Miss Texas USA 2016 Contestant Commentary

One of the most eagerly anticipated events in the Miss USA state pageant calendar is finally upon us: Miss Texas USA 2016 will be crowned in Houston on Sunday from 2pm!  The prelim show is Saturday 7pm.  Both pageants will be webcast at www.pageantvision.com - prelims is $15 and finals $18.  Contestant numbers are back past 100 after a dip last year.

As is usual with Texas there is a high proportion of returning contestants and those who have competed many (many, many!) times before - that's the Texas tradition and it would be strange any other way.  It's so common that when I created the Miss Texas USA state results page (which has all the state results of every Miss Texas USA pageant since 1982 & Teen since 1991 >> go there!) it is the only state I bulleted off the semi-finalists because of the many lines of past placements making everything muddled ;)

Some commentary (a full list of contestants & past placements is at the end of this blog)...

• After a rare gap without a former Teen in the pageant last year, Miss Texas Teen USA 2013 Daniella Rodriguez is competing in Miss TX USA for the first time.  Fun fact: the number of 2013 Teens who have competed in Miss has already outgrown the number of 2012 Teens who have returned!

• Last year's first runner-up Alejandra Gonzalez is back and a definite favourite to win this year.

• Thamer Favor, has competed five times, started in Teen in 2005 when she was 15!   This is her last year.  She and Tahnae Tarkenton were second and first runners-up respectively at Miss TX Teen USA 2007.  Thamer has the Houston title behind her - more on that later.  

• Tahnae, always my sentimental favourite and I know is many others too.  She was totally ROBBED of a top fifteen spot last year - still not sure I'm over that shock!  Between Miss & Teen this will be her eleventh year competing, and as with Thamer it's her final year before she ages out.

• Logan Lester, made top five her first year competing in Miss last year which is not an easy feat.  I fully expect her to repeat that this year and inch closer to that crown (if not win outright).

• Watch out for the Dallas group.  Miss Dallas Katie Sicula was a semi-finalist last year, her first ever year competing at Miss TX USA, and now has the backing of Will Henderson behind her (think Ali Nugent, Kellie Stewart).  Last year's Miss Dallas Lauren Kennewell is competing as Miss Fort Worth and with a year's Texas experience under their belt (Lauren had competed once before, in Iowa), I think both are going to be very strong.

• Brianna Webb has had a steady progression from non-finalist in 2013, SF in 2014 and second runner-up last year.  Thought she was very deserving of that placement.
  

• Contestants with two or more SF placements to their credit: could they make it to the top five this year?  Melissa Novak, Stephanie Rivas, Ligia De Uriarte, Christina Entsminger (has been a SF five times now, and NF three times), Ashleigh Gutierrez (back for the first time since 2013), Victoria Sinclair.

• Also competing for the first time since 2013 is two-time runner-up Barbara Falcon, who has competed for Miss Mexico Universe in the interim.  Like Tahnae, Barbara also started competing in Teen in 2006.

• Former Teen runners-up competing this year are Tahnae (1RU 07), Thamer (2RU 07), Hannah Johannes (3RU 11), Logan (4RU 12), Ciara Jasso (1RU 13), Alayah Benavidez (2RU 14).  Hannah is the only one competing in Miss for the first time. 

• Contestants who have won awards previously are -  Photogenic: Stephanie Rivas (14), Ashleigh Gutierrez (12), Alayah Benavidez (Teen 14), Hannah Johannes (Teen 11) | Congeniality: Christine Nwabeke (Teen 09 - tie) | Swimsuit: Logan Lester (15), Thamer Favor (Teen 06)

• To summarise, these are some of the girls who are ageing out this year: Tahnae, Thamer, Lauren Adkins (non-finalist the past two years, runner-up in New York in 2010, TX Teen Semi-finalist in 2008, also started competing in 2005!) [please leave a comment if you can update or correct]

2016 Contestants | Alejandra Gonzalez (1RU • 2nd from left), Brianna Webb (2RU • 2nd from right), Logan Lester (3RU • far right)

2016 Contestant | Alejandra Gonzalez (4RU • far right)

2016 Contestant | Barbara Falcon (3RU • far left)

2016 Contestant | Alayah Benavidez (2RU • 2nd from left)

2016 Contestant | Ciara Jasso (1RU • 2nd from right) | Recognise a former Miss OK USA here?!

2016 Contestant | Logan Lester (4RU • far left)

2016 Contestant | Hannah Johannes (3RU • far left)

I mentioned the Miss Houston USA & Miss Dallas USA titles and want to touch briefly on Texas & their locals, something I've never done before.  TX isn't like Florida where they're mandatory but they do love them and the production quality can rival some of the state pageants (or even Miss Teen USA? lol)  well known that certain local titles do have an edge when it comes to producing winners .  Here's some winner stats:

• Houston - 5 (1990, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2012) 
• El Paso - 3 (1985, 1994, 2010)
• Fort Worth - 3 (1983, 1989, 1992)
• Laredo - 2 (2011, 2014)
• San Antonio - 1 (1998)
• Austin - 1 (2001)

From 1983 to 2015, 33 years, Houston placed 30 times, won five times and made the top five a further 13 times - if that's not a local powerhouse I don't know what is!   While Houston clearly has the upper hand, girls from the Dallas area (under a number of different titles) have always been strong and with the new leadership there I'm predicting they will be the next up and coming powerhouse to challenge Houston at Miss Texas USA.
 
A quick recap of some of this year's local pageant winners & runners-up who are competing at Miss TX USA [again, please leave a comment if you can fill me in on more?]

• Miss Houston Thamer Favor, 1RU Logan Lester 2RU Ashlea Gutierrez, 4RU Danielle Bosley.
  
• Miss Kemah Ligia De Uriarte, 1RU Avery Green, 2RU Hannah Johannes, 3RU Nancy Gonzalez, 4RU Stephanie Ludwig

Finally, very sad news that Texas Pageant Scene have been prevented from attending this year (explanation here)... we will all miss their amazing photos. 

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Contestants

MISS TX USA (106)

• McKynna Cocanougher • Abilene 
  
• Cassey Schenk • Archer County 
  
• Yvette Luong • Arlington 
  
• Allison Drake • Austin 
  
• Logan Lester • Bay Area (3RU & SS winner 15, SF TX TUSA 13, 4RU 12, SF 11)
  
• Courtney Newman • Bayou City (NF 15)
  
• Nia Williams • Beaumont (NF DC USA 15?)
  
• Xavia Wigfall • Bexar County 
  
• Channelle Chacon • Borderland 
  
• Brianna Key • Cane Island (NF 15)
  
• Brennah Blackwelder • Capitol of Texas
  
• Megan Rodriguez • Cedar Hill 
  
• Ivy Watkins • Cedar Park 
  
• Helena Meudt • Central Fort Worth (NF TX TUSA 14, NF 13)
  
• Ashton Theiss • Central North Texas (NF 14, NF 12, NF TX TUSA 09, NF 08)
  
• Melissa Novak • Central Texas (SF 15, SF 14, NF TX TUSA 11, NF TX TUSA 10)
  
• Vivian Reyes • Central Valley (NF 15, SF TX TUSA 12)
  
• Daniella Rodriguez • Central Webb County (Miss TX Teen USA 2013, SF 12, NF 11)
  
• Brianna Williams • Cherokee County 
  
• Danielle Bosley • Coastal Plains (SF 15)
  
• Samantha Junek • College Station 
  
• Taylor Houston • Collin County (SF TX TUSA 15)
  
• Kelly Cleland • Columbus (NF 14)
  
• Amorretta Crayton • Comal County 
  
• Tahnae Tarkenton • D F W (NF 15, SF 14, SF 13, NF 12, NF 11, SF 10, 4RU 09, SF 08, 1RU TX TUSA 07, NF TX TUSA 06)
  
• Katie Sicula • Dallas (SF 15)
  
• Autumn Hartt • Dallas County (NF 15, NF TX TUSA 13)
  
• Chelsee Arceneaux • Deer Park 
  
• Courtney Jones • Del Rio 
  
• Breanne Hagler • Denton 
  
• Perri Van Horn • Denton County 
  
• Savannah Lawrence • Dripping Springs 
  
• Naomi McDowell • Duncanville (NF 15)
  
• Regina Bejarano • Ector County 
  
• Stephanie Rivas • El Paso (SF & Photogenic 14, SF TX TUSA 13, NF TX TUSA 12)
  
• Gracie Cantu • Ellis County 
  
• Samaria Mouton • Energy Corridor (NF 15, NF 14, NF 13, NF TX TUSA 09)
  
• Chelsea Pena • Falcon Lake (NF 15)
  
• Ariel Monte • Fiesta City 
  
• Christine Nwabeke • Fort Bend County (NF 12, NF 11, SF & Congeniality (tie) TX TUSA 09)
  
• Lauren Kennewell • Fort Worth (SF 15, SF IA USA 13)
  
• Morgan Fox • Frisco 
  
• Kourtney Magnes • Golden Triangle (NF 15, SF 14, NF 13, NF TX TUSA 08)
  
• Karsen Koehler • Grey Forest (NF TX TUSA 14, NF 13)
  
• Nancy Gonzalez • Gulf Coast 
  
• Ann Rodriguez • Harlingen 
  
• Taylor Kessler • Harris County (SF TX TUSA 15)
  
• Alayah Benavidez • Helotes (NF 15, 2RU & Photogenic TX TUSA 14)
  
• Thamer Favor • Houston  (NF 13, SF 11, 2RU TX TUSA 07, SF & SS winner TX TUSA 06, NF TX TUSA 05)
  
• Ligia De Uriarte • Kemah (SF 15, SF 14)
  
• Hannah Lindley • Kingwood 
  
• Emily Foster • Lake Austin (NF 15, NF 14)
  
• Katie Scott • Lake Willow (NF 15)
  
• Alison Kim • Laredo (NF CA USA 15, T20 CA USA 14, T20 CA USA 13)
  
• Kyra Singleton • Liberty County 
  
• Kylie Boyd • Llano (SF TX TUSA 13)
  
• Brianna Webb • Lone Star (2RU 15, SF 14, NF 13, SF TX TUSA 11)
  
• Karen Garcia • Lubbock (NF 15)
  
• Sandra Martinez • Lubbock County (NF 14)
  
• Amy Permenter • Lufkin 
  
• Jamie Blanek • Mclennan County 
  
• Evelyn Newnam • Memorial 
  
• Vanessa Ayala • Metroplex 
  
• Nichole Logan • Midland County (NF 11-15)
  
• Hannah Johannes • Midtown (3RU & Photogenic TX TUSA 11)
  
• Vanessa Valdez • Mission 
  
• Christina Entsminger • North Central Texas (SF 15, SF 14, SF 13, SF 12, SF 11, NF 10, NF TX TUSA 08, NF TX TUSA 07)
  
• Christena Twillie • North Dallas 
  
• Bessy Flores • North Houston
  
• Jasmine Bhattarai • North Texas 
  
• Rebekah Harris • Nueces County 
  
• Alessandra Papa • Panther City 
  
• Sara Hammond • Pasadena 
  
• Jasmine Shepherd • Pearland 
  
• Alaina Granado • Permian Basin (NF 14)
  
• Victory Onimisi • Plano 
  
• Tobbi Gibbons • Prairie View 
  
• Brittany Vaughn • Princeton 
  
• Eloina Gonzalez • Rio Grande Valley
  
• Tiffany Hlavenka • Robinson 
  
• Zaida Silva • Round Rock 
  
• Micha Pleasant • Rowlett 
  
• Isabella Radovan • San Antonio (NF 15)
  
• Fontanne Bassey • South Central Texas
  
• Vanessa Garza • South Texas (SF TX TUSA 13, SF 12, NF 11)
  
• Ashlea Gutierrez • Southeast Texas (SF 13, SF & Photogenic 12, SF TX TUSA 10, NF TX TUSA 09, NF TX TUSA 08, NF TX TUSA 07)
  
• Barbara Falcon • Southwest Texas (3RU 13, 2RU 12, SF 09, SF TX TUSA 08, NF TX TUSA 07, NF TX TUSA 06)
  
• Ellen Kincaid • Space City (NF 15)
  
• Asia Walter • Spring 
  
• Skyler Hunter • Spurs City 
  
• Ciara Jasso • State Capital (SF 15, 1RU TX TUSA 13, SF 12)
  
• Telliz Bustamante • Stone Oak 
  
• Lyanna Pina • Sugar Land (NF 15)
  
• Sarah Joyner • Sun City (NF 15)
  
• Juliet Gonzalez • Tip of Texas
  
• Stephanie Ludwig • Tomball 
  
• Alejandra Gonzalez • Tropics of Texas (1RU 15, 4RU 14, SF 13, NF 12, NF TX TUSA 11)
  
• Dominique Moraida • Universal City 
  
• Lauren Adkins • Uptown (NF 15, NF 14, F NY USA 11, 2RU NY USA 10, T15 NY USA 09, T15 TX TUSA 07, NF TX TUSA 06, NF TX TUSA 05)
  
• Avery Greene • Victoria 
  
• Kesha Clark • Waco 
  
• Isis Smalls • West Lake Houston
  
• Victoria Sinclair • West Texas (SF 15, SF 14)
  
• Whitney Sizemore • Wichita County 
  
• Megan Martin • Williamson County