There has been a 28% drop in contestants compared to the average of the last three years, although numbers are closer to what they were from 2007-2009. This is, however, the smallest group in the eleven years I have records for.
Florida's trend is very much to crown newcomers or contestants who had progressed no higher than the semi-finals: of the past ten winners three were newcomers, five were past semi-finalists and one was a past non-finalist (this is taking into account Gracie Simmons who was crowned in 2012 and subsequently resigned; Sydney Martinez who succeeded her was also a newcomer). Outgoing titleholder Gracie Smith was the first returning runner-up since 2005! You can see decades of past state results here.
Three of Gracie's four runners-up are back - let's see if they can follow in her footsteps. They are first runner-up Victoria Fields, second runner-up Daniela Albrecht (also a semi-finalist in 2015) and third runner-up and 2016 Amity winner Joy Mayfield.
Miss Nevada's Outstanding Teen 2015 Lauren Watson has moved to Florida and is competing at her first USA pageant - she was a semi-finalist and America's Choice winner. This won't be the first time a former MAOT titleholder has competed in FL, national winner and future Miss Alabama Caitlin Brunell competed in 2010 but did not place.
Other returning semi-finalists are Meghan Bischoff, Victoria DiSorbo, and Lindsey Langston.
Contestant lists
Daniela Albrecht • Hollywood (2RU 16, SF 15)
Veronica Alvarez • Miami (NF 16, NF 15)
Meghan Bischoff • Naples (SF 16)
Alyssa Barnett • Bay County
Oriana Bottaro • Florida Keys
Ashlyn Bulinski • Orlando
Brianna Creswell • Stuart
Kristina Davis • South Florida
Makenna Deslatte • Gulf Coast
Victoria DiSorbo • Pembroke Pines (SF 16)
Caroline Dixon • First Coast
Alexandria Egues • Junior Orange Bowl
Madison Estape • City Beautiful
Lauren Etchells • Capital City
Victoria Fields • Space Coast (1RU 16)
Katia Gerry • St. Augustine
Savannah Gill • Treasure Coast
Laken Giles • Daytona Beach
Emma Gillan • Dania Beach
Jada Kelly • St. Petersburg (NF 16)
Codie Kramer • Thornton County (NF CA TUSA 15)
Lindsey Langston • North Central Florida (SF 16, NF 15)
Taylor Letvinchuk • Coral Gables (NF 16)
Alexia Lipman • Suncoast
Tara McDonald • Windermere (NF 16)
Elaina McKenna • Siesta Key (NF 16)
Isabella Maietta • Ft. Lauderdale
Natalia Martinez • Delray Beach
Jacquelyn Marquez • Art Deco (NF 16)
Joy Mayfield • Tallahassee (3RU & Amity 16)
Jodie Meeks • Ft. Walton Beach (NF 16)
Olivia Occhigrossi • Boca Raton (NF 16)
Ariel Owens • Lakeland (NF 16, NF 15)
Lexi Packo • Jacksonville
Yislein Pulido • Hialeah
Jessica Ramirez • Broward County (NF 16, NF 15, NF 14)
Lydia Simmons • Orange County
Reagan Strout • Martin County
Janyse Styles • Gainesville
Alexandra Tiek • Tampa Bay
Victoria Torres • Hollywood Beach
Gianna Vittorini • Ft. Lauderdale Beach (NF 16)
Noelia Voigt • Sarasota
Lauren Watson • Lake Eola (NV's OT 15)
Madelyn Wessling • Tampa
Katelyn Wilson • Central Florida (NF 15, NF 14)