Miss South Carolina USA & Teen USA 2017 contestant commentary

The South Carolina pageants are also on Saturday night, starting at 7.30 EST and webcast at www.pageantlive.com.  Miss contestants are posted here and Teen is here.

Who will join the South Carolina sisterhood??!!

In the Miss pageant, 2016 first runner-up Megan Gordon and second runner-up Caitlin Russell are both back and are the only returning runners-up from last year.  Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2011 Keyla Childs is back after last competing in 2014 when she placed third runner-up in her first attempt at the Miss title.  Haley Spathias, who was a runner-up at Miss AR Teen USA 2012 after twice competing in Texas is competing in her first Miss pageant and her first in South Carolina.

Others returning are three-time top 10 semi-finalist Morgan Brown, and other past top 10 and top 15 Miss semi-finalists Neicey Baxter, Emily Yarbrough, Emily Sapier and Lindsey Lambrakos.

In Teen, second runner-up Blakely Lovett and third runner-up Ashlyn Laney are both competing again this year. The only other returning semi-finalists are Kate Geib and Savannah Betsill.

2016 Miss Top Five | Katie Mode (4RU), Caitlin Russell* (2RU), Leah Lawson (Miss SC USA), Megan Gordon* (1RU), Tori Sizemore (3RU)

2016 Teen Top Five | Ashlyn Lacey* (3RU), MaKenzie Divina (1RU), Marley Stokes (Miss SC Teen USA), Blakely Lovett* (2RU), Alex Quinn (4RU)

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​Contestant lists

MISS CONTESTANTS (31)
​​Emily Sapier • Capital City (T15 16)
Sara Burd • Charleston County
Keyla Childs • Charleston (3RU 14, Miss SC Teen USA 2011)
Callie Martin • Clemson
Neicey Baxter • Columbia (T15 16, T10 15)
Tatiana Ruiz • Edisto Beach (T17 SC TUSA 14)
Sarah Roof • Folly Beach
Elee Diamaduros • Golden Corner
Kendra Pigler • Graniteville
Caroline Yodice • Greater Charleston (NF SC TUSA 14)
Caitlin Russell • Greenville (2RU 16)
Kennedy Carter • Holy City
Haley Spathias • Isle of Palms (2RU AR TUSA 12, SF TX TUSA 11, NF 09)
Sydney Long • Kiawah Island (NF 16, T15 SC TUSA 15)
Addison Hicks • Lake Keowee
Reese Corry • Lexington County
Demetria McNeil • Low Country
Celeste Sherer • Mauldin  (NF 16, NF 15, NF NC USA 13, NF NC USA 11)
Catherine Ivey • Midlands
Lindsey Lambrakos • Mount Pleasant  (T15 16, T16 15, NF 11)
Morgan Brown • Mountain Lakes (T10 16, T10 15, T10 14)
Karen Kagha • Myrtle Beach (NF GA USA 16, SF TN USA 11, SF GA TUSA 09)
Brooke Lackey • North Augusta (NF SC TUSA 14, NF 13)
Faith Marcengill • Oconee
Hope Lumpkin • Pawleys Island
Olivia Walls • Powdersville (NF SC TUSA 16)
Emily Yarbrough • Spartanburg (T10 15)
Lauren Traufler • Springdale
Megan Gordon • Upstate (1RU 16)
Daisy Burroughs • York County
Raegan McCullough • Zion (NF SC TUSA 12, NF 11)

TEEN CONTESTANTS (32)
Mary Kate Quinif • Berkeley County
Sarah Grace DuRant • Camden
Ashlyn Laney • Capital City (3RU 16)
Gabrielle Creswell • Chapin
Macey Mitchell • Charleston
Madison McAbee • Cherokee County
Madison Scalf • Clemson (NF 16)
Payton Holmes • Coastal
Rebekah Knowles • Edgefield County (NF 16)
Rebekah Holsenback • Edisto Beach
Elizabeth Self • Emerald City
Kate Geib • Fairfax (T10 16, T10 15)
Erin Werts • Folly Beach
Savannah Betsill • Golden Corner (T10 16)
Hannah Curry • Greenville
Lyndsey Nicole Stanfill • Greenwood County
Morgan Gumola • Kiawah Island (NF 15)
Scarlett Manley • Lake Keowee
Carson Haycox • Lake Murray
Emilee Smarr • Lake Wateree
Summer Rogers • Lexington
Nila Morton • Mauldin
Alexis Johnson • Mountain Lakes
Blakely Lovett • Myrtle Beach (2RU 16)
Catherine Taylor • Newberry County
Cara Odom • North Augusta
Gracen Grainger • Sparkle City
Amber Ziemba • Summerville
Areana Myers • Sumter
Tori Sloan • Upstate (NF 16)
Lauren Elizabeth Johnson • Walhalla
Madelyn Bacon • West Columbia