Miss Rhode Island USA & Teen USA 2017 contestant rundown!

There's a smaller contestant pool in Rhode Island this year but top quality!  The finals are being held in a new venue, the Vets, in Providence, with prelims on Saturday at 6pm and finals on Sunday at 2pm.  There are only 28 Miss contestants, the lowest since 2013 and 40% lower than the average of the past three years. Teen numbers are steady however, at 42, one more than last year and one less than 2015.

For the first time in a couple of years RI has a former Teen competing, Lindsey Bucci Miss RI Teen USA 2011.  Her twin sister Amanda was a semi-finalist in Miss in 2014.  Lindsey will be the first former Teen to compete this year!  Miss Rhode Island 2015 Alexandra Curtis is competing in the USA system for the first time.  

There are two returning runners-up in the Miss competition, 2015 and 2016 first runner-up Kelsey Swanson will be hoping to go one better this year.   She's the second coming of Olivia Culpo!  Also back is Asia Turner, 3RU last year and a past semi-finalist in Georgia.  Returning this year after a six year break is 2010 Teen second runner-up Sarah Reynolds who was also a SF in 2009.  

Past semi-finalists are Kimberly Frazier & Prutha Patel (2016), Victoria Smurro (2015 & 2016, in NY), Ashley Waterman (2014), and Gabriella Alves (2015 Teen).  Victoria had aged out under the previous rule and took advantage of the age extension this year!

Contestants mentioned above & a few more that caught my eye | Row 1 : Lindsey Bucci, Alexandra Curtis, Kelsey Swanson, Asia Turner, Sarah Reynolds | Row 2 : Kimberly Frazier, Prutha Patel, Victoria Smurro, Ashley Waterman, Gabriella Alves | Row 3: Jena Ribeiro, Maricela Sanchez, Stephanie Santana, Alexandra Ash, Justine Vastano

In Teen, three of last year's runners-up are back: 2nd runner-up Blake Ferretti, 3rd runner-up Sophia Desmarais, and 4th runner-up Mya Benz.  2015 third runner-up Abby Mansolillo, who was a semi-finalist in 2014 and 2016, is also back.  She started competing when she was only 14!

Contestants mentioned above and some of the very many newbies & past NFs that caught my eye | Row 1: Blake Ferretti, Sophia Desmarais, Mya Benz, Abby Mansolillo, Mikal Jamielle | Row 2: Hailee Clarke, Gabriella Costantini, Nina Pineyro, Alexa Papigiotis, Likhet Or | Row 3: Madeline Capladi, Nina DeBenedetto, Zoe Habershaw,Tayla Grasso, Julia Hawkins

Returning runners-up marked with asterisks below....

2016 Top Five | Lyndsey Laramee (4RU), Asia Turner* (2RU), Theresa Agonia (Miss RI USA), Kelsey Swanson* (1RU), Kristen Hanlon (2RU) (click to view full size)

2016 Top Five | Stephanie Sandin (1RU), Blake Ferretti* (2RU), Malia Cruz (Miss RI Teen USA), Mya Benz* (4RU), Sophia Desmarais* (3RU)

Click "read more" or scroll down to view the full list of 2017 contestants.

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Contestants

MISS RHODE ISLAND USA (28)
​Mary Kate Agnew 
Gabriella Alves (SF RI TUSA 15)
Alexandra Ash
Lindsey Bucci (Miss RI USA 2011)
Kendall Conley
Alexandra Curtis
Angelica D'Arezzo
Carissa DeSantis (NF 16)
Mary Ernster 
Kerry Farrea
Kimberly Frazier (SF 16)
Krista-Louise Genereux
Jackie Krischtschun 
Nicole Lattarulo (NF NJ TUSA 16)
Ali Markarian 
Samantha Metivier 
Kerry Oliveira
Gabrielle Paone-Hart 
Prutha Patel (SF & Photogenic 16)
Sarah Reynolds (2RU RI TUSA 10, SF 09)
Jena Ribeiro
Maricela Sanchez
Stephanie Santana
Victoria Smurro (SF NY USA 16, SF NY USA 15)
Kelsey Swanson (1RU 16, 1RU 15)
Asia Turner (3RU 16, SF GA USA 15, NF GA USA 11)
Justine Vastano (NF & Congeniality 11)
Ashley Waterman (SF 14, NF RI TUSA 11)

MISS RHODE ISLAND TEEN USA (42)
Molly Andrade (NF 14)
Alexis Annarummo 
Jeilyn Avarista 
Mya Benz (4RU 16)
Lyndsey Bowman
Alyze Brito
Erica Brum 
Madeline Capladi 
Hailee Clarke 
Gabriella Costantini
Nakyah Dagraca 
Sophia Desmarais (3RU 16, SF 14)
Cassidy Detsavanh
Nina DeBenedetto 
Nicole Famiglietti 
Melissa Ferrante 
Blake Ferretti (2RU 16)
Sarah Gongoleski
Tayla Grasso 
Zoe Habershaw (NF 16)
Tori Hanuschak 
Kylie Hartley 
Julia Hawkins
Anita Hazziez 
Janelcy Hidalgo 
Mikal Jamielle 
Taylor Josephson
Camerin Lavoie 
Abby Mansolillo (SF 16, 3RU 15, SF 14)
Lauren McGuirk 
Kylie Miller 
Aliyah Moore
Carrigan Nelson
Likhet Or 
Alexa Papigiotis (NF 15)
Nina Pineyro
Alexis Quinn
Lexi Rodrigues 
Sofia Rodriguez 
Yolymar Ruiz
Morgan Steele (NF 16)
Madison Turner​