North Carolina contestants were posted so early this year that I decided to wait to put up the commentary blog - but I've only just realised I never followed through! So here goes... Miss North Carolina USA & Teen USA will be held at High Point on Saturday evening with the show webcast through Pageant Vision. I'm right in saying that it's unusual for NC to be the first RPM state held, right? Off the top of my head I seem to recall Louisiana most commonly being their kick off. I can't wait to see their Tahiti theme this year, RPM has one of the best productions in the system and the extent to which they change it up every year is amazing (and admirable). Their production has been ten times that of Miss Teen USA in recent years.
North Carolina farewells Julia Dalton and Jane Axhoj - who both placed second runner-up at Miss Teen USA in their respective years. I was totally shocked that Julia missed the cut at Miss USA this year, in my eyes she thoroughly deserved a spot.
North Carolina farewells Julia Dalton and Jane Axhoj - who both placed second runner-up at Miss Teen USA in their respective years. I was totally shocked that Julia missed the cut at Miss USA this year, in my eyes she thoroughly deserved a spot.
Miss
Perhaps the biggest news is the return of Miss NC Teen USA 2007 Katie Coble who did not compete last year but was a runner-up in NC in 2013 & 2014 and in Alabama in 2012. Katie is the third of NC's second runner-up triumvirate (alongside Julia & Jane), and would be the third of the 2007 Teen runners-up to compete at Miss USA should she win. Of course first runner-up that year Alyssa Campanella went on to win Miss USA 2011!
Katie faces some stiff competition though. 2014 and 2015 first runner-up Renee Burrows is back, as is 2015 third runner-up and 2011 Teen 3RU Devin Gant, 2014 fourth runner-up and 2013 Teen 1RU Allie Dunn, 2012 Teen 1RU and two-time Miss semi-finalist Lindsey Baker and former Miss North Carolina Johna Edmonds, who made the top 10 last year. Katie's first runner-up at Miss NC Teen USA 2007 Jocelyn Hunt is competing for the first time since 2012; she has had limited success in Miss thus far but was a runner-up three times in the Teen competition (2004, 2006 and 2007). MUO newbie Kensley Leonard is another who has crossed over from Miss NC America - she was a runner-up in 2014 & 2015. One of my favourites Erika Turner will be hoping to break into the top five this year after four years as a semi-fianlist.
Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2013 Christina Thompson, a semi-finalist at Miss Teen USA, is vying to become the fourth 2013 Teen to win a title this year. She is a student at Wake Forest University and is competing in Miss for the first time.
Since 2003 North Carolina has only crowned one titleholder who is completely new to MUO and it will be interesting to see if that trend continues this year.
Katie faces some stiff competition though. 2014 and 2015 first runner-up Renee Burrows is back, as is 2015 third runner-up and 2011 Teen 3RU Devin Gant, 2014 fourth runner-up and 2013 Teen 1RU Allie Dunn, 2012 Teen 1RU and two-time Miss semi-finalist Lindsey Baker and former Miss North Carolina Johna Edmonds, who made the top 10 last year. Katie's first runner-up at Miss NC Teen USA 2007 Jocelyn Hunt is competing for the first time since 2012; she has had limited success in Miss thus far but was a runner-up three times in the Teen competition (2004, 2006 and 2007). MUO newbie Kensley Leonard is another who has crossed over from Miss NC America - she was a runner-up in 2014 & 2015. One of my favourites Erika Turner will be hoping to break into the top five this year after four years as a semi-fianlist.
Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2013 Christina Thompson, a semi-finalist at Miss Teen USA, is vying to become the fourth 2013 Teen to win a title this year. She is a student at Wake Forest University and is competing in Miss for the first time.
Since 2003 North Carolina has only crowned one titleholder who is completely new to MUO and it will be interesting to see if that trend continues this year.
Katie Coble, Renee Burrows, Devin Gant, Allie Dunn, Lindsey Baker, Jocelyn Hunt, Kensley Leonard, Erika Turner, Christina Thompson
Teen
Teen contestant numbers are down significantly in NC, the lowest they've been since I started keeping track in 2007 (hard to believe that that year there were 80 contestants, with 70 competing in 2008 & 2009).
The vast majority of contestants are new, however we do have two runners-up from last year and one from 2014 back. 2015 first runner-up Emily Wakeman and 4RU Kaitryana Leinbach are competing - I thought Emily was neck and neck with Jane in last year's competition so I'm excited to see her compete this year, and Kaitryana is a strong contestant as well. 2014 fourth runner-up Emily Miner is competing again after skipping last year, she was very young (might have still been in middle school off the top of my head?) when she first competed so it will be interesting to see the difference a couple of years makes. The only other semi-finalist back is Abrianna Zorzi who was top 15 last year.
2016 contestants marked with asterisks:
The vast majority of contestants are new, however we do have two runners-up from last year and one from 2014 back. 2015 first runner-up Emily Wakeman and 4RU Kaitryana Leinbach are competing - I thought Emily was neck and neck with Jane in last year's competition so I'm excited to see her compete this year, and Kaitryana is a strong contestant as well. 2014 fourth runner-up Emily Miner is competing again after skipping last year, she was very young (might have still been in middle school off the top of my head?) when she first competed so it will be interesting to see the difference a couple of years makes. The only other semi-finalist back is Abrianna Zorzi who was top 15 last year.
2016 contestants marked with asterisks:
 |  2014 Teen Top Five | Emily Miner* (4RU), Jane Axhoj (2RU), Pammy Peters (Miss NC Teen USA), Madison Hill (1RU), Ashleigh Lenoir (3RU) |
Contestants
MISS NORTH CAROLINA USA (41)
MISS NORTH CAROLINA TEEN USA (24)
- Rica Abbott • Forsyth County (NF 11)
- Brenna Aguilar • Mecklenburg County (NF 13, NF 12, NF NC TUSA 11)
- Alexa Axthelm • Clinton
- Naeka Bagayogo • University City
- Lindsey Baker • Dilworth (T15 14, T10 14, 1RU NC TUSA 12, 2RU 11, T15 10)
- Renee Burrows • Lake Norman (1RU 15, 1RU 14, T10 13)
- Brooke Cantwell • Cornelius
- Katie Coble • South Charlotte (3RU 14, 3RU 13, 4RU AL USA 12, Miss NC Teen USA 2007, 4RU 06)
- Iman Crawford • Salisbury
- Angel Cur • Union County
- Lauren Dixon • Ballantyne (NF 12)
- Allie Dunn • Stallings (4RU 14, 1RU NC TUSA 13)
- Johna Edmonds • Lumberton (T10 15, Miss NC 13)
- Destiny Fullard • Lake Wylie
- Devin Gant • Harrisburg (3RU 15, 3RU NC TUSA 11)
- Noel Hall • Matthews
- Crystal Harris • Triad
- Whitney Hickman • High Point
- Jocelyn Hunt • Pembroke (NF 12, NF 11, T10 10, 1RU NC TUSA 07, 3RU NC TUSA 06, T10 NC TUSA 05, 2RU NC TUSA 04)
- Christian Jones • Orange County
- Kensley Leonard • Wake County
- Elizabeth Longo • Hickory
- Jessica Lucas • Carolina Lily (T15 15, NF 14, T10 NC TUSA 13, T15 12, NF 11)
- Laura Matrazzo • Chapel Hill
- Imari McLean • Raleigh-Durham
- Jocelyn Nalor • Fuquay Varina
- Solina Ngo • Raleigh
- Samantha Peel • Concord (NF 14, NF 13)
- Brittany Pierce • Trinity (T15 15)
- Samone Ripley • Wake Forest (NF 15)
- Katie Rose • High Point University (NF WV TUSA 13)
- KaLena Rowell • Whiteville
- Madison Sampson • Queen City
- Christina Thompson • Clemmons (Miss NJ Teen USA 2013)
- Kasey Tooley • Outer Banks
- Erika Turner • Charlotte (T15 15, T10 14, T15 13, T10 NC TUSA 09)
- Madison Tweed • Hendersonville
- Charlie Vaughn • Granville County
- Savanna Welch • Durham
- LeAnna West • Pinehurst (T10 NC TUSA 12)
- Lucinda Yang • Durham County
MISS NORTH CAROLINA TEEN USA (24)
- Aunika Allen • Rowan County
- Haleigh Baker • Raleigh-Durham
- Austin Baxley • New Bern
- Alyssa Burk • Franklin
- Macey Davis • Asheville
- Paige Harrison • Mecklenburg
- Kaitryana Leinbach • Winston-Salem (3RU 15)
- Emily Miner • Concord (4RU 14)
- Juliana Morehouse • Fayetteville
- Alexandria Murphy • Tar Heel
- Gabriela Pena • Lake Norman
- Jena-Deme' Revels • Robeson County
- Leah Robinson • Piedmont Triad
- Kaaviya Sambasivam • Forsyth County
- Jordyn Scheitler • Gaston
- Taylor Spofford • Holly Springs
- Armoni Thomas • Greensboro
- Maria Versace • Huntersville
- Emily Wakeman • North Charlotte (1RU 15)
- Hannah Welborn-Lewis • High Point
- Hannah Willard • Triad
- Sterling Yco • Raleigh (NF 15, NF 14)
- Emily Zemola • Guilford County (NF 15)
- Abrianna Zorzi • Charlotte (T15 15)
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