There are two Miss Teen USA state titleholders competing this year. One is Miss MO Teen USA 2014 Samantha Bowers, who was a semi-finalist at Miss Missouri over the summer and will be only the second 2014 Teen to compete in a USA state pageant. The other former Teen is Alexa Zellers, Miss Arizona Teen USA 2012, who is using her titleholder scholarship to attend Lindenwood University and who is competing in Miss for the first time.
From last year's top five there are first runner-up Bayleigh Dayton, and second runner-up Tori Kruse. Returning Miss & Teen semi-finalists from last year are Lindsay Tiefenbrunn, Lizzie Maddox, Ashtin Bruere and Alexandria Spry. Like the last couple of years there are a number of contestants from other states, in part because a number of contestants do use their Lindenwood scholarships. There are three from Illinois - 2011 Teen first runner-up Mariah Ludtke, 2015 Teen semi-finalist Kaitlyn Manion and 2014 Teen semi-finalist Montanna Neisen. Tori Kruse has previously competed in Iowa, 2016 semi-finalist Lizzie Maddox once competed in Colorado, and Ashley Thakur is a past New York non-finalist.
Contestants mentioned above & a few others that caught my eye:

I've included photos of those contestants & some other headshots I love below - does anyone else think Chloe Bartlett looks like a young Tegan Martin (Miss Universe Australia 2014?)
Contestant lists
- Victoria Russom • Ballwin
- Lauren Lindsay • Bolivar
- Brittany Nickens • Cardinal Nation
- Lydia Kneemueller • Chesterfield
- Shanna Buschmann • City Of Fountains
- Miriah Ludtke • City Of St Louis (SF IL TUSA 12, 1RU IL TUSA 11)
- Kassandra Rankin • Columbia
- Sara Allen • Como
- Ashley Hassell • Desoto
- Anna Fitzgerald • Gateway To The West (NF 16)
- Sydney Benson • Greater St Charles (SF MO TUSA 16)
- Nikolina Best • Greater St Louis
- Amber Parr • Hawthorne (NF 16)
- Rachel Page • Hazelwood
- Jacqueline Griffith • Highlandville
- Sabrina Corey • Joplin
- Bayleigh Dayton • Kansas City (1RU & Congeniality 16, SF 14)
- Montanna Neisen • Katy Trail (SF IL TUSA 14)
- CJ Thomas • Lake Of The Ozarks (NF 16)
- Kristen Mcdowell • Lake St Louis
- Endia Sears • Lee's Summit
- Shawnna Shea • Lincoln County
- Lindsay Tiefenbrunn • Meramec (SF 16, SF MO TUSA 14)
- Avori Henderson • Metro St Louis (NF MO TUSA 15)
- Lizzie Maddox • Mid Missouri (SF MO TUSA 16, NF CO TUSA 15, SF CO TUSA 14)
- Libby Martin • Moniteau County
- Britney Janssen • O’fallon
- Tori Kruse • Osage Beach (2RU 16, SF 15, SF IA USA 13, SF IA TUSA 10)
- Cassidy Bartolotta • Show Me State (NF 16)
- Samantha Bowers • South Kansas City (Miss MO Teen USA 2014)
- Kaitlyn Schumacher • Southwest Missouri
- Ashli Turner • Spirit Of Kansas City (NF 16)
- Lindsey Edwards • Springfield
- Kaitlyn Manion • St Charles (SF IL TUSA 15)
- Alexandra Goeddey • St Charles County
- Ashtin Bruere • St Louis (SF 16, NF MO TUSA 12)
- Alexa Zellers • St Peters (Miss AZ Teen USA 2012)
- Ashley Thakur • The Lou (NF NY USA 16)
- Maikieta Brantley • West St Peters
- Alexandria Spry • Wildwood (SF 16, SF 15)
TEEN CONTESTANTS (64)
- Morgan Donnohue • Appleton City
- Alexis Austin • Blackjack County (NF 16)
- Lauren Everett • Bootheel
- Taylor Grant • Bridgeton
- Analinda Hyatt • Cape Girardeau County
- Kelci Hamilton • Carl Junction (NF 16)
- Jordyn Vermont • Chesterfield
- Bailey Julian • Christian County
- Sophia Dominguez-Heithoff • City Of Fountains
- Olyvia Reherman • Clay County
- Taylor Heidbreder • Cole County
- Caitlyn Lancaster • Columbia
- Bailey Crow • Dardenne Prairie
- Brianna Bianco • Dixon
- Courtney Roberts • Dunklin County
- Devin Hartley • Elsberry
- Paris Ambus • Florissant
- Macey Lueken • Franklin County
- Bridget Gleeson • Gasconade County
- Madison Colton • Gateway
- Zoe Garcia • Gladstone
- Elnora Smiley • Greater St Louis
- Kendra Shelton • Greene County (NF 16)
- Madilynn Seiler • Grover
- Laura Adams • Hazelwood
- Taylor Meyer • Higher Standard
- Emily Huffman • Hillsboro (NF 16)
- Haley Hunter • Hunter Heirloom Quilting
- Victoria Hosford • Imperial
- Molly Delano • Kansas City
- Isabella Rouse • Kennett
- Riley Schelp • Kirkwood
- Destiny Drake • Lake Of The Ozarks
- Sydni Mcguire • Liberty
- Melissa Myers • Lincoln County (NF 16, NF 15)
- Kirsten Burt • Mcdonald County
- Bailey Tiefenbrunn • Meramec
- Brashonda Green • North St Louis County
- Janelle Brown • Olivette (NF 16)
- Baylee Sanders • Ozark Highlands
- Victoria Newlove • Parkville (1RU 16)
- Corene Keele • Platte County
- Lydia Withers • Pulaski County
- Ashleigh Bedwell • Southeast Missouri (2RU 16)
- Maure Smith • Spirit Of St Louis
- Elizabeth Anthony • Springfield (NF 15)
- Omily Rustemeyer • St Ann
- Emily Schneider • St Charles
- Grace Stevenson • St Charles County
- Jacqueline Janorschke • St Joseph (4RU 16)
- Mikayla Gunn • St Louis County (NF 15, NF 14)
- Hayleigh Arbutti • St Peters
- Rae-Ann Riddle • Stoddard County (NF 16)
- Claire Schertler • Sullivan
- Tinara Lynch • Sunrise Beach
- Tamra Stevenson • Tower Grove
- Chloe Bartlett • Truman
- Amanda Isom • Vantage Credit Union (NF 13)
- Kasey Jo Helms • Webb City
- Remington Richerson • Webster County (NF 16)
- Tabatha Grissom • Wentzville
- Jessica Janorschke • Western Trails
- Torre Hoffmann • Wildwood (NF 16)
- Amber Brda • Winfield