Featured Pageant - November 2007

CONTESTANTS

ALABAMA

Heather Baugh

ALASKA

Sarah Ann Smith

ARIZONA

Kristy Kay Stover

ARKANSAS

Joan Lucas

CALIFORNIA

Amanda Joy O'Leary

COLORADO

Katee Doland

CONNECTICUT

Natalie Perez

DELAWARE

Nicole Tomlin

DIST OF COLUMBIA

Chartese De Quinta Day

FLORIDA

Nicole Broderick

GEORGIA

Kimberly Midori

HAWAII

Toby Anne Pohaikealoha

IDAHO

Elizabeth Barchas

ILLINOIS

Nicole Manske

INDIANA

Tashina Kastigar

IOWA

Arianna Kern

KANSAS

Ashley Tessendorf

KENTUCKY

Elizabeth Arnold

LOUISIANA

Jennifer Dupont

MAINE

Krista Wakefield

MARYLAND

Amber Coffman

MASSACHUSETTS

Susie Castillo

MICHIGAN

Elizabeth Mathis

MINNESOTA

Kristi Renee Hilgenberg

MISSISSIPPI

Jennifer Reel

MISSOURI

Brittany McDonald

MONTANA

Maggie Stoker

NEBRASKA

Lori Anderson

NEVADA

Victoria Franklin

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Nadiyah Humber

NEW JERSEY

Melissa Dungao

NEW MEXICO

Rana Jones

NEW YORK

Lindsay Fredette

NORTH CAROLINA

Lucy Parker

NORTH DAKOTA

Brandy Smolen

OHIO

Stacy Offenberger

OKLAHOMA

Tara Baker

OREGON

Melissa Maki

PENNSYLVANIA

Katherine Krauss

RHODE ISLAND

Kristin Luneberg

SOUTH CAROLINA

Vanessa Minnillo

SOUTH DAKOTA

Summer Simunek

TENNESSEE

Bridgett Jordan

TEXAS

Cristie Cole

UTAH

Trina Seymour

VERMONT

Dawn Amelia Carrow

VIRGINIA

Misty Horn

WASHINTON

Amber Lancaster

WEST VRIGINIA

Erica Bivans

WISCONSIN

Heidi Alderson

WYOMING

Gina DeBernardi

This was Mario's first time to host a nationally televised beauty pageant. He went on to host 2 more Miss Teen USA's, a Miss America and a Miss Universe, which he co-hosted with Vanessa Minnillo.

This was only Wyoming's second placement, after Emily Earnst placed first runner-up to Kelly Hu in 1985. No other Miss Wyoming Teen USA had placed until 2007.

Nevada placed for the first time since 1983, this was also only their second placement. No other Nevada teen has bettered Victoria Franklin's placement, although Helen Salas equalled it when she placed second runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2004.

Mississippi placed for the first time since 1994.

Vanessa Minillo became the first Miss Congeniality winner to also win the pageant. The only other Miss Congeniality to win the title was Tami Farrell, Miss Teen USA 2003.

Florida won the Miss Photogenic award for the third consecutive year, a first in the history of the pageant. Nicole Broderick was Florida's first semi-finalist since 1995, and no other Florida teen would place until Jennifer Wooten made the top fifteen at Miss Teen USA 2006.

There were two contestants that year of Filipino descent. One is Miss New Jersey, Melissa Dungao and the other is Miss South Carolina, Vanessa Minnillo, who ended up winning the title.

Susie Castillo (Miss Massachusetts) went on to win the Miss Massachusetts USA and the Miss USA titles in 2003.

Only a year after passing on her Teen title, Jennifer Dupont (Miss Louisiana) won the Miss Louisiana USA 2000 title, one of the few women to win teen and Miss titles in such close succession. Dupont went on to win the Miss Louisiana America 2004 title, and placed first runner-up to Deidre Downs at Miss America 2005.

Katee Doland (Miss Colorado) won the Miss Colorado USA 2001 title, and won the Miss Photogenic award at Miss USA 2001. She later became Miss Colorado America 2003.

Elizabeth Barchas (Miss Idaho) won the Miss Idaho USA 2001 title, and competed with Doland at Miss USA 2001. As Miss Idaho America 2004, she competed at Miss America 2005 alongside Jennifer Dupont, and won a non-finalist interview award.

Rana Jones (Miss New Mexico) later won the Miss New Mexico 2003 title and competed in the Miss America pageant. She later tried to win the Miss New Mexico USA title but was unsuccessful. Her highest placement at Miss New Mexico USA was in the 2007 event, when she placed first runner-up to Casey Messer.

Other contestants who competed at Miss USA were:

o Elizabeth Arnold (Kentucky) - Miss Kentucky USA 2002

o Kristen Luneberg (Rhode Island) - Miss North Carolina USA 2003

o Tashina Kastigar (Indiana) - Miss Indiana USA 2003 (semi-finalist at Miss USA 2003)

o Victoria Franklin (Nevada) - Miss Nevada USA 2004

o Stacy Offenberger (Ohio) - Miss Ohio USA 2006 (third runner-up to Tara Conner at Miss

USA 2006)

o Rachel Boston (Tennessee) later became a successful actress.