Miss Arizona USA & Teen USA contestant rundown

Miss Arizona USA & Teen USA 2017 will be crowned this weekend in Mesa, with prelims on Saturday at 7.30 pm MST (10.30pm EDT) and finals at 4.30pm MST (7.30 EDT).  Arizona farewells Chelsea Myers who made the top fifteen at Miss USA and Tristany Hightower who was in my top five for Miss Teen USA 2016 but who shockingly missed the cut - don't get me started on the number of times Arizona has been shortchanged in recent years!

There is one more contestant in the Miss division compared to last year, but still a far cry from 2015 which had over 60 contestants.  For the most part they are new - or at least new to the Miss Arizona USA pageant.  Miss Colorado Teen USA 2013 Chloe Brown is competing in the Miss division for the first time.  She is a student at Arizona State University.  Tommy Lynn Calhoun is not only the only returning runner-up from Arizona last year (she was second runner-up), but also the only returning semi-finalist.  Elizabeth Erickson was a semi-finalist in Miss AZ Teen USA 2014.  There are a number of non-finalists from previous years, including from Illinois.  Chelsea Wold is a dead ringer for Miss Washington USA 2008 Michelle Font - who agrees with me?!

In Teen there are ten more contestants this year, and the highest number since 2012 (this is the first time in a number of years that the Teens outnumber the Miss contestants).  2016 first runner-up Ally Trevino, and second runner-up Karly Riggs are back, and Miss Illinois Teen USA 2016 second runner-up Ellie McGee is competing in Arizona this year (she is a student at the University of Arizona).  Deanna Decker and Greer Cowan​ are returning semi-finalists.

2016 Miss Top Five | Dylan Hendricks (4RU), Tommy Lynn Calhoun* (2RU), Chelsea Myers (Miss AZ USA), Paige Pacheco (1RU), Lexe Richardson (3RU) (click to view full size)

2016 Teen Top Five | Darby Deak (4RU), Karlina Riggs* (2RU), Tristany Hightower (Miss AZ Teen USA), Ally Trevino* (1RU), Madeine Schwister (3RU) (click to view full size)

Scroll below or click "read more" to view the full list of contestants.

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Contestant lists

MISS CONTESTANTS (27)
​​Chelsea Wold • Ahwatukee
Bianca Shelman • Arcadia
Crystal Carr • Aondale
Chloe Brown • Biltmore (Miss CO Teen USA 2013)
Abby Davidson • Camelback
Karla Becerra • Chandler
Chelsea Dawson • Gilbert
Olivia Barreras • Glendale
Ariyanna Norman • Gold Canyon
Marlene Williams • Grand Canyon
Rochelle DeLucia • Happy Valley
Katheryn Holloway • Horizon
Stacy Smith • Maricopa County (NF 16)
Brandi Weber • McCormick Ranch (NF IL USA 14, NF IL TUSA 08, NF IL TUSA 07)
Shanna Akins • Mesa  (NF 16, NF 15, NF CO USA 14, NF CO TUSA 11)
Candace Kanavel • North Tempe (NF 15)
Samantha Micheli • Paradise Valley (NF 16)
Leona Doty • Phoenix
Kyera Werner • Queen Creek
Whitney Ellis • Scottsdale
Diana Ferrales • Sun Valley
Tommy Lynn Calhoun • Sunset Canyon (2RU 16, T20 CA USA 14, T20 CA USA 13) 
Aimee Parker • Tempe
Elizabeth Erickson • Tempe Lakes (SF AZ TUSA 14)
Angelina Ostojic • Thunderbird (NF 12)
Ashley Heerding • Tucson

TEEN CONTESTANTS (31)
Ally Trevino • Ahwatukee (1RU 16, 4RU 15)
Morgan Zittel • Ahwatukee-Foothills (NF 16)
Kassidy Neely • Arrowhead
Sydni Savage • Chandler
Molly Schwanz • DC Ranch
Deanna Decker • Desert Mountain (SF 16, NF 15)
Leilani Laguna • East Valley (NF & Photogenic 15)
Jordyn Marion • Gilbert (NF 16, NF 15)
Alaya Walton • Gold Canyon
Alexia Garcia • Goodyear
Josephyne Ford • Graham County
Sheilynn Simerly • Maricopa 
Anna Gowan • Maricopa County (NF 16)
Madelyn Kirkegaard • North Scottsdale
Alyssa Quinn • Paradise Valley
Madison Bailey • Peoria
Marlena Maher • Phoenix
Anastacia Artutis • Pima County
Jenny Zapor • Pinnacle Peak
Greer Cowan • Scottsdale (SF 16)
Lillie Herman • Scottsdale Quarter
Kiara Russell • Sierra Vista
Macy Deak • Silverleaf
Hailey Swanson • Southern Arizona
Emma Stewart • Superstition Mountain
Nicole Carney • Tempe
Tessa Wilkinson • Troon
Anisha Chatterjee • Tucson
Karly Riggs • Valley of the Sun (2RU 16)
Katie Schaaf • West Valley
Ellie McGee • Wildcat (2RU IL TUSA 16)