare for women. I have her as an honorable mention currently as I don't quite feel strongly about her for some reason. Georgia has never won the crown even though they have several runners-up and they last placed in 2020. Hawaii Breea Yamat I think Hawaii is in the current Miss USA organization owners' good books given that the reigning Miss USA, Savannah Gankiewicz accepted the crown for Hawaii in that state crowned by Hawaii's governor, Josh Green after Utah's Noelia Voigt resigned so does this guarantee Breea a placement? Breea is even the sister of Miss Hawaii USA 2022, Kiana Yamat who went unplaced at Miss USA 2022. Of Mexican and Filipino descent, Breea has a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Hawaii and is working towards becoming a family medicine physician. I have Breea as an alternate at the moment but she has a strong chance of moving into my top 20 after preliminaries. The Aloha state has won the Miss USA crown 4 times and inherited the crown 1 time (last year). Idaho Kaitlyn (Kit) Widmyer I don't foresee a placement for this delegate. Idaho inherited its only Miss USA crown in 1997 when Brandi Sherwood inherited it after Brook Lee won Miss Universe 1997 and they had another 1st runner up placement in 2020 which was their most recent placement. Illinois Grace Rodi Grace was runner-up to last year's Illinois rep, Samantha Elliott at the state level and Grace also has a great overall look and body so she is currently among my top 20. She is a Chicago native and University of Texas graduate where she obtained her degree in Public Relations and now works for a marketing firm. Illinois currently has a 4 year streak in the semifinals with two of those placements being in the top 5 and they have captured the crown 4 times thanks to Myrna Hansen (1953), Marite Ozers (1963), Amanda Jones (1973) and Karen Morrison (1974). Indiana Stephanie Sullivan One of the anomaly delegates being a 33-year-old wife and mother of 3 boys, Stephanie is also Mexican-American and has a law degree from Purdue University but works as a model, makeup artist, and owner of an award-winning beauty and wellness studio. I don't have this delegate among my picks but her uniqueness could earn her a placement. Indiana has never won the crown but they were 1st runner up in 1981 thanks to Holli Dennis and they last placed in 2020. Iowa McKenzie Ariana Kerry She was 1st runner up for her state title for 2023 and 2nd runner up for her state title in 2022. McKenzie certainly appears to be charming and she works as a corporate trainer, community leader, and professional cheerleader. She graduated magna cum laude from UNC Charlotte with a B.S. in Business and moved over 1,000 miles to launch her career in Des Moines, Iowa. I have her as an honorable mention at the moment but she could move up after preliminaries. Iowa last placed in 2019 and Carol Morris in 1956 won Iowa's only Miss USA crown and later also won Miss Universe that year. Kansas Bella Whitlock One of the youngest contestants at age 19, Bella is a Presidential Scholar at the University of Miami majoring in finance with a minor in business law. This delegate is not among my picks at the moment. Kansas won the Miss USA crown once back in 1991 thanks to Kelli McCarty and they placed in 4 of the last 5 Miss USA pageants. Kentucky Connor Perry The bluegrass state is well represented with this outstanding delegate who won her state pageant on her first try. I'm debating right now if I should give my win to Kentucky or Texas but since I feel Connor is the more photogenic of the two, she is my winner at the moment. She is a dancer with an amazing body and graceful moves on stage who has appeared in commercials and holds a degree in Neuroscience with plans to pursue continued education and a career as an Anesthesiology Assistant. Kentucky won the crown twice in 2006 and in 2021 which is the last time they placed so is Kentucky about to claim another Miss USA crown with Connor? Louisiana Sydney Taylor Sydney won her competitive state title on her first try. She was previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2020 (4th runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2020) so she is certainly one to watch and is among my top 10 currently. Louisiana has won the crown 3 times (1958, 1961, 1996) but they haven't placed since 2021 so will Sydney bring Louisiana back in a big way? Maine Anne Baldridge Maine has never won the crown but they did have a 3 year streak placing from 2010 to 2012 and they did place in 2018. Anne is a television journalist but I'm not anticipating a placement for this delegate. Maryland Bailey Anne Kennedy A delegate that breaks all the old rules being a 31-year-old, married, trans delegate (only the 2nd trans delegate to make it to the Miss USA stage after Miss Nevada USA 2021, Kataluna Enriquez who went unplaced at Miss USA 2021), Bailey Anne is of Cambodian descent and is the first Asian Miss Maryland USA so will all these stand-out features make her the star or could she go unplaced? It's hard to say what will happen here but if representation matters like it appears to recently then I think she could make the top 10 so that's where I have her now in my list. Ironically, Maryland won the crown in 1957 but that winner, Leona Gage, was dethroned shortly after her win when it was discovered that she was a twice-married mother of two boys who also lied about her age. Maryland also inherited the crown in 2012 thanks to Nana Meriwether who was runner-up to Olivia Culpo who would go on to win the USA's 8th Miss Universe crown in 2012. Maryland last placed in 2023. Massachusetts Melissa Sapini Melissa is a professional model, television commercial actress, and entertainment reporter of The New England Sports Network. I need to see more of this delegate so I'll be watching her during preliminaries but as of right now, she's not among my picks. Massachusetts has won the crown twice in 1998 and 2003 and last placed in 2018. Michigan Alma Cooper Michigan won the crown 3 times (1990, 1993 and 2010) and last placed in 2018. Alma serves as a 2nd lieutenant and Military Intelligence Officer in the United States Army. She graduated in the top 5% of her class from Westpoint so do we have another Deshauna Barber in our midst?? I need to see more of this delegate but as of right now, this year's delegate is not among my picks at the moment. Minnesota Muna Ali Muna is the first Somali to be crowned Miss Minnesota USA. She is a first-generation college graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pre-Med and also an entrepreneur creating two home healthcare companies. Minnesota won its only crown in 1976 and they last placed in 2022 but I don't foresee a placement for this delegate. Mississippi Kaylee Brooke McCollum Another former teen delegate, Kaylee was Miss Mississippi Teen USA 2019 finishing as 3rd runner up at Miss Teen USA 2019. I have her as an alternate at the moment though. She does have a story of losing a friend to suicide, after which Kaylee founded #YOUmatter to advocate for mental health issues. She also works as a registered nurse. Mississippi just won its first Miss USA crown with Asya Branch in 2020 and they last placed in 2021. Missouri Ashleigh Bedwell She has a story of being a heart surgery survivor and advocate for the American Heart Association. This delegate is not among my picks currently. Missouri won its only Miss USA crown in 2004 and they last placed in 2022. Montana Shelby Dangerfield At 30, Shelby is among the older contestants this year. Shelby temporarily moved out east to pursue a career in musical theater but she is a fifth-generation Montanan who was born and raised in Billings and is a 2016 graduate of Coastal Carolina University. Montana has not placed since way back in 1958 and I don't think that will change this year. Nebraska Kamryn (Kami) Buchanan Kamryn is a 24-year-old biracial model, a working counselor and grad student at the University of Nebraska where she is pursuing both her master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology. Nebraska won their first crown in 2018 thanks to Sarah Rose Summers and they placed as 2nd runner up last year in 2022 but this delegate is not currently among my picks. Nevada Najah Ali Najah remains among my top 5 picks presently. She has a great overall doll-like look and body and I expect her speaking skills to be strong since she is a 23-year-old recent summa cum laude graduate with a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Nevada, hails from a family of seven and lived in Italy for six months as a recipient of the esteemed Gilman Scholarship. Nevada won their only Miss USA crown in 2014 and last placed in 2023. New Hampshire Ariel Sullivan New Hampshire pulled off a top 12 placement in 2022 and although they have never won the crown, they did pull off a 1st runner up placement in 2000. I don't foresee a placement for this delegate. New Jersey Jabili Kandula Jabili is one of the more accomplished delegates so I have her among my top 20 currently. She is a private pilot and an aviation journalist for Aviation for Women magazine working on her commercial pilot license at Air Fleet Training Systems. She is a M.S. candidate at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, studying Aeronautics with a specialization in Space Operations. She also holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and media studies from Rutgers University-NB. New Jersey has never won the crown and they last placed in 2023. New Mexico Mackenzie Sydow The land of enchantment did pull off a win in 1984 and they did place as 1st runner up in 2019 and they had a top 20 placement last year as well. 22-year-old Mackenzie is a delicate beauty that seems to exude a genuine warmth and she has quite the story as she became the legal-guardian and primary caregiver for her brother who has Autism Spectrum Disorder while she was still in high-school after losing both parents at a young age. She is an advocate for Autism and for those with special needs. She is currently among my top 20 so will Mackenzie continue New Mexico's streak and could she take it all? New York Marizza Delgado Previously Miss Earth New York 2022 and Top 20 at Miss Earth USA 2022, Marizza is Filipina-American and advocates for women in STEM. She walked in New York Fashion Week and has appeared in Vogue Philippines. She works as a Data Scientist at Rent the Runway and serves on the Girls Who Code Advisory Council. New York has won 3 Miss USA crowns (1952, 1979, and 1999) and inherited one crown in 1995 and they last placed in 2020. Others seem to speak highly of her and I can see her appeal so I have Marizza among my top 20 currently. North Carolina McKenzie (Kenzie) Hansley Kenzie has extensive pageantry experience. She was Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2017 but went unplaced at Miss Teen USA 2017. Prior to that, she was Miss North Carolina's Outstanding Teen 2015 and later Miss North Carolina Collegiate America 2019 and 1st runner up at Miss Collegiate America 2019 and she was runner-up to her state title last year so she is among my top 20 currently despite questionable hips which seems to be forgiven more these days and a platform about surviving sexual assault which might be a no-no. She studied Broadcast Journalism and Business as well as obtaining her Master’s Degree in Integrated Marketing Communications. North Carolina has done very well in recent years with their current 3 year streak in the semifinals and even inheriting the crown for 2022 in addition to winning three other Miss USA crowns in 2005, 2009 and 2019. North Dakota Codi Miller At age 31 and with the age limit now eliminated, Codi now holds the record for the longest gap between competing at Miss Teen USA which she did in 2009 and Miss USA 2024 so 15 years apart far surpasses the previous record held by Maine's Ashley Marble and Connecticut's Marie-Lynn Piscitelli who each competed 11 years apart. North Dakota last placed in 2021 and that winner, Caitlyn Vogel who placed as 1st runner up at Miss USA 2021 had Codi as her runner-up at the state level so is this a sign?? I don't have her in my list currently but that could change after preliminaries. Ohio Macy Hudson Ohio has won the Miss USA crown twice (1965 and 1981) and has a very famous 1st runner up with Oscar winning actress Halle Berry and Ohio last placed in 2022. Macy has a distinct look and is a graduate student pursuing an MBA and likes thrifting and fashion hoping to start her own sustainable styling company. A classically trained violinist and dancer, Macy works for a major fashion company in New York and has a story about losing her sister in 2021 causing her to raise awareness about blood disorders. She has a great body though so right now, I have her as an honorable mention so we'll see if that changes after preliminaries. Oklahoma Danika Christopherson Oklahoma last placed in the top 3 for 2019 and 2020 and they won their first Miss USA crown in 2015 thanks to Olivia Jordan. Danika was preiously Miss Oklahoma Teen USA 2020 and placed among the top 16 for Miss Teen USA 2020. She is a self-taught seamstress and designed every piece of her competition wardrobe for Miss USA. Danika is a high achiever who can even sing the Periodic Table of Elements. She is among my top 20 currently. Oregon Shayla Montgomery Oregon last placed in 2018 and has never won the Miss USA crown but they have won Miss Teen USA three times and Shayla almost got there placing as 1st runner up at Miss Teen USA 2020. Shayla graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and now works as a nurse in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Her body type may have worked for Teen but I don't think it will for Miss. I've also heard that her father may have been making some undesirable comments on social media so a placement this time around might be questionable so I have her as a next tier delegate currently. Pennsylvania Noni Diarra I like Noni's confidence and unique, smoldering look. She's smart too as she earned her Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology from West Chester University in 2022 and works as a Research Technician in a cancer research at a children’s hospital. Noni is a trained dancer and dance educator and we know how well dancers move on stage. She rose up to be a woman in STEM and was the daughter of a determined single mother and she wants to inspire girls with similar backgrounds. Pennsylvania won the crown in 1971 and placed among the top 5 last year and I'm thinking Noni can do it again so she is among my top 5 currently. Rhode Island Kaitlynne Santana Of Puerto Rican descent, Kaitlynne aspires to one day own a modeling academy in Rhode Island. She is a student at the Community College of Rhode Island where she studies Business Marketing. This delegate is currently not among my picks. Rhode Island captured its first Miss USA crown in 2012 and of course that winner, Olivia Culpo, went on to win Miss Universe and the smallest state in the union also placed as 2nd runner up in 2015. South Carolina Gracen Grainger Gracen was Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2020 and placed among the top 16 at Miss Teen USA 2020. South Carolina generally has a good track record so for that reason alone, I have this delegate in my top 20 but at the same time, I can see this delegate getting cut too so we'll see what happens. South Carolina last placed in 2023 and they won the Miss USA crown three times (in 1954, 1980 and 1994) and two of those winners won Miss Universe and their 1990 winner won Miss World so South Carolina's universal pageant track record is one to be revered. South Dakota Ahmitara Alwal I actually really like this girl as she has a sweet face but her body/height might take her out of the competition and it makes me mad when I feel forced to put other girls in my list over ones that I actually like but I would be very happy if Ahmitara placed so I have her as an honorable mention currently but I might give her a spot in my list after preliminaries though because I actually want her to place. South Dakota has pulled off rare placements recently making the top 5 in 2018 and the top 10 in 2016 and they had only placed twice before in 1958 and 1974. Tennessee Christell Foote Standing at "Six Foote Four", Christell towers over the competition with her height and she does have a great look but does she have the interview skills? It did take several attempts to win her state title as she was previously 2nd runner-up at Miss Tennessee USA 2023, a semifinalist in 2022, 4th runner-up at Miss Georgia USA 2021 and a semfinalist in 2020 in Georgia so this makes me question but for now, she is among my top 10. Tennessee has won the crown twice thanks to two phenomenal beauties, Lynnette Cole in 2000 and Rachel Smith in 2007 and they last placed in 2022. Texas Aarieanna Ware Are ye unaware of Aarieanna Ware? I'm debating between Texas and Kentucky for my winner but for the time being, I have Texas as my 1st runner up so we shall see if that changes after preliminaries. Taia Aarieanna Ware is the third black Miss Texas USA and the first two black Miss Texas USAs went on to win Miss USA and Aarieanna even won a competitive state on her first try so will this just be a slamdunk Miss USA win for Aarieanna? She does have supreme confidence, a smoldering look, a great body and great speaking skills and works as a custom home builder. Texas, the most successful state at Miss USA, has won the crown 10 times including one just recently in 2022 with R'Bonney Gabriel who went on to win Miss Universe. Texas has also has an unmatched five-year streak of Miss USA wins from 1985 to 1989. Utah Alyssa Chandler The resigned Miss USA represented Utah so I don't know if Utah is now in the current organization's bad books. Alyssa was previously 2nd runner up at Miss Missouri USA 2023 to a delegate that did not place so I'm not expecting a placement for this delegate. Utah's Miss USA history is interesting as they inherited the crown in 1957 when the winner from Maryland was dethroned and Utah won the crown in 1960 and that winner, Linda Bement while Utah's 2023 Miss USA winner was the first to resign so some very unusual wins for Utah! Vermont Samantha Vocatura Samantha did quite the statehop here a few months right after placing 1st runner up to Miss Massachusetts USA 2024, Melissa Sapani then hopping to Vermont to win that state title so Melissa and Samantha will compete together once again on the Miss USA stage but neither of them are expected to place. Placements for Vermont are rare but Vermont managed to place in 2022 after having not placed since 1982 but they did win the crown back in 1955. Virginia Himanvi Panidepu I adore Himanvi and she is still in my top 5. I think she has a great overall look and is one of two contestants of Indian descent competing this year and we know those Indian girls are accomplished and interview well and this is one smart young lady as she is a Cum Laude graduate of Virginia Tech trailblazing in cybersecurity and a well-rounded athlete, artist, model and advocate. Even though Himanvi didn't place at Miss Teen USA 2018, she was recently a runner-up to Miss Texas USA, Aarieanna Ware at the regional city title of Miss Dallas USA and we have seen other non-placers at Miss Teen USA later triumph at Miss USA like Miss USA 2018-Sarah Rose Summers, Miss USA 2005-Chelsea Cooley, Miss USA 2003-Susie Castillo and Miss USA 1999-Kimberly Pressler. Virginia won the crown twice back in 1969 and 1970 and last placed in 2021. Washington Tiffany Rea Tiffany previously held a title called Miss United States 2020 and holds a degree in Crime Scene Investigation and Psychology but bodywise, this delegate is not expected to place. Washington won the crown in 1968 and placed last year after not having placed since 2004. West Virginia Caylie Simmons West Virginia last placed in 2022 and has never won the crown. Caylie is a registered dental hygienist. This delegate is not among my picks. Wisconsin Tori Trittin Tori is another former teen having competing at Miss Teen USA 2017 but going unplaced. Tori is photogenic and smart but I think the body might keep her out so I have her as an alternate for now. Wisconsin has never won but they did place as 2nd runner up last year matching their previous highest placement in 1974. Wyoming Mackenzie Rush Mackenzie is one of the youngest contestants this year at age 19 as is Kansas' delegate. Placements for Wyoming are extremely rare as they have only placed twice (1986 and 2010). This year's delegate is not expected to place.

Again, the preliminaries are on August 3. I will post my final predictions for Miss USA 2024 on the morning of August 4 and then later that night is the finals airing on the CW at 5pm(Pacific Standard Time)/8pm (Eastern Standard Time) so we shall see who will be queen for 2024!



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FIRST ROUND PRETHOUGHTS (July 21, 2024)


Who will succeed Miss USA 2023, Savannah Gankiewicz and be crowned Miss USA 2024??

Here’s the schedule of events for Miss Teen USA 2024 and Miss USA 2024.
All competitions take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California.
Miss Teen USA Preliminaries are on July 31, State Costumes for both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA on July 31, Miss Teen USA FINAL Competition is on August 1 airing on the CW, Miss USA Preliminaries are on August 3 and Miss USA FINAL Competition is on August 4 airing on the CW.

For now, here are my highly anticipated First Round Prethoughts!



The First Noelia,
Former Miss USA
Now, The Second Savannah
Has Taken Her Reign


Did you sing that headline to the tune of 'The First Noel??' I hope so but if you didn't, do it now!!

On May 6, 2024, with less than 3 months left in her reign, the pageant world was rocked by a cryptic post on Noelia Voigt’s Instagram account announcing her resignation as Miss USA 2023 stating in her post, “I realize this may come as a large shock to many. Never compromise your physical and mental well-being. Our health is our wealth. A million thank you’s to all of you for your constant and unwavering support. Time to write the next chapter. I hope you’ll stick around to see what’s next.”

Almost immediately, internet sleuths decoded a hidden message in this post as the first sentences of this post start with the letters, ‘I AM SILENCED’ so towards the end of May, Noelia clarified in a post on social media that she was constrained by a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) which apparently all the contestants were made to sign and she and even some the other contestants wanted Laylah Rose (the new president of the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA organization) to waive their NDA and enable Noelia to speak if there is nothing to hide. The contract that the delegates were made to sign included things like the organization having the right to terminate Miss USA’s employment due to facial or physical disfigurement and authorizing physical and mental examinations.

During a Supermodels Unlimited event, Laylah Rose poses between the resigned Miss USA 2023, Noelia Voigt and the resigned Miss Teen USA 2023, UmaSofia Srivastava amongst various titleholders and staff members on Feb. 10, 2024. Hawaii's governor Josh Green at the crowning of the new Miss USA 2023, Savannah Gankiewicz with Laylah Rose and Savannah's mom, Yvienne Tagorda Peterson on May 15, 2024.

On May 9, New Jersey’s UmaSofia Srivastava announced her resignation as Miss Teen USA 2023, standing in solidarity with her sister-queen, Noelia as did Miss Colorado USA 2023, Arianna Lemus who also resigned her state title on May 10. This quickly garnered the attention of the media curious about what was happening behind the scenes. Several people claim that Laylah created a toxic environment including bullying and harassment within the organization and the frequent staff replacements seem to have reflected this. Noelia declined to give media interviews due to the non-disclosure agreement but her Venezuelan mother, Jackeline mentioned some things that had Noelia disillusioned about her reign like that Laylah didn’t attend the 2023 Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador due to a family matter and Jackeline paid her way to attend the pageant accompanying her daughter. After returning to the USA, Noelia expected to receive a salary of $100,000 plus a car and an apartment to live in during her reign but the prizes appear to have not been guaranteed and Noelia ended up living with friends and family during her reign. The car and a place to live in Miami were provided in March apparently but it wasn’t in due time and Noelia seems to have developed anxiety which affected her health and caused her to lose weight and she had to take medications due to this. She claims there were also episodes of sexual harassment including one incident cited by Noelia’s mother where during a Christmas parade in Sarasota, Florida, a male staff member asked if she was into old men with money and after reporting the incident and feeling unsafe and they felt the organization didn’t support her but Laylah claims they discussed the incident but claims Noelia indicated did not need or want to seek redress. Miss Teen USA, UmaSofia’s mother, Barbara also described Laylah's communication in emails as abrasive and didn’t want her bullying her daughter whereas Laylah said she communicated in a professional manner.
These are rocky new beginnings with new management and much of it is quite embarrassing so non-disclosure agreements would probably help hiding behind-the-scenes things like this. I’m sure many titleholders experienced some unpleasantness during their reigns but it must have been at another level to cause this resignation and it was a decision she would not have taken lightly. There were past instances like this in the late 80s and early 90s where Miss USA titleholders didn’t necessarily get all their prizes and took legal action.

Here is a picture of the broken Miss Teen USA crown designed by Mouawad who still serves as the sponsor and maker of the current Miss Universe crown since 2019 but the broken crown was never fixed or replaced and you will notice that a new crown sponsor has been named for Miss USA and Miss Teen USA and that is Mexican jewel craftsman, Ricardo Patraca so we shall see the new Miss USA and Miss Teen USA crowns on the final telecast.
While Noelia Voigt’s runner-up, Hawaii’s Savannah Gankiewicz did accept the Miss USA crown after Noelia’s resignation to reign for the remaining almost 3 months, some viewed it as opportunistic but this is also an opportunity for Laylah to improve the situation. Laylah was on hand in Hawaii and Hawaii’s governor Josh Green crowned Savannah as the new Miss USA on May 15. Some of this has been perceived as a publicity stunt given all the news coverage it has received but there are probably too many players in this game for it to be that. Miss Teen USA’s runner-up, New York’s Stephanie Skinner declined to accept the title however. She said it was a decision that she did not take lightly. She said what comes before a crown is character and her character will always be a priority to her and she is a firm believer is letting her actions speak louder than words and hopes her decision is respected. The 2nd runner up for Miss Teen USA, Pennsylvania’s Maggie Ross also appears to not be accepting the title so the position of Miss Teen USA appears to remain vacant so we shall see if Savannah crowns the new Miss Teen USA or if someone else does.





ReNOelia

We’ll call this supplementary article ‘ReNOelia’ since we have NO ReNO as a host city and NO NOelia as our Miss USA titleholder. Reno, Nevada was the host city of the Miss USA 2022 and 2023 pageants and they had signed a three-year deal when then president of the Miss USA organization, Crystle Stewart-Miss USA 2008 negotiated that deal since the Miss USA pageant was also held in Reno in 2019 when the late Cheslie Kryst won the Miss USA crown only for her to take her life in 2022 and thus the 2022 to 2024 deal in Reno was said to be in honor of Cheslie but management changed hands in 2023 from Crystle’s Miss Group after an investigation into the selection of the 2022 Miss USA winner combined with some inappropriate actions from Crystle’s husband with some contestants to Laylah Rose’s VVV Group who was named the new franchise holder of Miss USA officially as of August 2023 with the pageant being held on September 29, 2023 causing last year to be a scramble so it looks like the Reno deal was called off and it was announced on June 29, 2024 that the 2024 Miss USA pageant would be held in Hollywood, California at the Peacock Theater airing on the CW network with the finals scheduled to be held on August 4. The Miss USA pageant hasn’t been held in California since 2007. This year also saw the age limit removed as last year, the maximum age of a contestant could only be 28 but mothers and women who were married were allowed to compete for 2023 and the only contestant that fit that category was Maine’s Juliana Morehouse (daughter of North Carolina’s Lynn Jenkins-Morehouse who was 2nd runner up at Miss USA 1994) who won the title of Miss Maine USA 2023 on November 20, 2022 but her wedding to her now husband was already planned and scheduled for April 29, 2023 so the wedding happened and now Juliana is married to Mr. Taylor Reed Locklear and competed in the 2023 Miss USA pageant held in September 2023 but going unplaced. With the age restrictions removed, we now see several contestants competing this year that wouldn’t have been able to just last year. There are seven contestants competing for Miss USA 2024 who are over the age of 28 and they are: Alaska’s Brenna Schaake (29), Arizona’s K Johnson (41), Connecticut’s Shavana Clarke (29), Indiana’s Stephanie Sullivan (33) who is also a mother of three children, Maryland’s Bailey Anne Kennedy (31), Montana’s Shelby Dangerfield (30) and North Dakota’s Codi Miller (31) who makes history since she was Miss North Dakota Teen USA 2009 and will be the first to compete at Miss USA 15 years after holding the Teen title. Ashley Lynn Marble – Miss Maine USA 2011 and Miss Maine Teen USA 2000 as well as Marie Lynn Piscitelli – Miss Connecticut USA 2012 and Miss Connecticut Teen USA 2001 both competed 11 years apart but with the new removal of the age limit. Codi’s new record could be broken very soon! We will discuss some of these contestants later.
I thought it would be interesting to note here that last year’s delegate from New York, Rachelle di Stasio who was my prediction to be 1st runner up for Miss USA 2023 didn’t even place but she recently told the media that while contestants waited in a holding room during the pageant, Laylah mentioned that preliminary interviews would have no political questions, neither about religion, nor about sex. Apparently, judges were told only to ask about such topics if it was part of the contestant’s platform. Rachelle planned to talk about being a survivor of sexual assault and her advocacy work as part of her platform as Miss New York USA but the judges asked about her career in ballet then a judge asked if she would you still be discussing her platform and discussing these issues if she became Miss USA and Rachelle felt like it was a trap question and thought briefly before honestly answering that she did not plan to avoid the issue. When she did not make the competition’s Top 20, she felt that the conversation may have been the reason. This answer could easily be the reason why she didn’t place so this seems to go back to Noelia’s being silenced message as it seems discussions about sex, religion and politics are off limits for today’s titleholders and they are being forced to keep it clean but many people feel that delegates should be allowed to talk about their personal platforms and demonstrate their strength and intelligence and changes like this give off an impression of unprofessionalism from the new management which is a reason that after many years of services, several state directors decided to step down.
Originally, the selection of delegates at state pageants was supposed to begin in August 2023 but Laylah Rose put that to a stop and so some pre-planned state pageants had to be rescheduled resulting in major expenses being incurred by both contestants and at least one director. The state pageants had new dates in March 2024. The first state pageant was Tennessee, held on March 9, 2024, and the last state pageant was Florida held on July 7, 2024. Some speculate that this more condensed state pageant season may have been started to discourage statehopping but that certainly didn’t stop some of the contestants from doing so! I’m looking at you, Vermont! Yes, if you can believe it Vermont’s Samantha Vocatura won Miss Vermont USA 2024 on June 9 only three months after placing 1st runner up at Miss Massachusetts USA 2024 on March 10!
There was much turbulence as a result of these changes and some felt behind the scenes that the Miss USA organization was no longer what it once was. Multiple Miss USA state directors resigned or announced their upcoming resignations but those that resigned were replaced. Some examples include Paula Miles of RPM Productions who has been directing Miss USA stage pageants since 1979 and even directed the pageant that crowned Shawn Weatherly as South Carolina’s Miss USA representative and Shawn would go on to win Miss Universe 1980 and they have seen multiple winners over the last few decades. Paula announced through a farewell video during the Miss South Carolina USA pageant on June 15 that she would leave the current Miss USA organization claiming abusive mismanagement, strong-armed leadership and a toxic work environment. This was happening long before the resignation of Noelia Voigt as Miss USA 2023 and UmaSofia Srivastava as Miss Teen USA 2023 and even former social media director, Claudia Engelhardt, also resigned and was replaced by Jordan Kimball who served as a commentator during the 2023 Miss USA pageant. Of course, much of this has caused speculation if we will see yet another change in directorship or if Laylah’s team can turn things around. We do have a complete list of delegates and some directors stayed while others left so we shall see if the 2024 titleholders complete their reigns. The Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageant were no longer under the umbrella of the Miss Universe Organization after the 2020 season and was briefly taken back when the controversy arose in 2022 and then directorship was given to Laylah Rose in 2023 after Crystle Stewart stepped aside after her two year stint in 2021 and 2022 then Paula Shugart resigned as president of the Miss Universe Organization after the 2023 Miss Universe pageant. Wealthy Thai transwoman, Jakkaphong (Khun Anne) Jakrajutatip of JKN purchased the Miss Universe Organization from IMG in 2022 but after JKN filed for bankruptcy in 2023, Khun Anne then sold a 50 percent share of the Miss Universe organization ownership as of January 2024 to Mexican businessman, Raul Rocha Cantu. There has been so much change in recent years and much turbulence so who knows what the future holds for these pageants. I’m impressed that Miss USA and Miss Teen USA are both back on television airing on the CW this year so that’s certainly one positive change that has come from this. 2019 was the last year that Miss USA aired on a major network, FOX and the 2020-2022 pageants aired on fyi and 2023 was back on a bigger network, the CW and even more impressive is that Miss Teen USA hasn’t been on television since 2007 on NBC and it has been a webcast ever since so today’s Miss Teen USA contestants likely didn’t even get the luxury of viewing the very pageant in which they are competing on television and now they will! But, yes, I know most of today’s teens don’t even watch network television. The 2024 year will be very telling and we shall see if the dust settles or if more controversy arises and if change is on the forefront.



Are Ye Unaware of
Aarieanna Ware??

Well, THOU shouldst be aware! Yes, and? Aarie, thy Grande presence is most zealously anticipated on thee Miss USA stage! A 26-year-old hailing from Dallas, Aarieanna grew up watching pageants as a military brat with her family. Her dad would quickly scold her for admiring the contestants just for being pretty stating, ‘If you think you get to watch this just because these girls are pretty, you’re missing the point. Go to bed!’ Aarieanna’s dad’s statement transformed the way she viewed beauty pageants and women in general. Aarieanna is an interior designer and builds sustainable homes. She started a foundation called ‘Build It Up’ when she was Miss Dallas USA knowing how difficult it was being in a male-dominated industry to encourage women to pursue those careers and give them the confidence to go after what they want. Aarieanna’s actual first name is Taia but she goes by her middle name, Aarieanna and she is of the Jewish faith and has a Hebrew name, Aleph.
It was the 2024 Miss Texas USA competition that saw this year’s oldest competitor with 2024 being the first year that the age limit was removed. The maximum age used to be 28 years of age but that restriction was removed and Marissa Teijo represented the region of Paso Del Norte at the whopping age of 71! Marissa went unplaced at Miss Texas USA 2024 but she certainly got a lot of news coverage and publicity as a result of her participation. Miss Texas USA 2024 was Marissa’s very first pageant and she is also married (which is also no longer a restriction as of 2023) and Marissa even has three grandchildren. She proudly wore a bikini during the swimsuit competition and says her goal was to inspire older woman and women of all ages to stay fit, eat healthy and live a better life. When asked if she was intimidated by the other considerably younger contestants, Marissa replied that even though most of the contestants were in their 20s, all the girls were lovely, complimentary and helpful and she didn’t feel intimidated by them. Marissa also recommends sunscreen and moisturizer, weightlifting, no processed foods and drinking lots of water. Marissa has been widely applauded and admired for her bravery.
Aarieanna Ware is only the third black woman to win the Miss Texas USA crown but we all fondly remember the first two and their successes. The first was the late, great Chelsi Smith who won Miss Texas USA 1995, then Miss USA 1995 and then the big prize, Miss Universe 1995! Chelsi remains the only African-American Miss Universe (although Chelsi is biracial having a black father and white mother) but God couldn’t wait for Chelsi and after a bout with liver cancer in 2018, Chelsi became an angel at the age of 45. The second black Miss Texas USA was Crystle Stewart who won her title for 2008 and she would also go on to win Miss USA 2008! Since the first two black Miss Texas USAs went on to win Miss USA, does that mean history will repeat itself and this will be a slam-dunk Miss USA win in 2024 for the third black Miss Texas USA, Aarieanna Ware?? Should the rest of the competition just leave now??? It’s going to be exciting to see if Aarieanna can pull it off! Aarieanna won the 2024 Miss Texas USA pageant on her first attempt which is an extremely rare feat. Even Chelsi and Crystle had experienced losses at Miss Texas USA prior to winning their state crowns. Texas hasn’t had a winner that hadn’t previously competed at Miss Texas USA prior to her win since 2012 when Brittany Booker won the Texas crown on her first try. And even adding to this, Aarieanna won the best in swimsuit award at Miss Texas USA 2024 and we all know how competitive a state Texas is!

Texas boasts far more Miss USA winners that any other state and they also recently just claimed their 10th Miss USA crown only two years ago when R’Bonney Gabriel won Miss USA 2022 and she would also go on to win the 2022 Miss Universe crown as well giving Texas two Miss Universe wins thanks to R’Bonney Gabriel and Chelsi Smith and this is a feat only matched by South Carolina which also boasts two Miss Universe winners, Miriam Stevenson in 1954 and Shawn Weatherly in 1980 but could Aarieanna get yet another Miss Universe win for the lone star state??



Someday We’ll Find It
The Rainbow Connecticution


The lovers, the dreamers and Shavana! Connecticut’s Shavana Clarke proudly waives the rainbow flag being Connecticut's first openly lesbian titleholder and an advocate of the LGBTQ+ community. Under the previous rules, Shavana wouldn’t have been able to compete since she is 29 years old but now that the age limit has been lifted, Shavana is competing loud and proud. This spunky sista previously placed as 3rd runner-up at Miss Connecticut USA 2023 and went unplaced at Miss Connecticut USA 2021 but her distinct style made her an instant stand-out at her state pageant and she is one to watch this year at Miss USA. Shavana is a first-generation Jamaican-American and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Connecticut. Shavana is employed as a sales coordinator, model, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Shavana is an avid crochet artist and parlayed that talent into her own business where she makes and sells trendy crochet-wear and even wore a swimsuit that she crocheted herself during her state’s swimsuit competition. On the right, pictured here is Shavana sporting that very unique and interesting crocheted swimsuit that she wore during her state competition. That's a pretty cool talent! Shavana’s business is named Sour Candy Studio, where she makes unique and fun one-of-a-kind sustainable pieces. Shavana is an advocate of supporting positive mental health and after suffering her own mental health issues, she started a Blog entitled #YourMentalHealthBestie enabling her to divulge her own experiences on social media to help educate and encourage others. The Constitution state has only captured one Miss USA crown thanks to Erin Brady in 2013 and after placing among the semifinalists last year thanks to Karla Aponte Roque, will Shavana continue the trend and possibly capture another crown for Connecticut?? All of us under her spell…we know that it’s probably magic!

Shavana also posted one of those applying make-up videos combatting the bullying suffered by fellow contestant, Gabriella Vigorito who didn't make top 5 at Miss Connecticut USA 2024 despite making top 5 in the previous year. Gabriella stars on TLC's show 'sMothered' with her mother, Miss Connecticut USA 1988-Cathy Galasso-Vigorito. Gabriella posted a Tiktok video while applying make-up discussing her feelings about her placement at Miss Connecticut USA.

@gabriella_vigorito Wait till the end for all the tea! Always know your worth and thank you all for being here ???? #gabriellavigorito #pageantry #tea #knowyourworth ? original sound - Gabriella Vigorito