There are 26 Miss contestants (click the link for photos), a 36% drop over the average of the past three years and a far cry from 2014-15 when there were 57 and 47 contestants respectively. Numbers are similar to 2010-11 though. Teen contestant numbers are close to the average of recent years, and have remained relatively steady since 2008.
All four runners-up from 2016 are also back! Three of the four have also been finalists previously. 2016 first runner-up Kelsey Weier was 2RU in 2015; 2016 second runner-up Lindsay Trappen was 4RU in 2015; and 2016 third runner-up Jenny Valliere was a runner-up in 2011 & 2012. Last year's fourth runner-up Brooke Stahlberg was competing for the first time. Returning Miss & Teen semi-finalists are Shelby Doehrmann, Krista Kolegraff, Heather Swanson, Mariah Kooyman and Martina Hoogland.
Iowa has a long tradition of crowning returning runners-up (check out their state results page) - nine of the last twelve winners have been previous finalists in either Miss or Teen, seven of them multiple times. Will that trend continue this year?
Contestant lists
Santana A.
Sidnea Brown
Johnna Cleaver
Shelby Doehrmann (SF 16)
Veronica Greene
Martina Hoogland (SF IA TUSA 16, SF 15)
Nicole Kelly (Miss IA 13)
Morgan Kofoid (Miss IA Teen USA 2013)
Krista Kolegraff (SF 15, SF 14)
Mariah Kooyman (SF IA TUSA 16, SF 15)
Montana McR.
Savannah Necker (1RU IA TUSA 15, IA's OT 2012)
Robyn Oguinye (NF LA USA 15, NF 14)
Mariah Prendergast (NF CA TUSA 13)
Andrea R.
Kayla R.
Abbey Sheer (NF 16)
Brooke Stahlberg (4RU 16)
Kaci-Ann S.
Heather Swanson (SF 15, NF 14)
Lindsay Trappen (2RU 16, 4RU 15, SF MN TUSA 12)
Kristen T.
Jennifer Valliere (4RU 16, NF 15, NF 14, SF 13, 3RU 12, 2RU 11)
Shakirah W.
Autumn Weaver (NF 16, NF 14, NF 13)
Kelsey Weier (1RU 16, 2RU 15)
TEEN CONTESTANTS (36)
Carley Arnold
Laetitia Ausborn
Shalonda B.
Rose B.
Brina Bily (SF 16, SF 15, NF 14)
Karlie Bown (NF 16)
Avery Boyles (NF 16)
Bailie B.
Karen C.
Samantha Crouse (NF 16)
Isabella D.
Ayshalynn De Groot (SF 16)
Victoria D.
Ellissa Eichinger (NF 16, NF 15, NF 14)
Jarika Eisentrager (SF 16, SF 15, NF 14)
Elizabeth F.
Jordan G.
Rebecca Hansen
Faith J.
Hailey J.
Madeline Kelley (NF 16)
Bianca L.
Charlie L.
Brittany McK.
Cheyenne M.
Savannah M.
Summer M.
Elena Muniz
Delanee N.
Nicole Panos
Jesenia Salazar
Odalis S.
Ashley Sjurson
Mackinzie Thomas
Katie Van Sloun (3RU 16)
Vanessa Worrell (SF 16)