Miss Indiana USA & Teen USA 2017 contestant commentary

Miss Indiana USA & Teen USA 2017 will be crowned this weekend in Carmel.  Prelims are on Saturday night at 8pm and finals are on Sunday at 2pm.  Contestants are posted here.

I'm thrilled to see that like West Virginia, contestant numbers have grown considerably this year - from 13 to 32 in the Miss division and 14 to 26 in Teen.  I was curious at the start of the state pageant season to see how the Pageant Associates numbers tracked given their small groups last year, and I'm really impressed to see how they've turned it around in WV and Indiana this year.  Hoping to see it continue in Connecticut, Vermont & Pennsylvania.

In the Miss competition, I'm so thrilled that the age extension has allowed seven-time contestant Destiny Dever to return - only once has she missed the top five in Indiana & Kentucky.  She is not the only past Kentucky runner-up to compete this year, 2016 KY second runner-up Kelsey White is competing in Indiana for the first time.

Other returnees from the Miss Indiana USA 2016 top five are first runner-up Darrian Arch (Miss Indiana Teen USA 2013) and second runner-up Brittany Winchester, who was also fourth runner-up in 2015.  2016 semi-finalist Gracie Lyons, past Teen semi-finalist Ashley Paddock, and Illinois Teen semi-finalist Erica Grabinski are competing again.
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2016 contestants are marked with asterisks below:

​Alexis Ginn (3RU), Darrian Arch* (1RU), Morgan Abel (Miss IN USA), Brittany Winchester* (2RU), Destiny Dever* (4RU)

​Katie Himes (3RU), Madelynne Myers (1RU), Kyle Hornback (Miss KY USA), Kelsey White* (2RU), Ariel Hawkins (4RU)

​Bailey Perez (3RU), Alexa Marasovic* (1RU), Lauren Boswell (Miss IN Teen USA), Holyn Huizinga* (2RU), Shannon Donoho (4RU)

Alexandra Palmer (3RU), Shelby Gallagher (1RU), Katy Brown (Miss CT Teen USA), Meera Gupta* (2RU), Sarah Barrett (4RU)

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

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Contestant lists

MISS CONTESTANTS (32)
​Darrian Arch (1RU 16, IN TUSA 13, NF 12)
Jessica Bierly
Ashley Borden
Victoria Brown
Destiny Dever (4RU 16, 3RU 15, 1RU 14, 3RU 13, SF KY USA 12, 4RU KY USA 11, 3RU KY USA 10)
Shawna Foster
Jodeci Gonzalez
Zyndee Gonzalez
Erica Grabinski (NF IL USA 12, SF IL TUSA 10)
Natalia Hall
Rachel Harmon
Rebecka Harney
Emily Heller (NF 16, NF IN TUSA 15)
Heather Hines
Allison Hostetler
Leila Hughel-Deeds
Herkamal Kaur
Rubjeet Kaur (NF IN TUSA 15)
Chasity Key
Gracie Lyons (SF 16)
Courtney Margaret Mason
Mallorie Meghan Mayer
Mercedez McDowell (NF IN TUSA 15)
Jessica McLean
Cora Neudeck
Ashley Paddock (SF IN TUSA 11)
Hailey Salary
Lauren Sergesketter
Cre'Shanna Slaughter
Samantha Toney
Kelsey Leigh White (2RU KY USA 16, SF 15, SF 14, SF 11)
Brittany Winchester (2RU 16, 4RU 15)

TEEN CONTESTANTS (26)
Brianne Arnold
Hailey Bone
Amber Brinton
Leaynie Coleman
Alexis Cowan
Kalyn Credi
Kelsey Farris
Kaylee Gardner (SF 16)
Lutisha Gregory (NF 16, NF 15)
Meera Gupta (2RU CT TUSA 16)
Ella Harrison
Holyn Huizinga (2RU 16, SF 15, SF 14)
Mya Jones
Sydnee Klein
Alexa Marasovich (1RU 16)
Cecily Pedregon (SF 15)
Paige Robinson
Avery Rogers
Jayda Sanders
Madeson Shehan
Anne Smith
Allison Talaga
Trisha Thurston
Carrington Turner
Sadie Welch
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