Miss Ohio USA and Miss Ohio Teen USA 2019 Contestant Commentary

Update: Congratulations to Miss Ohio USA 2019 Alice Magoto and Miss Ohio Teen USA 2019 Isabelle Jedra!

Miss Ohio USA & Teen USA will be the first state pageant held this weekend, with the final show starting in Sharonville at 2pm (unfortunately this means I won't be able to post live results but I will update as soon as I can!).  Links to the contestant photos are here - this is for their People's Choice voting and I assume the official headshots will be posted soon as well.

There are 46 Miss contestants and 43 Teens - slightly up on last year but still low for Ohio.

The 2019 winners will succeed Deneen Penn of  Cortland and Sofia Durina of Columbiana.

​Miss Ohio 2016 Alice Magoto will be competing for Miss Ohio USA for the first time - although she was a semi-finalist at Miss Ohio Teen USA 2016! (I believe she was the youngest contestant at Miss America 2017).  Last year's second runner-up Joanee Church, third runner-up Bri Lang and fourth runner-up Mariah Payne are returning - Mariah was also first runner-up in 2017.  Also from 2017 fourth runner-up Madeleine Smith (who was a semi-finalist last year) is back.  Courtney Rea, second runner-up in 2016, third runner-up in 2015 and a semi-finalist the last two years and from 2012-2014 will be trying her eighth shot at the title.  Britain Bennett was first runner-up at Miss OH Teen USA 2016 and a semi-finalist at Miss OH Teen USA 2018.

Returning Ohio Miss & Teen semi-finalists from the last few years are Kayelin Tiggs, Nicole Sherb, Kellie Hall, Angela Judy and Jenna Jacobs (the contestant lists below provide more details).  Three-time semi-finalist Sierra Nowak is returning to compete in Ohio after making the top 20 at Miss California USA 2017 and finishing as a non-finalist last year.  Mackenzie Schutt was a semi-finalist at Miss Pennsylvania USA 2018.

Contestants mentioned above & others that caught my eye: Alice Magoto, Joanee Church, Bri Lang, Mariah Payne, Madeleine Smith, Courtney Rea || Britain Bennett, Kayelin Tiggs, Nicole Sherb, Kellie Hall, Angela Judy, Jenna Jacobs || Sierra Nowak, Mackenzie Shutt, Emily Quinn, Jordan Templin, Jealynn Holtz, Anna Wooden || Aissatou Thiam, Andrea Hunter, Mahek Shah, Grace Brown, Sarah Sarah Bick, Ashlyn Callarik

​The Teen pageant is headlined by not one but two former Miss Ohio's Outstanding Teen titleholders - unsurprisingly it is rare to get two competing in the same state pageant and to my knowledge has only happened a few times previously!  They are Miss OH's Outstanding Teen 2017 Gracie Fusco and Miss OH's Outstanding Teen 2016 (& Alice Magoto's sister titleholder) Madison Heichel.  Madison's sister Julianna is the current Miss OH's Outstanding Teen!

As with the Miss division there are three returning runners-up: first runner-up Marisa Matsanoff (also a semi-finalist from 2016 to 2017 & non-finalist in 2015), third runner-up Emi Reindle (SF 2017, NF 2016) and fourth runner-up Isabella Jedra.

Returning semi-finalists are Katarina Putnick, Alexis Detrick and Milan Howard.

Outgoing titleholder Deneen Penn was the first newcomer to win the title since 2013, and since 2000 only four newcomers have won the title!

Gracie Fusco, Madison Heichel, Marisa Matsanoff, Emi Reindle, Isabella Jedra, Katarina Putnick || Alexis Detrick, Milan Howard, Shreya Samadder, Sirena Cunningham, Kat Sweeney, Alexis Bailey || Gabriella Morando, Maliyah Lorenzo,Keeley Goldberg, Carly Edwards, Payton Szymczak, Braxtyn Mckinney

Here are last year's top five photos - returning contestants are marked with asterisks (photos by Edwin Shaw Photography/PageantImages.com):

2018 Miss Top Five | Bri Lang* (3RU), Stephanie Miranda (1RU), Deneen Penn (Miss OH USA), Joanee Church* (2RU), Mariah Payne* (4RU)

2018 Teen Top Five | Emi Reindle* (3RU), Marisa Matsanoff* (1RU), Sofina Durina (Miss OH Teen USA), Au'Lauren Million (2RU), Isabella Jedra* (4RU)

Click "read more" below right or scroll down for the full list of contestants with notes of past placements.

Full contestant lists

MISS OHIO USA 2019 CONTESTANTS (46)
​Kaamilah Wahid • Akron (NF 18, NF 17, NF 16)
Jessica Saddler • Athens
Ciara Nishanian • Avon (NF OH TUSA 13)
Brittany Younkman • Bellefontaine (NF 17, NF 16)
Kayelin Tiggs • Buckeye State (SF 18, NF 17)
Joanee Church • Bucyrus (2RU 18, SF 17)
McKenna Simpson • Camden
Christina Porter • Canfield (NF 17)
Emily Quinn • Canton
Nicole Sherb • Capital City (SF 18, NF OH TUSA 17, SF 15)
Jordan Templin • Centerville (NF 18)
Courtney Rea • Central Ohio (SF 18, SF 17, 2RU 16, 3RU 15, SF 14, SF 13, SF 12)
Payton Paphanchith • Cincinnati
Sade Foster • Cleveland Heights
Nanissa Madadi • Columbus
Kelsey Coral • Dayton
Madeleine Smith • Discovery City (SF 18, 4RU 17)
Anna Wooden • Dublin (OH TUSA 14)
Jealynn Holtz • Great Lake (SF OH TUSA 17)
Bri Lang • Greater Columbus (3RU 18)
Aissatou Thiam • Hamilton County
Andrea Hunter • Heart Of Ohio
Susan Peck • Hilliard
Sharon Lungociu • Hinckley
Megan Horsley • Holmes County
Alice Magoto • Hyde Park (Miss OH 16, SF OH TUSA 16)
Marianna Dinardo • Kenwood
Diamond Nelson • Lake Erie
Anita Paul • Lucas County
Mahek Shah • Metro Columbus
Kellie Hall • Navy North Central (SF 18, SF 17)
Kasey Jackson • Newark (NF 15)
Grace Brown • North Central Ohio
Sarah Bick • North Cincinnati
Nejat Besher • Northgate
Angela Judy • Ohio Buckeye (SF 17, SF 16, SF OH TUSA 15)
Eszter Nagy • Olmstead Falls
Kassidi Cox • Pedro
Britain Bennett • Sandusky (SF OH TUSA 18, NF 17, 1RU 16) 
Ashlyn Callarik • Scarlet State (NF 18, NF OH TUSA 16)
Mariah Payne • South Central Ohio (4RU 18, 1RU 17)
Jenna Jacobs • Springfield Twp (SF 17, SF OH TUSA 14)
Sierra Nowak • Summit County (NF CA USA 18, SF 17, SF OH USA 15, SF 14, SF 13, NF 12)
Megan Opolski • Toledo (NF MI USA 15)
Kailyn Hatfield • Troy
Mackenzie Schutt • Westerville (SF PA USA 18)
​

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