Miss California

Noelle Freeman, Miss California 2011 may have single handily showed the pageant world what a Miss America contestant is made of.  Why?  Because Noelle is a social media Junkie!  This girl knows how to Tweet, Tag and Tout (and not necessarily in that order!)...and every one of those verbs not only made her visible, but also made her different than every other contestant.  From her hilarious tweets...

"Did your mother not teach you that the gym 

is NOT an appropriate place to ask girls out?  #tragic"

To her personally edited videos...

To her creative web photos...

Noelle brought a new dimension to Miss America this year and we LOVED IT!!!

We also spotted Noelle from the get-go... and her Top 5 finish was no surprise to us (for the record, the Junkies picked 4 out of the Top 5 before the 2012 Finals began... (check out our Junkies blogpost here...).  Finishing as the 4th runner up, Noelle shined on stage and had that Sexy-Cool-Charisma that seems to ooze out of California girls shortly after birth!

 Photo by ED Brown Photography

I imagine we'll see Noelle working her way into an on-camera gig sometime in the future! :)

California History:  California is the ONLY STATE in the past 6 years to have at least a semi-finalist ALL 6 years! WOW!  In fact, since 1995, they've gone 12 for 17!!!  Not too shabby!!!  They've also had 6 Miss Americas, but none since Debra Maffett in 83 (Fay Lanphier in 25, Rosemary LaPlance in 41, Jean Bartel in 43, Marilyn Buferd in 46, and Lee Meriwether in 55).  California is hungry for another Miss America - this might be their year!

Best Junkie Research Tool:   Complete Bio's including interesting facts and scholastic ambitions are located on the Miss CA website here... but if you just want to see headshots and names, just go here...

Who to Watch:
There are 58 contestants trying to become Miss California this year!  You realize, that means it's harder to be Miss California than it is to be Miss America!  No wonder they've been on such a winning streak as of late! :)  Ok - well - given the fact that our research team has no time to research 58 girls, here's what we've come up with...

Leah Cecil - 1st runner up in '11, Miss Sweetheart Non-Finalist Talent Award, plays the Harp 2nd time at Miss CA

Crystal Lee - CA OT in 08, Miss Chinatown USA 2010, prelim evening gown in '11

Sara Choi - Violin player, 4th runner up in 08, Harvard Grad and her apartment recently caught fire!  Talk about a story to tell in interview!

Marina Inserra - Prelim Swimsuit in '10, vocal performance major, sings in the same a cappella group that Miss CA Ariana Afsar is a part of

Carly Valdes - great vocalist, strong swimsuit, excellent local prep team, 2nd time at Miss CA


Ruth Braum - Top 10 at Miss TX in 10, TX Talent winner in 09, Electric Guitar player for Talent and has played with Montley Crue's Tommy Lee

WOW - Serious Talent this year in California!  Who will the Winner be??? Hmmmmm....

All the Best, Ladies!!! :)

MAJ

Miss West Virgina

Spenser Wempe... besides having a great name, Miss West Virginia 2011 was a knockout!  The girl has so many different 'looks' about her... which is why we're guessing people like Jenn Cady chose to use her as their model for various shoots...

SERIOUSLY!  Spense Wempe knows how to pose and how to give a photographer something to work with! :)  We're gonna miss her and her beautiful face! :)

Spenser is also passionate about her platform, the Wounded Warrior Project and brought a great deal of attention to her cause.  She was also a Duke of Edinburgh award recipient.  Although only 19, she's obviously, more than just a pretty face. :) 

Miss West Virginia History:   Having never produced a Miss America, West Virginia had their best placement when Ella Kessel was named the 2nd runner up at Miss America 1965 (and went on to become the First Lady of West Virginia in 1989).

Best Junkie Research Tool:  The West Virginia website has all the 2012 head-shots here... :)

Who to Watch: 
Gabrielle Ash -2nd runner up and prelim swimsuit in 10,  4th time at Miss VW 

Kaitlin Gates - WV OT in 06, 2nd runner up WV Teen USA 08, 4th runner up WV Teen USA 10 

Whitney Johnson - 2nd runner up WV Teen USA 10 

Holly Hunsberger - Top 10 in 11, WV OT in 09, 3rd time at Miss WV 

Katie Wright - Former WV Teen International - great headshot

All the Best to Everyone at Miss West Virginia!!!  Junkies Love the Mountain State!!! :)

MAJ

Miss Wyoming

Catherine Brown, Miss Wyoming 2011 was a cheerleader on the University of Wyoming Cheer Squad... and we haven't seen a single photo of her without her big, beautiful smile across her face!

Third blonde from the left... Catherine is here with Miss Virginia, Miss Utah and Miss South Dakota at Bucca diBeppo in Vegas during Miss America Week...

Catherine also received the Duke of Edinburgh Award with several other Miss America sisters seen here... :)

Wyoming History: Wyoming had a 1st runner up back in 48, and in 75, 76 and 78 they had 3 non-finalist talent awards in 4 years... but no Miss America to date. 

Best Junkie Research Tool: Well... the girls are listed on the Miss America site here... But honestly, we also found this photo to help us with our choices...

photo by dgoldenwyo

Who to Watch: Only 8 girls will be competing for Miss Wyoming this year (up from only 6 girls lasty year)... seems hardly fair to name 4 of them to watch (that's like naming 15 girls when they have a total of 30 competing!).  Here's what we know...

Lexie Madden - former WY Jr. Miss 09, piano player

Chelsea Price - WY OT in '10,

Marissa McIntyre - piano player, tall and in the same sorority house as Lexie Madden and another contestant, Rebecca Podio.  Hoping the whole house comes to cheer on these ladies at the finals tonight!!! :)

Wishing everyone a wonderful evening in Sheridan, Wyoming!  All the Best!!! :)

MAJ

Just kidding....Maria here....THIS is actually my last blog....oops.

I have started a new blog called "Kicked To The Curb: Life of a Former Beauty Queen."  Please check it out whenever you can!  I will be updating quite often!

It can be found at mariacahill.blogspot.com :)

As usual, PLEASE stay on this blog and support the new Miss Delaware 2012, Alyssa Murray.  Be sure to leave her well wishes and send her love as she embarks on one of the craziest years of her life!


stay chill,
xoxo



Maria

The Junkies in North Carolina!!! :)

Here's a Taste of the Junkies' Time in North Carolina... Lovin' Every Minute of it!! :)

An Amazing Production Team here at Miss North Carolina!!! :)

 75th Anniversary!!! :)

 North Carolina's Precious Princess, Olivia with mom Courtney!!! :)

A couple of Junkies before the show!

Your new Miss North Carolina's Outstanding Teen, Alexandra Badgett!!!

The 75th Anniversary Gala, Governor's Brunch and Crowning of

Miss North Carolina 2012 still to come!!!

JUNKIES UNITE!!! :)

MAJ

Miss New Mexico

Sarina Turnbull, the reigning Miss New Mexico also has her crowning moment on the web... You can find it here... http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/15625941.  Start watching at the 54:36 mark for final crowning...

Honest Humility is one of our favorite characteristics in a state queen... and we greatly appreciate that about Sarina... :)

Miss New Mexico History: No Miss America from New Mexcio in the 90 year history.... and unfortunately, never a Top 5 finish as well... Nicole Miner was a Top 7 finalist in '10.

Best Junkie Research Tool: All the head-shots can be found here... but I'm afraid it doesn't list Talent...

Who to Watch:

Candice Bennatt - After 3 years and a 4th runner up finish at Miss Texas, she's now competing in Miss NM.  Ballet Dancer, prelim swimsuit winner in TX


Carin Malm - 1st runner up in '10, 1st runner up NM OT '07, 2nd runner up National Sweet Teen

Stephanie Chavez - 2nd time at Miss NM, great headshot

Alexis Duprey - Miss NM Teen USA 09

Prelims start tonight!!!  Yay for The Land of Enchantment!!!  All the Best to Miss New Mexico!!! :)

MAJ

Miss Arizona

Every once in a while, you experience a 'ba BOOM' moment at the Miss America pageant... For the record, it usually happens for us during the swimsuit competition... and for us... it happened this year when Jennifer Sedler, Miss Arizona 2011 took the stage...

I wish you could've been there... it was like a Victoria's Secret supermodel was walking on stage... Sassy and Confident... we knew she wasn't far behind Miss New York, Kaitlin Monte who won the prelim swimsuit award that night...

Jennifer's talent was original and FUN!  Plus - how many girls can do this on stage when you're 5'10 (Junkie Confession... we're just guessing on her height - we can't find any info that says exactly how tall she really is...).

In addition - the Junkies were able to find out the inside scoop on Miss America week from Jennifer's newsletter    Super grateful for the way she kept everyone informed all year! If you missed them, check them out here... :)

Miss Arizona History: Two Miss Americas have come from the state of Arizona... Jacque Mercer in 49 and Vonda Van Dyke in 65.


Best Junkie Research Tool: The Miss Arizona website has all the contestant head-shots here... Big Photos Too! :)

Who to Watch:

Tiffany Hilburn - 3rd runner up in '11, 3rd time at Miss AZ

Katelyn Niemiec - twirler, Top 10 in '11, Miss AZ OT in '09

Danielle McBurnett - Top 10 in '10, piano player - was in a snowmobile accident in March, but will compete!

Andrea Malinski - 2nd time at Miss AZ, switched talent from Jazz Dance to Piano

The Junkies Love Arizona!!!  All the best to Everyone Competing!!! :)

MAJ