Evelyn pulled off an epic win on her tenth (!) and final attempt at a Miss Teen USA or Miss Teen USA title. She competed at Miss WA Teen USA in 2009 & 2010, at Miss WA USA from 2012 to 2015, at Miss OR USA in 2016 and again for Miss WA USA from 2017-2019. In that time she made the top five seven times, finishing as 2nd runner-up once, 3rd runner-up three times, and as fourth runner-up three times. Yet in all that time she had never been one of the final two holding hands at the end... until this year when she won the title! What I love most is how thrilled her fellow competitors are for her win, you can tell a lot about a person by the friendships made and respect gained along the journey. I think it's safe to say that she is going to have a massive cheer section at Miss USA!
Her hometown is Cahlamet in Wahkiakum County, a small town of only 550 people! She is the first Miss WA USA from southern Washington since Lina Kayyalaynen in 2011.
Lily herself was third runner-up last year, and is the first returning runner-up to win since 2014. She is the third Miss WA Teen USA titleholder of Asian descent to win in those six years. Her sister Noelle also has an extensive pageant history. Both sisters were runners-up in last year's pageant - Noelle was 1RU last year and also 3rd runner-up in 2017, 1st runner-up in 2016, and fourth runner-up in 2015.
Second runner-up went to Miss Washington Teen USA 2013 Imani Blackmon who was competing in Miss WA USA for the first time but was a non-finalist at Miss California USA 2017. Third runner-up was Ashley McPoland, who was also 3RU at Miss Arizona Teen USA 2015, and another former California contestant Morgan Sibley was fourth runner-up.
Amongst the semi-finalists were last year's first runner-up Melissa Perincheril, Miss WA USA 2015 winner Stormy Keffeler (as she resigned the title & never competed at Miss USA she was allowed to re-compete; she was also a semi-finalist last year), three-time WA Teen contestant Taylor Mann and five-time WA Teen USA contestant Gabriella Sturgill. Taylor was third runner-up at Miss WA Teen USA 2016 and Gabriella was third runner-up in 2014. The rest of the top 16 were Tiana Cole, photogenic winner Jordana Dahmen, Tawny Fajardo, Kayzin Holt, Samantha Schubert, Kalina Springer and Angela Terek.
Random fact: between them this top 16 had previously recorded third runner-up placements in no less than NINE Miss USA & Teen USA state pageants! - add in Teen winner Lily and that makes 10!
In Teen, first runner-up Mackenzie Haarlow was the only other returning contestant in the top 11 - she was a semi-finalist last year. Second runner-up went to Hannah Merritt, third runner-up was photogenic winner Chloe Stricker and fourth runner-up was Bailey Reed.
The semi-finalists were Halle Blankenship, Nicole Knudtson, Lily O'Brien, Julia Tourer, Kajol Sherma and Lauren Sturgill (sister of Gabriella in Miss).
Full results
1RU: Chael Stenchever (3RU 18, 3RU 17, 3RU 16, SF 15)
2RU: Imani Blackmon (NF CA USA 17, WA TUSA 13)
3RU: Ashley McPoland (3RU AZ TUSA 15)
4RU: Morgan Sibley (NF CA USA 15, NF CA TUSA 14)
Semi-finalists:
Tiana Cole
Jordana Dahmen
Tawny Fajardo (NF 17, NF 15)
Kayzin Holt (NF 18)
Stormy Keffeler (SF 18, W 16^, NF 15, SF 14)
Taylor Mann (SF WA TUSA 17, 3RU 16, SF 15)
Melissa Perincheril (1RU 18)
Samantha Schubert (SF WA TUSA 18)
Kalina Springer
Gabriella Sturgill (SF OR USA 17, 3RU WA TUSA 14, SF 13, SF 12, NF 11, NF 10)
Angela Terek
Congeniality: Amber Bruce
Photogenic: Jordana Dahmen
1RU: MacKenzie Haarlow (SF 18)
2RU: Hannah Merritt
3RU: Chloe Stricker
4RU: Bailey Reed
Semi-finalists:
Halle Blankenship
Nicole Knudtson
Lily O'Brien
Kajol Sherma
Lauren Sturgill
Julia Tourer
Congeniality:
Photogenic: Chloe Stricker