Apologies for another late one but just squeaking this in ahead of Miss WV USA which starts in a little under six hours at 4pm EST. For the first time it will be webcast at pageantvision.com/.
In the Miss division there are 15 contestants, down almost a third on the last couple of years but still better than 2016 when there were only 8 contestants. Of the 15, 11 have competed previously. Miss West Virginia Teen USA 2013 and Miss Teen USA 2013 second runner-up Haley Holloway has returned and will compete in Miss for the first time. She will be the first former Teen to compete in WV since her "big sister" Chelsea Welch (Miss WV Teen USA 2007) won in 2013. It's often the way that the Teens counterparts of Miss titleholders who are themselves former Teen titleholders often go on to emulate the feat so it will be fun to see if Haley can pull that off this year.
Returning from the 2018 top five are first runner-up Charlotte Belotte and second runner-up Dominique Collins (who has made the top five 3 times in Miss & once in Teen). Last year's Teen first runner-up Alexis Bland and 2017 Teen second runner-up Presley Slater have transitioned to the Miss competition this year. 2018 semi-finalist Tori Rohr, third runner-up in Miss in 2016 & in Teen in 2011, is competing again as are other 2018 semi-finalists and Lyndsee Plantz.
There are 17 Teen contestants this year - up slightly from 2018 but average in recent years. The only three returning contestants are last year's second runner-up Sydni Smith, fourth runner-up Lauren Gorman and semi-finalist Carrie Yarber.
Returning 2018 runners-up are marked with asterisks below:
Contestant lists
Charlotte Bellotte (1RU 18, SF 17, SF WV TUSA 12, NF 11)
Alexis Bland (1RU WV TUSA 18)
Caitland Boggs (NF 18)
Dominique Collins (2RU 18, 1RU 17, 3RU 15, 3RU WV TUSA 14, NF 13)
Haley Holloway (WV TUSA 13)
Tess Hyre
Omotayo Oluwafemi
Jessie Pennell
Lyndsee Plantz (SF 18)
Tori Rohr (SF 18, SF 17, 3RU 16, SF 14, 3RU WV TUSA 11)
Marleigh Ross
Lacy Russell (SF 18, NF 17, NF OH USA 17)
Presley Slater (2RU WV TUSA 17, NF 16)
Sarah Weeks (SF CO TUSA 16)
Emily Wigal (SF WV TUSA 16, NF 15)
MISS WEST VIRGINIA TEEN USA 2019 (17)
Tane'a Bledsoe
Brooklyn Burford
Cayton Carder
Emma Cyphert
Carson Diehl
Peri Dimitriou
Lauren Gorman (4RU 18)
Madison Grose
Brennah Groves
Cassidy Myers
Nicole Sherrard
Sydni Smith (2RU 18)
Anna Straight
Hayley Trent
Samantha White
Courtney Winter
Carrie Yarber (SF 18)