Update! Since I posted this the new age change was announced which is a total game changer for many girls who thought they have aged out. With only a few days to decide to compete, five more Texas girls have been added to the roster:
Summer Sadiyeh (new), Tahnee Tarkenton (NF 16, NF 15, SF 14, SF 13, NF 12, NF 11, SF 10, 4RU 09, SF 08, 1RU TX TUSA 07, NF TX TUSA 06), Barbara Falcon (2RU 16, 3RU 13, 2RU 12, SF 09, SF TX TUSA 08, NF TX TUSA 07, NF TX TUSA 06), Lauren Kennewell (NF 16, SF 15, SF IA USA 13) & Emily Foster (NF 16, NF 15, NF 14) back into the competition!!! Callan Young (Aggieland), Stephany Hernandez (Eagle Pass) and Jo-Ana Medrano (Weslaco) have dropped out, so what looked on the face of it (based on where the row ended last time to now) to be a five contestant increase is actually only a net increase of two.
Miss Texas USA 2017 contestants have been posted here and with their new website it's a lot easier to view all the girls! This is only the second year since I started keeping track in 2007 that their contestant numbers have been under 100, and the lowest number of contestants in that time at only 89. Will be interesting to see if this is a trend that hits other state pageants as we head into the 2016-17 pageant season.
By Texas standards (which I judge differently to any other state) there are actually fewer returning runners-up this year - but the first runners-up of both Miss AND Teen for 2015 and 2016 are all competing. From the 2016 top five there is first runner-up Ligia Uriarte and third runner-up Vanessa Garza. 2015 1st, 2nd and 3rd runners-up Alejandra Gonzalez, Brianna Webb, and Logan Lester, all semi-finalists in 2016, are also back. Thekla McCarty, Miss Teen USA 2016 Karlie Hay's first runner-up at Miss TX Teen USA 2016 is competing in Miss for the first time. Allison Drake, 2015 Teen first runner-up, a semi-finalist in last year's Miss pageant, is competing as well, as is Hannah Johannes, another 2016 semi-finalist and third runner-up to Danielle Doty in 2011 Most states would struggle to have eight former Miss or Teen runners-up back but as I said, this is Texas and they just do things bigger!
(Update: with the addition of Barbara Falcon and Tahnae Tarkenton, both former Miss runners-up and Tahnae a former Teen runner-up as well, this assessment has changed a little ;))
Other returning semi-finalists from 2016 are Samaria Mouton and Avery Greene. A few other contestants I would look out for include Ashlea Guttierez, who won the Miss Dallas local, Miss Kemah Nancy Gonzalez, and Miss Fort Worth Jessica Barrera. Do you have other favourites? Leave a comment and let me know who you're cheering for!
Summer Sadiyeh (new), Tahnee Tarkenton (NF 16, NF 15, SF 14, SF 13, NF 12, NF 11, SF 10, 4RU 09, SF 08, 1RU TX TUSA 07, NF TX TUSA 06), Barbara Falcon (2RU 16, 3RU 13, 2RU 12, SF 09, SF TX TUSA 08, NF TX TUSA 07, NF TX TUSA 06), Lauren Kennewell (NF 16, SF 15, SF IA USA 13) & Emily Foster (NF 16, NF 15, NF 14) back into the competition!!! Callan Young (Aggieland), Stephany Hernandez (Eagle Pass) and Jo-Ana Medrano (Weslaco) have dropped out, so what looked on the face of it (based on where the row ended last time to now) to be a five contestant increase is actually only a net increase of two.
Miss Texas USA 2017 contestants have been posted here and with their new website it's a lot easier to view all the girls! This is only the second year since I started keeping track in 2007 that their contestant numbers have been under 100, and the lowest number of contestants in that time at only 89. Will be interesting to see if this is a trend that hits other state pageants as we head into the 2016-17 pageant season.
By Texas standards (which I judge differently to any other state) there are actually fewer returning runners-up this year - but the first runners-up of both Miss AND Teen for 2015 and 2016 are all competing. From the 2016 top five there is first runner-up Ligia Uriarte and third runner-up Vanessa Garza. 2015 1st, 2nd and 3rd runners-up Alejandra Gonzalez, Brianna Webb, and Logan Lester, all semi-finalists in 2016, are also back. Thekla McCarty, Miss Teen USA 2016 Karlie Hay's first runner-up at Miss TX Teen USA 2016 is competing in Miss for the first time. Allison Drake, 2015 Teen first runner-up, a semi-finalist in last year's Miss pageant, is competing as well, as is Hannah Johannes, another 2016 semi-finalist and third runner-up to Danielle Doty in 2011 Most states would struggle to have eight former Miss or Teen runners-up back but as I said, this is Texas and they just do things bigger!
(Update: with the addition of Barbara Falcon and Tahnae Tarkenton, both former Miss runners-up and Tahnae a former Teen runner-up as well, this assessment has changed a little ;))
Other returning semi-finalists from 2016 are Samaria Mouton and Avery Greene. A few other contestants I would look out for include Ashlea Guttierez, who won the Miss Dallas local, Miss Kemah Nancy Gonzalez, and Miss Fort Worth Jessica Barrera. Do you have other favourites? Leave a comment and let me know who you're cheering for!
Ligia Uriarte, Vanessa Garza, Alejandra Gonzalez, Brianna Webb, Logan Lester, Thekla McCarty, Allison Drake, Hannah Johannes, Samaria Mouton, Avery Greene
 2016 Top Five | Vanessa Garza* (3RU), Ligia De Uriarte* (1RU), Daniella Rodriguez (Miss TX USA), Barbara Falcon* (2RU), Thamer Favor (4RU) |  2015 Top Five | Peyton Saverance (4RU), Alejandra Gonzalez* (1RU), Ylianna Guerra (Miss TX USA), Brianna Webb* (2RU), Logan Lester* (3RU) |
Click "read more" or scroll below for the full list of contestants with notes of past placements.
Contestants (89)
Ashley Dozier • Abilene
Jacky Romero • Arlington
Thekla McCarty • Austin (1RU TX TUSA 16, SF 15)
Lauren Desanzo • Barton Springs
Hannah Johannes • Bay Area (SF 16, 3RU TX TUSA 11)
Stephanie Ludwig • Bayou City (NF 16)
Stephanie Elmore • Big Bend
Samantha Junek • Brazos Valley (NF 16, NF 15)
Shelby Garcia • Buffalo Bayou
Bailey Gattis • Capital City
Allison Drake • Capital of Texas (SF 16, 1RU TX TUSA 15, SF 14, SF 13)
Dolores Lozano • Central Houston
Andrea Gloria • Central Laredo (NF TX TUSA 16)
Alejandra Gonzalez • Central South Texas (SF 16, 1RU 15, 4RU 14, SF 13, NF 12, NF TX TUSA 11)
Julia Zavodny • Central Texas (SF TX TUSA 16, NF 15)
Cheridan Beck • Century Park
Kalina Nikolova • Clear Creek
Lizbeth Martinez • College Station
Clarissa Campos • Corpus Christi
Chelsea Bevill • Crosby
Kimberly Berry • Cypress
Kira Clark • Cypress Springs
Ashlea Gutierrez • Dallas (NF 16, SF 13, SF 12, SF TX TUSA 10, NF TX TUSA 09, NF TX TUSA 08, NF TX TUSA 07)
Summer Sadiyeh • Dallas County
Cristina Ziegler • Del Rio (NF TX TUSA 15, NF 13)
Taylor Lowery • DFW (NF TX TUSA 15)
Jessenia Cruz • El Paso
Marissa Castro • El Paso County
Samaria Mouton • Energy Corridor (SF 16, NF 15, NF 14, NF 13, NF TX TUSA 09)
Jessica Kramm • Fiesta City
Nathalie Flores • Fort Bend County
Jessica Barrera • Fort Worth
Natalia Ojeda • Franklin Mountains
Kathryn Rutherford • Friendswood
Charlotte Pearce • Frisco
Blaine Ochoa • Galveston County
Pamela Bell • Georgetown
Monika Patel • Guadalupe County
Tess Clancy • Gulf Coast
Ligia Uriarte • Harris County (1RU 16, SF 15, SF 14)
Denise Wilson • Helotes
Logan Lester • Houston (SF 16, 3RU 15, SF TX TUSA 13, 4RU 12, SF 11)
Avery Greene • Jackson County (SF 16)
Ambreea Warren • Jefferson County
Yarica Charleston • Keller
Nancy Gonzalez • Kemah (NF 16)
Brianne Richardson • Kingwood
Emily Foster • Lake Austin (NF 16, NF 15, NF 14)
Teresa Ramirez • Laredo (SF TX TUSA 14, NF 13)
Shatavia Collins • League City
Brianna Webb • Lone Star (SF 16, 2RU 15, SF 14, NF 13, SF TX TUSA 11)
Jaycee Caldwell • Lubbock
Emily Harris • Lubbock County
Noelle Beauchamp • Mansfield
NaTonya Solomon • McKinney (NF TX TUSA 15)
Lauren Kennewell • Metroplex (NF 16, SF 15, SF IA USA 13)
Ba’Leigh Burns • Midland
Marissa Ortiz • Mustang Island
Daisy Sequeda • Nacogdoches
Andrea Andrade • North Laredo
Tahnae Tarkenton • North Texas (NF 16, NF 15, SF 14, SF 13, NF 12, NF 11, SF 10, 4RU 09, SF 08, 1RU TX TUSA 07, NF TX TUSA 06)
Mariela Sanchez • Odessa (NF TX TUSA 15)
Lauren Carrion • Pearland
Regina Bejarano • Permian Basin (NF 16)
Rachel Demings • Plano
Brittany Vaughn • Princeton (NF 16)
Raeann Rose • Raiderland (NF 14)
Andrea Yarritu • Rio Grande Valley (NF TX TUSA 15)
Katelynn Horst • Sachse
Regina Morales • San Angelo
Ariel Monte • San Antonio (NF 16)
Michelle Stricker • South Central Texas
Isabella Radovan • South Texas (NF 16, NF 15)
Christine Nwabeke • Southeast Texas (NF 16, NF 12, NF 11, SF TX TUSA 09)
Diana Casanova • Southwest Texas
Ilissa Collins • Spring
Kitria Stewart • Spring Branch
Lara Young • Spur
Chelsea Torres • Spurs City
Luchia Raffaele • State Capital
Krupa Mistry • Sugar Land
Katie Scott • Sun City (NF 16, NF 15)
Daniela Chavez • Sundance Square (NF 15)
Sarah Crowder • Temple
Katie Parkhill • Travis County
Vanessa Garza • Tropics of Texas (3RU 16, SF TX TUSA 13, SF 12, NF 11)
Barbara Falcon • Webb County (2RU 16, 3RU 13, 2RU 12, SF 09, SF TX TUSA 08, NF TX TUSA 07, NF TX TUSA 06)
Jazmyn Jones • Westchase
Brintney Robinson • White Rock Lake
Nicole McPeters • Wichita County
Me’Kellia Eldridge • Yoakum
Jacky Romero • Arlington
Thekla McCarty • Austin (1RU TX TUSA 16, SF 15)
Lauren Desanzo • Barton Springs
Hannah Johannes • Bay Area (SF 16, 3RU TX TUSA 11)
Stephanie Ludwig • Bayou City (NF 16)
Stephanie Elmore • Big Bend
Samantha Junek • Brazos Valley (NF 16, NF 15)
Shelby Garcia • Buffalo Bayou
Bailey Gattis • Capital City
Allison Drake • Capital of Texas (SF 16, 1RU TX TUSA 15, SF 14, SF 13)
Dolores Lozano • Central Houston
Andrea Gloria • Central Laredo (NF TX TUSA 16)
Alejandra Gonzalez • Central South Texas (SF 16, 1RU 15, 4RU 14, SF 13, NF 12, NF TX TUSA 11)
Julia Zavodny • Central Texas (SF TX TUSA 16, NF 15)
Cheridan Beck • Century Park
Kalina Nikolova • Clear Creek
Lizbeth Martinez • College Station
Clarissa Campos • Corpus Christi
Chelsea Bevill • Crosby
Kimberly Berry • Cypress
Kira Clark • Cypress Springs
Ashlea Gutierrez • Dallas (NF 16, SF 13, SF 12, SF TX TUSA 10, NF TX TUSA 09, NF TX TUSA 08, NF TX TUSA 07)
Summer Sadiyeh • Dallas County
Cristina Ziegler • Del Rio (NF TX TUSA 15, NF 13)
Taylor Lowery • DFW (NF TX TUSA 15)
Jessenia Cruz • El Paso
Marissa Castro • El Paso County
Samaria Mouton • Energy Corridor (SF 16, NF 15, NF 14, NF 13, NF TX TUSA 09)
Jessica Kramm • Fiesta City
Nathalie Flores • Fort Bend County
Jessica Barrera • Fort Worth
Natalia Ojeda • Franklin Mountains
Kathryn Rutherford • Friendswood
Charlotte Pearce • Frisco
Blaine Ochoa • Galveston County
Pamela Bell • Georgetown
Monika Patel • Guadalupe County
Tess Clancy • Gulf Coast
Ligia Uriarte • Harris County (1RU 16, SF 15, SF 14)
Denise Wilson • Helotes
Logan Lester • Houston (SF 16, 3RU 15, SF TX TUSA 13, 4RU 12, SF 11)
Avery Greene • Jackson County (SF 16)
Ambreea Warren • Jefferson County
Yarica Charleston • Keller
Nancy Gonzalez • Kemah (NF 16)
Brianne Richardson • Kingwood
Emily Foster • Lake Austin (NF 16, NF 15, NF 14)
Teresa Ramirez • Laredo (SF TX TUSA 14, NF 13)
Shatavia Collins • League City
Brianna Webb • Lone Star (SF 16, 2RU 15, SF 14, NF 13, SF TX TUSA 11)
Jaycee Caldwell • Lubbock
Emily Harris • Lubbock County
Noelle Beauchamp • Mansfield
NaTonya Solomon • McKinney (NF TX TUSA 15)
Lauren Kennewell • Metroplex (NF 16, SF 15, SF IA USA 13)
Ba’Leigh Burns • Midland
Marissa Ortiz • Mustang Island
Daisy Sequeda • Nacogdoches
Andrea Andrade • North Laredo
Tahnae Tarkenton • North Texas (NF 16, NF 15, SF 14, SF 13, NF 12, NF 11, SF 10, 4RU 09, SF 08, 1RU TX TUSA 07, NF TX TUSA 06)
Mariela Sanchez • Odessa (NF TX TUSA 15)
Lauren Carrion • Pearland
Regina Bejarano • Permian Basin (NF 16)
Rachel Demings • Plano
Brittany Vaughn • Princeton (NF 16)
Raeann Rose • Raiderland (NF 14)
Andrea Yarritu • Rio Grande Valley (NF TX TUSA 15)
Katelynn Horst • Sachse
Regina Morales • San Angelo
Ariel Monte • San Antonio (NF 16)
Michelle Stricker • South Central Texas
Isabella Radovan • South Texas (NF 16, NF 15)
Christine Nwabeke • Southeast Texas (NF 16, NF 12, NF 11, SF TX TUSA 09)
Diana Casanova • Southwest Texas
Ilissa Collins • Spring
Kitria Stewart • Spring Branch
Lara Young • Spur
Chelsea Torres • Spurs City
Luchia Raffaele • State Capital
Krupa Mistry • Sugar Land
Katie Scott • Sun City (NF 16, NF 15)
Daniela Chavez • Sundance Square (NF 15)
Sarah Crowder • Temple
Katie Parkhill • Travis County
Vanessa Garza • Tropics of Texas (3RU 16, SF TX TUSA 13, SF 12, NF 11)
Barbara Falcon • Webb County (2RU 16, 3RU 13, 2RU 12, SF 09, SF TX TUSA 08, NF TX TUSA 07, NF TX TUSA 06)
Jazmyn Jones • Westchase
Brintney Robinson • White Rock Lake
Nicole McPeters • Wichita County
Me’Kellia Eldridge • Yoakum
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