A huge congratulations to Kelsey Swanson for finally capturing the Miss RI USA crown after two years as first runner-up!  Kelsey bears more than a striking resemblance to Miss RI USA & Miss Universe Olivia Culpo and I think she's going to be amazing at Miss USA!  It has been great to see her transform from a raw newcomer in the 2015 pageant to the polished competitor she is today.  She is the first returning 1RU to win since Leeann Tingley a decade ago.

Miss Rhode Island Teen USA 2017 is Alexa Papigiotis who was a semi-finalist last year.  Kelsey is 22 and from Cranston, and Alexa is from North Providence and 18.

First runner-up in the Miss competition was Asia Turner, last year's third runner-up.  Miss Rhode Island Teen USA 2011 Lindsey Bucci placed second runner-up, in her first attempt at the Miss title.  She was the first former Teen to compete this year.  Third runner-up was newcomer Stephanie Santana and fourth runner-up was Carissa DeSantis, a non-finalist last year.

Among the semi-finalists were Miss Rhode Island (MAO) 2015 Alexandra Curtis, and former Teen runner-up Sarah Reynolds.
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In Teen, all four runners-up were competing for the first time.  In order from first through fourth they were Hailee Clarke, Madeline Capaldi, Madison Turner and Aliyah Moore.  2016 runners-up Blake Ferretti and Sophia Desmarais both made the top 12, as did 2015 3RU ​Abby Mansolillo.

Miss Rhode Island USA 2017: Kelsey Swanson (1RU 16, 1RU 15)
1RU: Asia Turner (3RU 16, SF GA USA 15, NF GA USA 11)
2RU: Lindsey Bucci (RI TUSA 11)
3RU: Stephanie Santana
4RU: Carissa DeSantis (NF 16)

Semi-finalists:
Alexandra Curtis (Miss RI 15)
Mary Ernster
Prutha Patel (SF 16)
Sarah Reynolds (2RU RI TUSA 10, SF 09)
Victoria Smurro ​(SF NY USA 16, SF NY USA 15)

Photogenic: Kelsey Swanson

Miss Rhode Island Teen USA 2017: Alexa Papigiotis (SF 16)
1RU: Hailee Clarke 
2RU: Madeline Capaldi 
3RU: Madison Turner
4RU: Aliyah Moore

Semi-finalists:
Gabriella Constantini 
Sophia Desmarais (3RU 16, SF 14)
Blake Ferretti (2RU 16)
Kylie Hartley 
Abby Mansolillo (SF 16, 3RU 15, SF 14)
Likhet Or
Morgan Steele ​(NF 16)

This weekend kicked off the remainder of the Miss USA 2016 pageant season (following the crowning of Brie Gabrielle in FL in July) and the first crowning for Miss Teen USA 2016!  The new Miss RI USA is Theresa Agonia, who won on her sixth attempt, and Miss RI Teen USA is Malia Cruz.  Click their names to view their profiles.

Out of the top five for Miss RI USA, three were past Miss runners-up (Theresa, Kelsey Swanson & Lyndsey Larabee), one was a past Teen runner-up (Kristen Hanlon, who was first runner-up  in Teen just the previous year) and one had competed twice previously in Georgia (Asia Turner).  This was the first time since 2003 that all the top five had previous experience - quite different to last year when only one had competed before!  The Miss Amity award in the Miss division was won by Isabella Bennett for an incredible third straight year.

By comparison, the Teen top five had only one returning contestant, Sophia Desmarais who was a semi-finalist in 2014.  The two returning runners-up, Elizabeth Kane and Abby Mansolillo missed the top five this year but both placed in the semi-finals.  Winner Malia Cruz and her first runner-up Stephanie Sandin were both from Warwick and all of the top five except Malia were 16.  The brunette streak continues, it has now been 13 years since RI crowned a blonde Teen!

Full results:

Miss RI USA 2016: Theresa Agonia (2RU 14, 2RU 13, SF 11, 3RU RI TUSA 09, SF RI TUSA 08)
1RU: Kelsey Swanson (1RU 15)
2RU: Kristen Hanlon (1RU RI TUSA 15, 3RU 14, 4RU 12)
3RU: Asia Turner (SF GA USA 15, NF GA USA 11)
4RU: Lyndsey Laramee (2RU 15)

Semi-finalists:
Deana Adamo 
Ashley Coutu
Jordan Donahue
Jaylin Eaves
Kimberly Frazier
Camila Oliveira 
Heather Santoro (SF 15)
Julie Shatz
Prutha Patel 
Nicolette Peloquin (SF MA TUSA 14, SF 12)
Ariana Reis (SF 13)

Amity: Isabella Bennett
Photogenic: Prutha Patel 

Miss RI Teen USA: Malia Cruz
1RU: Stephanie Sandin
2RU: Blake Ferretti
3RU: Sophia Desmarais (SF 14)
4RU: Mya Benz

Semi-finalists: 
Jasmin Anastacio Blackiston 
Lauren Arpin 
Dakota Bush 
Kate DePetro 
Madison Dussinger
Rachel Gil
Elizabeth Kane (2RU 15)
Alexa Papigotis
Abby Mansolillo (3RU 15, SF 14)
Brianna Polanco 

Congeniality: Diamond Rivera
Photogenic: Nina DiBenedetto

Theresa Agonia is the new Miss RI USA and Malia Cruz is Miss RI Teen USA!

Theresa, who is from a Portugese family, is a graduate of Roger Williams University, where she majored in Media Communications. She works as a Deputy Chief of Staff for Providence mayor Jorge Elorza. She was second runner-up in 2014, 4RU in 2013, 3RU in Teen in 2009, as well as a Miss semi-finalist in 2012 and Teen SF in 2008.

Malia was competing in Miss RI Teen USA for the first time and is a former Miss Teen Italia.

Photos by Daniel Gagnon