Two newcomers from the Honolulu area are Hawaii's newest queens!  Julie Kuo is Miss Hawaii USA 2017 and Lauren Teruya is Miss Hawaii Teen USA 2017!  Lauren might be new to competing herself but is will be the third sister of a former Teen USA contestant to win this year - her sister Kathryn was Miss Hawaii Teen USA 2012 and competed in the Miss pageant this year (if someone could explain how she missed the cut I'd love it... she looked stunning!).

First runner-up in the Miss division was another newcomer, Ellise Kakazu.  Coming very close to being the first blonde to win in Hawaii in well over a decade was second runner-up Paige Knight, a non-finalist at Miss CA Teen USA 2015 (I think she might even be the first blonde to make the top five at all in quite a few years?! - although of course that's in large part due to there not being many who have competed).  Third runner-up for the second time was Tesia Worley - who was also a Teen finalist in 2011, and fourth runner-up was Miss Hawaii Teen USA 2010 and three-time finalist Julianne Chu.   

In the Teen competition, first runner-up went to Miss Hawaii's Outstanding Teen 2015 Kealani Tanizaki Hudson who was vying to join her MAOTeen sister Kenzie Hansley (Miss NC Teen USA) at Miss Teen USA.  Second runner-up was Bailey Lum, last year's first runner-up.  Third and fourth runner-up spots went to first-time contestants Kawena Kan-Hai and Maya Chan​.

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Miss Hawaii USA 2017: Julie Kuo 
1RU: Ellise Kakazu
2RU: Paige Knight  (NF CA TUSA 15)
3RU: Tesia Worley (3RU 15, 2RU HI TUSA 11, SF 10)
4RU:  Julianne Chu (1RU 16, 2RU 14, 2RU 12, HI TUSA 10, 4RU 09)

Semi-finalists:
Chelsea Clement
Kennedi Akana
Sofia Godinez-Miller
Kathleen Fierro
Adrienne Wilson ​

Miss Hawaii Teen USA 2017: Lauren Teruya
1RU: Kealani Tanizaki Hudson (HI's OT 15, NF 14)
2RU: Bailey Lum (1RU 16)
​3RU: Kawena Kan-Hai
4RU: Maya Chan

Semi-finalists:
Bryazha Caires
Maluhia Duro
Shariah Olomua
Ciana Pelekai
Kaelia Saniatan ​

Miss Hawaii USA & Teen USA 2017 will be crowned this Sunday, with the Teen show at 12pm and Miss finals at 7pm.  Miss contestants are posted here and Teen here - this is the highest number of Miss contestants since I started keeping records in 2007.

The Miss competition boasts two former Teen titleholders, Miss HI Teen USA 2010 Julie Chu who was 1RU last year and 2nd runner-up in 2012 & 2014 and Miss HI Teen USA 2012 Kathryn Teruya, who is competing in her first Miss pageant.  Fun fact: this is the first time Julie has competed in an odd numbered year ;)

Unfortunately Julie is the only one of last year's runners-up competing - I think we were all hoping for all of them to return!  2015 third runner-up Tesia Worley (also a Teen runner-up in 2011) is back after a year off, however.  There are two contestants who had previously competed in California.

In the Teen competition, Miss Hawaii's Outstanding Teen 2015 Kealani Tanizaki-Hudson is competing for the first time since she was fourth runner-up at Miss HI Teen USA 2015.  From last year's top five, first runner-up Bailey Lum and third runner-up Jazmine Bazan are back and I'm pretty sure Nia Genegabuas is the sister of 2016 second runner-up Marli Genegabuas (who is not competing this year).  Kathryn Teruya's sister Lauren is also competing in the Teen competition for the first time.  ​

Click "read more" or scroll below to view the full list of contestants.