North Carolina was the most successful state at Miss USA & Miss Teen USA with Caelynn Miller-Keyes placing first runner-up at Miss USA and Kaaviya Sambasivam finishing fourth runner-up at Miss Teen USA so the new winners have tall heels to fill!
The only returning runner-up from last year's pageant is third runner-up Kelly Glendenning, who made the top five in her first year competing. Last year's first runner-up Morgan Evans competed in Miss Universe Virgin Islands recently (& is currently representing VI at Miss Grand International) and second and fourth runners-up Lindsey Baker & Victoria Vesce chose not to compete this year. 2017 fourth runner-up Cheslie Kryst, who made the top 10 last year, is back though, as are former Teen runners-up Emily Miner and Emily Zemola.
Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2013 Christina Thompson who was a semi-finalist in New Jersey last year & top 10 in North Carolina in 2016 is back competing in NC (she attended college at Wake Forest). Seven-time semi-finalist Erika Turner is competing again, I have no earthly idea how she hasn't made the top five yet and I truly hope she can break through this year. Similarly Jessica Lucas, who has been a semi-finalist twice in Miss and twice and Teen will also be competing for the eighth time.
Others from the 2018 top 10 and top 15 who are back are Harleigh Evans (T10 18, T10 NC TUSA 17), Samantha Berg (T15 18) and Kiah Ruffin (T15 18). Jena-Demé Revels was Top 10 in Teen in 2016. Sydney Long, who was top 15 in South Carolina last year and top 10 in 2017 is competing in North Carolina for the first time.

The three other returning contestants were all in the top 19 band last year: (with only 19 contestants, all the Teens competed as semi-finalists in the final competition) Rebecca Hart, Faith Maxwell and Halle Reynolds. Peyton Brown (who has an auspicious pageant name!) was first runner-up at Miss North Carolina's Outstanding Teen 2018 earlier in the year.
Oh, and we have one of my favourite "sash titles" of all time making an appearance... "Crown Town Teen USA!", nice choice by Alyson McNair.
Contestant lists
Madeline Delp • Asheville
Alexandra Mangano • Belmont (NF 18)
Emily Miner • Cabarrus County (4RU NC TUSA 17, T15 16, 4RU 14)
Toria Mangum • Capital City
Kelly Glendenning • Cary (3RU 18)
Sarah Ferrell • Chapel Hill
Scarlett Short • Charlotte
Jessica Luong • Claremont
Harley Evans • Eastern Carolina (T10 18, T10 NC TUSA 17)
Christina Thompson • Emerald Isle (SF NJ USA 18, T10 NC USA 16, NJ TUSA 13)
Casey Trivette • Forsyth County
Emily Kwiatkowski • Greenville
Emily Zemola • Guilford County (4RU NC TUSA 16)
Samantha Berg • High Point (T15 18, NF MA TUSA 15)
Mary-Grace Thomason • Lake Norman (NF VA TUSA 12)
Cheslie Kryst • Metrolina (T10 18, 4RU 17)
Laura Little • Mount Holly
Erika Turner • Oak Ridge (T10 18, T15 17, T10 16, T15 15, T10 14, T15 13, T10 NC TUSA 09)
Stevie Miles • Orange County
Jena-Deme’ Revels • Pembroke (NF NC TUSA 17, T10 16)
Sydney Long • Plaza Midwood (T15 SC USA 18, T10 17, NF 16, T15 SC TUSA 15)
Phoenicia Butler • Queen City
Jessica Lucas • Raleigh-Durham (NF 17, T15 16, T15 15, NF 14, T10 NC TUSA 13, T15 12, NF 11)
Tiffany Vargas • Salisbury
Qa’eera Anderson • South Charlotte
Sarah Roof • Uptown (NF SC USA 17)
Amy Iannarella • Wake County
Frances Danner • Wilmington (NF NC TUSA 15)
Kiah Ruffin • Winston-Salem (T15 18)
MISS NORTH CAROLINA TEEN USA 2019 (23)
Hannah Howell • Carolina Piedmont
Hallie Dudley • Charlotte
Alyson McNair • Crown Town
Rebecca Hart • Davidson County (T19 18)
Faith Maxwell • Davie (T19 18)
Makensie McDaniel • East Carolina
Kennedi Rodney • Fayetteville
Halle Reynolds • Greensboro (T19 18)
Kristina Kessler • Greenville
Eliza Minor • Harrisburg
Tori Gross • High Point
Kaitlyn Connell • Indian Trail
Gabriela Pena • Iredell County (3RU 18, NF 17, NF 16)
Gia Rudisill • Lincoln County
Madison Hadaway • Pinehurst
London Tucker • Pineland
Audrey Burri • Queen City
Carter Brown • Raleigh
Haleigh Jo Baker • Raleigh-Durham (1RU 18, 2RU 17, T15 16)
Gracie Rae Shelton • Rockingham County
Peyton Brown • Tri County
Alyssa Hefner • Western Carolina
LeJourney Farrow • Winterville