#brooke skabelund

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Miss Utah USA 2015 is Nicol Powell, from Salt Lake City, and Miss Utah Teen USA 2015 is Brooke Skabelund of Logan! Nicol and Brooke both won the Photogenic awards on preliminary night (and Brooke was also Miss Photogenic in last year’s pageant).

Both have past experience, Nicol was 2nd runner-up last year and third runner-up in Miss Utah Teen USA 2015 and Brooke was a semi-finalist last year. If Nicol’s surname looks familiar, it should be! Her sister Marissa was Miss Utah USA 2013 and third runner-up at Miss USA 2013. Nicol will be one of two sisters of Miss USA runners-up to compete at Miss USA this year (the other is Miss Virginia USA Laura Puleo whose sister Ashley was 2RU at Miss USA 2004).

Nicol has continued the trend of recent Miss Utah USA winners having past experience in Miss or Teen USA state pageants; the last newbie to win was in 2008. On the flip side, Brooke is the first returning contestant to win since 2009!

In a rare occurrence, both 2014 first runners-up placed 1RU again: Teale Murdock in the Miss division and Dasha Semina in Teen.. I don’t think my heart has ever sunk so fast, because as much as I love Nicol, I was really puling for Teale to take it this year. Her record is now 1RU 15, 1RU 14, SF 13, 2RU 12, 4RU 11, 4RU 10, 4RU 09, NF TX TUSA 08. Hopefully 2016 is the charm!

Second runner-up to Miss Utah USA was 2014 semi-finalist Narine Ishhanov. Third runner-up went to 2013 and 2014 semi-finalist Andrea Jackson, and newcomer Alecsy Christensen placed fourth runner-up. I was really surprised that 2013 & 2014 runner-up Dani Braun did not make the top five (she finished in the top 10) as I had her in my final two.

In Teen, it was a battle between two standout competitors, Brooke and Dasha, both wearing the same gown, which made for a funny top two moment. Second runner-up was Nicole Smith of South Ogden, another 2014 semi-finalist. Both the third and fourth runners-up were newcomers: Shandlie Bodilyand Brittnee Thornockrespectively.

Full results:

Miss Utah USA 2015 - Nicol Powell(2RU 14, 3RU UT TUSA 12, SF UT TUSA 11)
1RU: Teale Murdock (1RU 14, SF 13, 2RU 12, 4RU 11, 4RU 10, 4RU 09, NF TX TUSA 08)
2RU: Narine Ishhanov (SF 14, NF 13)
3RU: Andrea Jackson (SF 14, SF 13, SF UT TUSA 12)
4RU: Alecsy Christensen

Top 10:
Andrea Barrett
Dani Braun (4RU 14, 3RU 13, 2RU UT USA 11)
Paris Fisher (SF 14, SF 13)
Kimberly Smith
Kiara Smith (SF 14)

Top 20:
Hannah Cross
Gentry Everill  (NF 14, NF 13, NF 12)
Cassie Flanders  (NF 13)
Jordan Halling (SF UT TUSA 12)
Tricia Haywood
Madison Hunter
Victoria Lynn  (2RU UT TUSA 14, 1RU 13, SF 12)
Marikh Mathias
Alexis Riddle
Xela Sanborn
Mickenzie Willis

Congeniality: Gentry Everill
Photogenic:Nicol Powell

Nicol Powell, Teale Murdock, Narine Ishhanov, Andrea Jackson, Alecsy Christensen

Miss Utah Teen USA 2015 - Brooke Skabelund (SF 14)
1RU: Dasha Semina (1RU 14)
2RU: Nicole Smith (SF 14)
3RU: Shandlie Bodily
4RU: Brittnee Thornock

Top 13:
Desiree Anderson (SF 14, SF 13)
McKennah Bybee
Maddie DeLoach
Ciearra Everill
Madilen Kellogg
Diana Pogosyan
Raquel Erika Reese
Gabrielle Rojas

Congeniality: Desiree Anderson
Photogenic: Brooke Skabelund