Miss Nevada USA & Teen USA 2016 contestant commentary

UPDATE Congratulations to Miss NV USA 2016 Emelina Adams and Miss NV Teen USA 2016 Carissa Morrow!

Miss Nevada USA & Teen USA 2016 will be held on Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas, and will be a star studded affair with Miss USA 2011 Alyssa Campanella hosting and Miss USA 2014 Nia Sanchez, Miss NV USA 2007 Helen Salas (fourth runner-up at Miss USA) and our very own former Mr USB Ross Walters among the judges.

Miss

In the Miss division two-time first runner-up Stephanie Cook is back - I hope for her sake she doesn't meet the fate of Miss NV Teen USA 2011 Tahnee Harrison who was first runner-up three years from 2010-12 before she aged out!  Both girls she finished runner-up to made the top five at Miss USA - Nia won and Brittany was third runner-up, wouldn't it be a great story if she herself were to win and then go on to the top five?  With this year's run of blondes and experience, that might very well become true!  The only other Nevada runner-up competing is Kimberly Andres, fourth runner-up last year, although last year's Arizona first runner-up Emelina Adams, top ten in Nevada in 2014, is back in NV this year.

Miss Nevada Teen USA 2013 Amanda Jenkins, a cheerleader at the University of Nevada, will join so many of the former Teens competing this year.
 
It wouldn't be Nevada without at least one California contestant  (there are also ex-Cali contestants competing in Arizona & Georgia this weekend),, and this year there there are Susan Romanishin who was a semi-finalist in Nevada the past two years, made the top 20 in California in 2012 and a non-finalist in 2011 and non-finalist Stefanie Naylor. ​

Teen

In Teen there is last year's first runner-up Paris Regan, third runner-up Jada Clark, and 2014 third runner-up Kami Deike.   Returning semi-finalists are Lluvia Botello, Allison Garcia, Ayala Slavis and Ashley Snyder​.

* denotes contestants is competing in Miss in 2016 ^ denotes contestant is competing in Teen

2015 Nevada Top Five | Kimberly Andres* (4RU), Shayna Laughman (2RU), Brittany McGowan (Miss NV USA), Stephanie Cook* (1RU), Hillary Light (3RU)

2015 Arizona Top Five | Nicole Smith (4RU), Emmy Adams (1RU), Maureen Montagne (Miss AZ USA), Lexe Richardson (2RU), Abby Hornacek (3RU)

2015 NV Teen Top Five | Marilyn Kennedy (4RU), Jada Clark^ (3RU), Geovanna Hilton (Miss NV Teen USA), Paris Regan^ (1RU), Ashley Darcy (2RU)

2014 NV Teen Top Five | Kami Deike^ (3RU), Natasha Cook (1RU), Alexa Taylor (Miss NV Teen USA), Zitlaly Cervantes (2RU), Marilyn Kennedy (4RU)

See also:
Miss Nevada USA & Teen USA Titleholder History | Nevada state pageant results 

Click 'read more' or scroll down to view the full list of contestants.

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Contestants

MISS NEVADA USA (29)
Susan Romanishin • Carson City (SF 15, T15 14, T20 CA USA 12, NF CA USA 11)
Raquel Karagines • Clark County
Joy Thompson • Downtown Las Vegas (T10 14)
Breanna Andes • Enterprise
Jody Scimone • Fremont (T10 14)
Stefanie Naylor • Golden Valley (NF 15, NF 14)
Amber Angelo • Green Valley
Emelina Adams • Henderson (1RU AZ USA 15, T10 NV USA 14)
Shelby Johnson • Japan Las Vegas
Megan Sheehan • Lake Las Vegas
Audra Wilson • Lake Mead
Corinne Dannehl • Lake Tahoe
Kimberly Andres • Las Vegas (4RU 15, NF 14, SF 13)
Deann Denovellis • Mojave Desert
Samantha Francis • North Las Vegas
Christine Ko • Queensridge (NF 15)
Anayeli De Santiago • Red Rock
Stephanie Cochrane • Reno
Juliann Nicole • Seven Hills
Sofa Lavdiotis • Sierra Nevada
Guinwa Zeineddine • Silver Springs
Rachel Rafferty • Silver State
Ashley South • South Las Vegas (NF 15)
Cristina Flamer • Spanish Springs
Amanda Jenkins • Sparks (Miss NV Teen USA 2013)
Jikeala Taylor • Spring Mountain
Stephanie Cook • Spring Valley (1RU 15, 1RU 14)
Georgina Castaneda • Summerlin
Jordan Hawkins • West Las Vegas

​MISS NEVADA TEEN USA (19)
Rianne Lu • Asian Las Vegas
Lluvia Botello • East Las Vegas (SF 15)
Montana Carter • Fremont
Kami Deike • Henderson (SF 15, 3RU 14)
Allison Garcia • Lake Mead (SF 15, T15 14)
Holly Hoffbauer • Lake Tahoe
Paris Regan • Las Vegas (1RU 15, T10 14)
Chantel Gaxiola • North Las Vegas
Jenna Simoncelli • Red Rock
Carissa Morrow • Seven Hills
Ayala Slavis • Silver State (SF 15)
Ashley Snyder • Southern Highlands (SF 15, T15 14)
Kella Kantor • Sparks
Melodee McNulty • Spring Valley
Alexis Smith • Summerlin
Claudia Inguanzo • Sun Valley
Neya Avery • Sunrise Mountain
Jada Clark • Winchester (3RU 15, NF CA TUSA 13)
Avalon Huddlestona • UNLV​