Miss Oklahoma USA & Teen USA 2016 contestant commentary

Super unfortunate timing this weekend as Miss Oklahoma USA starts an hour after their first Miss USA Olivia Jordan starts competing for Miss Universe.  The beautiful Alex Miller, Olivia's first runner-up and successor, and Teen titleholder Cherokee Pearce will do a great job of holding down the fort in OK but what a shame they and their directors weren't able to be in Vegas to support their sister queen - and a shame that Olivia wasn't able to return to her state pageant as the reigning Miss USA.  Miss contestant photos are here and Teen here.  Miss numbers are down as with so many other states but Teen numbers are at their second highest in the last decade.

Returning this year are 2015 second runner-up, former Miss Oklahoma Teen USA 2008 Taylor Gorton who made the semi-finals at Miss Teen USA; and third runner-up Albreuna Gonzaque.  2011 Teen 3RU Madeline Cole, a semi-finalist last year, is also competing again, as are other 2015 semi-finalists Alex Smith and Lauren Kindle.  Victoria Grant, first runner-up at Miss New Hampshire Teen USA 2013, is competing in Oklahoma for the first time.

​In Teen, the only finalist competing again is first runner-up Hellen Smith, with semi-finalists Lauren Lugafet and Kailey Salzillo also returning.

I think I spy two sisters of past contestants in the roster - Natalie Blakley, sister of 2012 Teen runner-up and 2015 Miss runner-up Nicole Blakley and Macy Meehan, sister of 2011 Teen first runner-up Alexandria Meehan.

I did chuckle that one of the Teen sash titles is "Cherokee Owasso", given that outgoing titleholder Cherokee held the Owasso title the five years she competed!

2015 Miss Top Five | Ryli Smith (4RU), Taylor Gorton* (2RU), Olivia Jordan, Alex Miller (1RU), Aubreuna Gonzaque* (3RU)

2015 Teen Top Five | Noel Delano (3RU), Hellen Smith* (1RU), Cherokee Pearce (Miss OK Teen USA), Sydney Gorton (2RU), Caitlin Fidler (4RU)

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Contestants

MISS CONTESTANTS (20)

• ​Lauren Lavigne • Bixby (NF 13)
• Kathryn Ott • Broken Arrow
• Haley Stevens • Creek County
• Tes Hardison • Frontier Family Chiropractic
• Victoria Grant • Grand Lake (1RU NH TUSA 13)
• Mirella Zamarron • Grandfield
• Catelin Morris • Greater Edmond
• Lauren Kindle • Greater Oklahoma City (SF 15)
• Judith Rogers • Hartshorne
• Alex Smith • Northwest Oklahoma (SF 15)
• Sunny Day • OKC Thunder (NF 15)
• Taylor Baker • Oklahoma City
• Hayley Anderson • Red State
• Ashley Young • Redbud
• Stephanie Stewart • Rose Rock
• Madeline Cole • Sooner State (SF 15, NF 13, 3RU OK TUSA 11, SF OK TUSA 10)
• Taylor Gorton • South Tulsa (2RU 15, 2RU 14, Miss OK Teen USA 2008, NF 07) 
• Abigail Coats • Tulsa
• Albreuna Gonzaque • Warr Acres (3RU 15)
• Gabrielle Catteeuw • Washington (SF OK TUSA 14)

TEEN CONTESTANTS (38)

• Lauren Richey • Anadarko
• Ashley Patel • Beavers Bend
• Savannah Martine • Broken Bow
• Brooklyn Mossier • Cherokee Owasso
• Samantha Veenstra • Durant
• Lauren Lugafet • Edmond (SF 15, NF 14)
• Katherine Wilkerson • Edmond North
• Makayla Hinderliter • Enid
• Natalie Blakley • Greater Edmond
• Hailey Boyd • Greater Oklahoma City
• Nicole Hope • Greater Yukon
• Cassandra Purintun • Hinton
• Hailee Hendrix • Hobart
• Millaya Bray • Hugo
• Katie Jones • Jackson County
• Macy Meehan • Jenks
• Audrey Posey • Lake Texoma
• Tevis Hillis • Lawton
• Whitney Webb • Lindsay
• Adrianna Standfill • Metro Oklahoma City
• Samantha Wood • Muldrow
• Kyla Crawford • Muskogee
• Kayelee Ayers • Norman
• Gabrielle Cepero • Northwest Oklahoma
• Hellen Smith • Oklahoma City (1RU 15)
• Adrianna Williams • Oklahoma County
• Camdyn Ellis • Owasso
• Stella Frisby • Payne County
• Kristen Darling • Pontotoc County
• Kylie May • Red Dirt Region
• Kirsti McLachlan • Sooner State
• Laura Blount • Southeast Edmond
• Nicole Lowry • Southeast Oklahoma
• Bailey Langness • Stillwater
• Hunter Fraley • Vinita
• Kayla Stephens • Warrior Nation
• Josephine Zepeda • Washington County
• Kailey Salzillo • Yukon (SF 15)