Miss Utah USA & Teen USA 2017 contestant commentary

Miss Utah USA & Teen USA 2017 finals start at 4.30pm MST on Saturday and will be webcast at www.pageantvision.com.  Miss contestants can be viewed here and Teen here. Miss numbers are down one and Teen up six, but overall there are still almost 30 contestants fewer overall than in 2015 and this is their third lowest year since 2007.  

Three of last year's runners-up, first runner-up Baylee Jensen (daughter of Miss USA 1989 Gretchen Polhemus Jensen), second runner-up Narine Ishanov and fourth runner-up Leia Sergakis  are back, and the fourth (3RU Riley Copans) is competing in Virginia this same weekend.  Three-time runner-up Dani Braun who last competed in 2015 has returned, as has Victoria Lynn who also a semi-finalist in 2015 and was a Teen runner-up in 2013 & 2014.  Other returning semi-finalists are Cortni Beers (2016) and Ciearra Everill (Teen 2015) - Ciearra's sister Gentry was a semi-finalist in 2015 and a three-time Congeniality winner.

The past eight Miss winners have all been past runners-up and/or Teen winners, and four had been a runner-up more than once.
 
In Teen there are two sisters of former Miss Utah USAs - Lesya Feinstein, sister of Kate who was Miss UT Teen USA 2008 & Miss Utah USA 2010 and Rachel Bell, last year's Teen first runner-up and sister of Kendyl who was Miss Utah USA 2012.   In addition to Rachel, Madilen Kellogg, second runner-up last year, is the only other returning Teen runner-up.  Past semi-finalists who are back are Brooklyn Lang and Madison Baldwin from 2016 and Maddie Jonely from 2014. 

2016 Miss Top Five | Riley Coppans (3RU), Baylee Jensen* (1RU), Teale Murdock (Miss UT USA), Narine Ishhanov* (2RU), Leia Sergakis* (4RU)

2016 Teen Top Five | Dasha Semina (4RU), Madilen Kellogg* (2RU), AbbyJade Larson (Miss UT Teen USA), Rachel Bell* (1RU), Kelsy Patrick (3RU)

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Contestant lists

MISS CONTESTANTS (18)
Ciearra Everill • Bear Lake (SF UT TUSA 15)
Shona Seifert • Bountiful (NF 16)
Chealsey Leach • Capitol City
Leia Sergakis • Cottonwood Canyon (4RU 16, SF 13, NF 12)
Anjulie McFarland • Davis County
Thelina Smith • Greater Salt Lake
McCall Bills • Millcreek
Ashlee Haddenham • Northen Utah
Bliss Campbell • Provo
Cortni Beers • Red Rock (SF 16)
Madilyn Holmes • Roy
Rachel Slawson • Salt Lake City (NF 15, NF 14)
Victoria Lynn • Salt Lake County (SF 15, 2RU UT TUSA 14, 1RU 13, SF 12)
Baylee Jensen • South Jordan (1RU 16)
Cheyenne Peterson • St. George
Dani Braun • Sundance (T10 16, 4RU 14, 3RU 13, 2RU UT USA 11)
Courtnee Cloward • Tooele County
Narine Ishhanova • Utah County (2RU 16, 2RU 15, SF 14, NF 13)

TEEN CONTESTANTS (18)
Samantha Padilla • Bountiful
Lesya Feinstein • Centerville
Madilen Kellogg • Davis County (2RU 16, SF 15)
Brooklyn Lang • Draper (SF 16)
Michaela Boyette • Great Salt Lake
Justice Johnston • Herriman
Brooke Lewis • Logan
Hailey Green • Morgan County 
Annjole Artist • North Logan
Kaitlyn McCall • North Salt Lake
Natalie Moesinger • Ogden
Mia Strup • Park City
Maddie Jonely • Salt Lake City (SF 14)
Madison Baldwin • St. George (SF 16)
Tabitha Wilson • Utah County
Rachel Bell • Wasatch Front (1RU 16)
MaKall Larsen • Weber County
Kaitlyn Rowberry • West Valley

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