Miss New York USA & Teen USA 2016 contestant commentary

Miss New York USA & Teen USA 2016 will be crowned this weekend!  There are 143 Miss contestants and 53 Teens competing, similar to recent years.

​Miss

Returning runners-up from last year are 2RU Kylie Jasenski (a former Teen first runner-up), 3RU Hannah Lopa (3RU at Miss NY Teen USA 2011), and 4RU Serena Bucaj (first runner-up in 2014).  I was disappointed to see that Jessica Carter isn't competing this year! Miss New York 2013 Amanda Mason, who assumed the title after Nina Davuluri won Miss America, is competing for the first time since she was a non-finalist in 2012.

Much like California, there are many contestants who have previously competed in other states, including two former Teens.  I am totally thrilled to see my Miss Teen USA 2008 favourite Shannon Geraghty back, competing in Miss for the first time (Miss Georgia Teen USA 2008).  I've hoped to see her back ever since I was shocked by her non-placement that first Bahamas year.    The other former Teen is Miss NH Teen USA 2010 Morgan Lucas, who most recently competed in Massachusetts in 2014.

Another Massachusetts contestant, 2015 third runner-up & 2014 fourth runner-up Cara Lemire is competing in NY this year.  Other contestants from different states include Lindsey Begue (Ohio), Laura Arumugam (FL), Adrienne Burfield (MO), A'Storia Hill (NC), Talisha Lee (NV & GA), as well as Kylie Jasenski who competed once in SC.

​Teen

Two-time first runner-up Sophia D'Ambrosio is back for another attempt at the Teen title; sadly there hasn't been much luck for the other two-time 1RUs this year (Gigi Gauthier placed 1RU for a third year in CA, and Dasha Semina was 4RU in UT) but I'd love to see her break the hoodoo!   Others competing are Christiana DiNardo, also a runner-up in 2015 and 2014, 2015 4RU Michelle Laino and past semi-finalists Trisha Kelly and Jasmine Rodulfo.

2015 NY Top Five | Serena Bucaj* (4RU), Hannah Lopa* (3RU), Thatiana Diaz (Miss NY USA), Jessica Carter (1RU), Kylie Jasenski* (2RU)

2015 Teen Top Five | Stephanie Bavolar (2RU), Sophia D'Ambrosio* (1RU), Geena Cardalena (Miss NY Teen USA), Christiana DiNardo* (3RU), Michelle Laino* (4RU)

Shannon Geraghty Miss GA Teen USA 2008

Morgan Lucas Miss NH Teen USA 2010

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

Click "read more" or scroll below for the full list of contestants with notes of past placements. 

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Contestants

MISS NEW YORK USA (142)
Chinyere Adogu (NF NY TUSA 12)
Zayda Alvarez
Victoria Antoine
Laura Arumugam (NF FL TUSA 13)
Carly Augustis-Kokoni
Alycia Bacon
Bianca Barabas
Lindsey Begue (NF OH USA 13, NF & Photogenic 12, NF 11)
Palak Bhambri
Brittani Bissonette
Nathalie Borgella
Marina Borshch
Asia Bowens
Janaa Bryant
Serena Bucaj (4RU & Photogenic 15, 1RU 14, T20 13)
Alejandra Buendia
Adrienne Burfield (SF MO TUSA 13, SF 12, SF 11, NF 09)
Kelsey Bzdyk
Kelly Cardona
Danielle Cinone (SF NY TUSA 08)
Heidi Clark
Shantel Coleman
Zully Cordero
Francesca Crescenzi
Lauren Crowley
Makini Cruickshank
Jennifer Curtin
Ashley Rose Danno
Amber Daza
Angeline De Leon
Hannah Del Vecchio (NF 14)
Jenny Delgado
Meghan DeNicola
Shirin Dey
Oneida Diaz
Susanna Domosi
Dominique Donadelle
Caitline Donnes
Rebecca Earley
Ashley Edwards (NF 15, NF 14, NF 12)
Katherine Estrada
Suprova Ferdousi
Tara Fitzgerald (SF 14)
Amanda Galioto
Blaidy Garcia
Summer Gardner
Kaela Garrett
Shannon Marie Geraghty (Miss GA Teen USA 2008)
Priscilla Gonzalez (NF 13)
Danielle Gore
Adrienne Green
Kaiyan Griffith
Meg Grzeskiewicz
Camille Gutierrez
Rebecca Herman
A'storia Hill (T15 NC TUSA 10)
Jessica Hodder
Serena Hutton
Monét James
Kylie Jasenski  (2RU 15, T10 SC TUSA 13, 4RU NY TUSA 12, 1RU NY TUSA 11)
Amarinder Jaswal (NF 15)
Shawnteyana Johnson
Florinda Kajtazi (NF 15)
Amanjeet Kaur
Asha Khan
Janelle LaBar
Mildred Laventure
Kendra Lavigne
Talisha Lee (NF NV USA 15, NF GA USA 14)
Cara Lemire (3RU MA USA 13, 4RU 14, NF 13)
Kyanna Lewis (NF 12)
Fiona Liang
Hannah Lopa (3RU 15, NF 14, T10 13, 3RU NY TUSA 10)
Jennifer Lopez (NF 12)
Najelie Lopez
Angela Lorusso
Devann Lowe (NF NY TUSA 15)
Morgan Lucas (NF MA USA 14, Miss New Hampshire Teen USA 2010, 15 FL TUSA 09, NF FL TUSA 08)
Aya Makki
Zeineb Makki
Lea Manitaras
Christa Mascho
Olenka Masny (NF NY TUSA 12)
Amanda Mason (Miss NY 2013, NF 12)
Kaicherise McRae
Josephine Mendez
Michele Mieczkowski
Morgan Modugno
Christina Monello (SF NJ USA 13, SF NJ TUSA 11, SF 10, SF & Photogenic 09)
Cierra Murcko
Natalie Negrotti
Jaclyne Newton
Yerelyn Nuñez
Alex Parker
Ahraea Permaul
Svitlana Petrashchuk
Caroline Placzek (NF 15)
Bella Pozina (NF 15)
Ksenia Prina
Sarah Rattan (SF 15)
Tracey Rho
Hayley Riesel (NF 13)
Joanny Rivera
Marianella Rivera
Mayleen Rivera
Yanery Rosario
Brittany Sallah
Lysane Sanchez
Alyssa Schmidt (SF 15, SF 14)
Sunita Sewsankar
Sophia Shahipour
Raven Short
Briana Siaca
Niya Sinckler
Catherine Skwarek
Lauren Slinger
Victoria Smurro (SF 15)
Amanda Sosnicki
Christina Speck
Melissa Spence
Meghan Spencer
Kristen Stilwell
Kaitlyn Sullivan
Allie Sutherland
Ashley Tallman
Kirstin Tamucci
Ashley Thakur
Anna-Kay Thomas
Jyothi Thomas
Jenna Tirado (NF 15, NF 14)
Amanda Torchia (SF NY TUSA 14, T10 12)
Elisabeth Turner
Morgan Valinoti
Krystal Vataj
Jaime Vooris
Dana Wachter (NF 15, SF 14)
Jasmin Washington
Brooke Waters
Noelle White
Selenah Williams
Esther Woo
Inez Zuska (NF 14)
*Natalie Titus is also on the contestant list, but she competed in FL in July.  I'll update if I hear anything on that.

MISS NEW YORK TEEN USA (53)
Roma Amernath
Maxine An
Alia Bajorek (NF 15)
McKayla Barrett
Julianna Behr
McKenzie Bell
Shania Brenon
Jah-Amor Brito
Nicole Carpenter
Sarah Castillo
Lana Coffey
Cheyanna Colin
Tyler Conway
Amber Corbett
Isabella D'Addario
Sophia D'Ambrosio (1RU 15, 1RU 14)
Brooke Demetri (NF 15)
Christiana DiNardo (3RU 15, 4RU 14)
Shanya Egalite
Peyton Enderle
Serena Exantus
Ashley Figueroa
Danielle Harloff (NF 14)
Luz Hernandez
Leah Jackson
Riya Kaur
Trisha Kelly (SF 14)
Anna Koch
Michelle Laino (4RU 15)
Gabriella Leon
Iman Mabrouk
Claudia Mahaffy
Colleen McCoy (NF 14)
Tabatha McMahon
Antonia Miller
Keely O'Connor
Elizabeta Pllumbi
Helen Polanco
Dusty Prohaska
Skyler Reak
Jasmine Rodulfo (SF 15)
Tatiana Sievers
Veronica Signarino
Jasmine Silvagnoli
Perpetua Smith
Falyn Spindel
Nyah Stevens
Moxi Szodfridt
Jaila Taylor
Natalia Terrero
Dianna Villa
Brianna Worden
Claudia Zacharewicz