Miss Wisconsin USA & Teen USA 2017 will be crowned this weekend, with prelims at 8pm CST on Saturday night and then finals on Sunday at 4pm CST. All shows will be webcast for $14.99 each.
Contestant photos are posted here - it's lovely to have hi res pics for the first time! There is also People's Choice voting this year. As only first names and initials are posted this rundown will be a little different but we can still figure out returning contestants. 41 Miss contestants is a slightly lower number than the last couple of years but still higher than 2010-2014. 42 Teen contestants are almost double last year and the second highest number of contestants since 2010.
There are no less than four former Teen first runners-up competing for the Miss title! 2009 first runner-up Heidi Golznig, who was first runner-up in Miss in 2015 and second runner-up in 2016 & 2012 is competing and has to be a front runner for the 2017 title. Teaka Griesbach, Teen 1RU to Kate Redeker in 2013 & 2RU in 2014 and Miss third runner-up last year, also a former Miss Wisconsin's Outstanding Teen, is back for a second shot at the Miss title. 2014 Teen 1RU McKenna Collins and 2015 Teen 1RU Skylar Witte are competing in Miss for the first time.
Miss Wisconsin 2014 Raeanna Johnson, who also succeeded Miss America Laura Kaeppler as Miss Wisconsin 2011, is competing at Miss WI USA for the first time. 2016 National Sweetheart semi-finalist Tara Pizer is also trying the USA system for the first time.
Other names I recognise:
Contestant photos are posted here - it's lovely to have hi res pics for the first time! There is also People's Choice voting this year. As only first names and initials are posted this rundown will be a little different but we can still figure out returning contestants. 41 Miss contestants is a slightly lower number than the last couple of years but still higher than 2010-2014. 42 Teen contestants are almost double last year and the second highest number of contestants since 2010.
There are no less than four former Teen first runners-up competing for the Miss title! 2009 first runner-up Heidi Golznig, who was first runner-up in Miss in 2015 and second runner-up in 2016 & 2012 is competing and has to be a front runner for the 2017 title. Teaka Griesbach, Teen 1RU to Kate Redeker in 2013 & 2RU in 2014 and Miss third runner-up last year, also a former Miss Wisconsin's Outstanding Teen, is back for a second shot at the Miss title. 2014 Teen 1RU McKenna Collins and 2015 Teen 1RU Skylar Witte are competing in Miss for the first time.
Miss Wisconsin 2014 Raeanna Johnson, who also succeeded Miss America Laura Kaeppler as Miss Wisconsin 2011, is competing at Miss WI USA for the first time. 2016 National Sweetheart semi-finalist Tara Pizer is also trying the USA system for the first time.
Other names I recognise:
- Four-time semi-finalist and 2014 fourth runner-up Cassandra Besaw, who has won the Photogenic award three times.
- Natalie Hamilton, semi-finalist in 2015 & 2016, 3RU at Miss WI TUSA 2014, semi-finalist at Miss WI Teen USA 13
- Marissa Nelson, 4th runner-up at Miss WI Teen USA 2011 & semi-finalist in 2010
- Regina Gray, semi-finalist in 2014, 2015 & 2016
- Danika Tramburg, semi-finalist 2016
- Victoria Sciborski, Teen semi-finalist 2016
- Ashley Brehmer, semi-finalist at Miss IL USA 2014
In Teen, all the other runners-up are returning: 2RU Sloan Schmitz, 3RU Abby Bryson and 4RU Brittany Georgia (who was 2RU in 2015). 2015 4RU Gracey Mackey-Natz, a semi-finalist in 2016, is also back. This means that only two runners-up from the 2014, 2015 and 2016 Miss Wisconsin Teen USA top fives are not returning (other than Kenna Harke, 2014's 1RU who won in 2015). The only other returning semi-finalist is Rachel Higgins.
^ = competing in Miss this year | * = competing in Teen
 2016 Top Five | Sara Spaulding (4RU), Heidi Golznig^ (2RU), Kate Redeker (Miss WI USA), Tyra McFarland (1RU), Teaka Griesbach^ (3RU) (click to view full size) |  2016 Top Five | Abigail Bryson* (3RU), Skylar Witte^ (1RU), Karly Knaus (Miss WI Teen USA), Sloan Schmitz* (2RU), Brittany Georgia* (4RU) (click to view full size) |
 2015 Top Five | Alexis Preibe (3RU), Brittany Georgia* (2RU), Kenna Mia Harke (Miss WI Teen USA), McKenna Collins^ (1RU), Grace Mackey-Natz* (4RU) (click to view full size) |  2014 Top Five | Abby Rockendorf (4RU), Teaka Griesbach^ (2RU), Patience Vallier (Miss WI Teen USA), Kenna Mia Harke (1RU), Natalie Hamilton^ (3RU) (click to view full size) |
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