The new titleholders will have big heels to fill after Miss GA USA 2016 Emanii Davis placed second runner-up at Miss USA and Miss GA Teen USA Bentley Wright was a semi-finalist at Miss Teen USA!
There is only one returning 2016 runner-up in each competition. In Miss, second runner-up Mackenzie Blair-Griffith, (who was also fourth runner-up at Miss GA Teen USA 2015) is back and in Teen, first runner-up Karsyn Pennington is returning (second runner-up Kelly Hutchison made the top 10 at Miss AL USA a couple of weekends ago). Kayla Booth, a Miss semi-finalist last year and fourth runner-up at Miss GA USA 2015 is the only other runner-up back in Miss. Three-time Florida Teen semi-finalist Olivia Caputo has moved to GA and is competing in her first Miss pageant.
Other returning Miss semi-finalists are Brittany Deaville, Dia Davis (who started her pageant career in California), Sara LaChapelle, Erin O'Sullivan and 2013 Alabama top ten semi-finalist Melanie Newman.
In Teen, Jairyn Honore and Hollyn Adams from 2016 and Hunter Maddox from 2015 are the only other returning semi-finalists.
Contestant lists
- McKenzie Blair-Griffith • Atlanta (2RU 16, 4RU GA TUSA 15, SF 14)
- Akaria Stewart • Augusta
- Renee Joseph • Austell (NF 16, NF 14)
- Lyrric Jackson • Brookhaven
- Taylor Jackson • Buckhead
- Courtney Brown • Cairo
- Dejia Swindell • Capital City
- Amanda Hutchins • Carroll Co.
- DeAnna Johnson • Central East GA
- Brittany Deaville • Central GA (SF 16, SF 15)
- Madeleine Conti • Chastain
- Rebecca Glaze • Cherokee Rose
- Shya Lewis • Coastal GA
- Kamaryn Burgess • Cobb Co.
- Joy Emmons • Columbus
- Alyssa Jackson • Dade Co.
- Josselyn Pomarico • Dallas
- Akila Triggs • Decatur
- Olivia Caputo • DeKalb Co. (1RU FL TUSA 15, 1RU 14, 2RU 13)
- Lena Hardy • Douglas Co. (NF GA TUSA 09)
- Julia Barringer • Downtown Atlanta
- Shayla Ellington • Fulton Co. (NF 16)
- Toni Tooley • GA Peach
- Kaitlyn Robertson • GA South (NF 16)
- Abby Black • Gainesville
- Chelsey Jones • Garden City
- Brenda Smith-Lezama • Golden Isles (Miss MO Teen USA 13, 2RU GA TUSA 12)
- Casey Jones • Golden Peach (NF 16)
- Andrea Carey • Greater Atlanta
- Briona Jennings • Gwinnett Co.
- Yohana Berhe • Heart of Atlanta
- Kierra Davis • Heart of GA
- Priscilla Andre • Heart of Henry Co. (NF 15)
- Alixandrea Troupe • Heart of the South
- Jessica Williams • Hephzibah (NF 15)
- Shiobhan Fraser • Historic Duluth
- Halle Schade • Johns Creek (NF 16, NF GA TUSA 10)
- Katelyn Frost • Kennesaw
- Autumn Adams • Lilburn (SF GA TUSA 09)
- Kyera Mclaurin • Loganville
- Sara LaChapelle • Marietta (SF 15)
- Heather Ashley • Metro Atlanta
- Zandree Granston • Middle GA
- British Calloway • Midtown
- Nya Syndab • Midtown Atlanta
- Sam Arena • North Atlanta
- Bailey Rogers • Northeast GA
- Chelsea Rhoades • Paulding Co.
- Safia Moussa • Peach
- Gianna Zitello • Peach City
- Mary Nguyen • Peach State
- Kayla Booth • Peachtree (SF 16, 4RU 15, SF GA TUSA 09)
- Katie Byrum • Piedmont
- Allee Worley • Rocky Face
- Marina Johnston • Savannah
- Jasmine Durden • Snellville
- Brittany Strickland • Southeast GA
- Meagan Schultz • Southern Gwinnett
- Delyrria Jackson • Southern Peach
- Regan Humphrey • Spirit of Atlanta
- Erin O'Sullivan • Statesboro (SF 16)
- Shanria Price • Stone Mountain
- Julia Lopez • Tybee Island
- Dia Davis • Vinings (SF 16, T10 CA USA 15, T10 CA USA 14, NF CA USA 13)
- Tyler Ashley Williams • West GA
- Krystal Wilson • West Highlands
- Corlyn Gomez • West Midtown
- Dala Hufstetler • Whitfield
- Melanie Newman • Woodstock (T10 AL USA 13, NF GA TUSA 09)
TEEN CONTESTANTS (58)
- Bryn Coleman • Appling Co.
- Hunter Maddox • Atlanta (SF 15)
- EmmaKate Few • Augusta
- Kaelin Bradley • Capital City
- Samantha Sims • Cartersville
- Jairyn Honore' • Central Gwinnett
- Karson Pennington • Classic City (1RU 16)
- Alexandria Moore • Classic South
- Victoria Gutierrez • Coastal GA
- Shanel Simon • Cobb Co.
- Krislyn Murphy • Columbia Co.
- Joy Mobley • Columbus
- Lauren Williams • DeKalb Co.
- Jasmine Turner • Fairburn
- Faith Rogers • Fannin Co.
- Nailah Underwood • Fayette Co.
- Tearra Perkins • Fayetteville
- Myiera Seymour • Fulton Co.
- Hollyn Adams • GA North (SF 16)
- Dalila Hardy • GA Peach
- Shayla Jackson • GA South
- Kemara Jones • Garden City
- Andrea Epps • Grayson
- Asha Vuppula • Greater Gwinnett
- Briana Vecellio • Gwinnett
- Savannah Miles • Gwinnett Co.
- Briyana Zackary • Heart of GA
- Martina Bandoo • Heart of Gwinnett
- Ashlynn Thorpe • Heart of Henry Co.
- Genesis Winfree • Henry Co.
- Megan Paiter • Jackson Co.
- Sarah Kate Brown • Johns Creek
- Kristen Milligan • Kennesaw
- Hayle Hicks • Lovejoy
- Naomi Wilkes • Marietta
- Morgan Lewis • McDonough
- Tyler Phillips • Monticello
- Ashleigh Smitherman • Newnan
- Tiana Parker • Norcross
- Emmaline Farmer • Northeast GA
- Destinee Johnson • Okefenokee
- Taylor Dortch • Paulding Co.
- Ansley Taubert • Peachtree City
- Becca McGuire • Peachtree Corners
- Savannah Moerman • Pike Co.
- Alaina Finn • Putnam Co.
- Kaitlyn Melton • Roswell
- Jasmine Cox • Savannah (NF 16)
- Faith Deal • Savannah River
- Dayna Simmons • Snellville
- Alexandria Gullett • South Fulton
- Taylor Ward • South GA
- Kianna Freeman • South Gwinnett
- Hannah McGarity • Stockbridge
- Sydney Foggie • Suwanee
- Mora Hart • Thomasville
- Morgan Anderson • Tybee Island
- Jaderrah Cromer • Union City