#miss virginia usa

Congratulations to Miss Virginia USA 2015 Laura Puleo and Miss Virginia Teen USA 2015 Ann Kutyna!  

Laura, a law student at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, was 2RU last year, top 10 in Miss North Carolina USA 2013 and 2RU in Miss NC USA 2012.  She is the sister of Miss North Carolina USA 2004 Ashley Puleo who was Miss North Carolina USA 2004 and second runner-up at Miss USA!  

Ann is 15, one of Virginia’s youngest Teen winners in recent years, and was a non-finalist in last year’s pageant.

Laura is the sixth blonde winner in a row, which of course brought out the conspiracy theorists! (how easy is it to forget that VA also crowned 8 brunettes from 2002-2009).  She is also the third winner in the past four years who had previously competed in a different state, although the only one of those who have competed in VA before she won.  She is only the second returning runner-up in the past six years to win the crown.

Laura and Ann celebrate their wins.  Photo by Mickey Baker.

First runner-up to Laura was Miss Virginia 2013 Desiree Williams who was competing in her first USA pageant.   Second runner-up went to newcomer Jamie Hughes.  Third runner-up was Brittinay Nicolette, who was a runner-up at Miss MD Teen USA 2009 & 2010.  Fourth runner-up went to another Marylander, Kristie Barlow, who was second runner-up at Miss Maryland USA 2011 but had not competed since. Brittinay was a semi-finalist in the 2011 pageant where Kristie placed 2RU.

Brittinay Nicolette won Miss Photogenic, while Miss Congeniality went to Kiara Williams, who was 4RU last year but inexplicably missed the top 12 cut this year.

The Teen first runner-up was Davina Seoparsan who was 2RU last year.  I really hope Davina hasn’t aged out of Teen, I think she would also do brilliantly at Miss Teen USA.  Second runner-up was Alexis Ramsey, top 15 in North Carolina Teen USA last year and a semi-finalist in Virginia in 2013.  Third runner-up went to Cameron Smith, the 2014 first runner-up.  Alexis Crosen, the only newcomer in the top five, placed fourth runner-up.

Full results:

Miss Virginia USA 2015 - Laura Puleo (2RU 14, T10 NC USA 13, 2RU NC USA 12)
1RU: Desiree Williams (Miss Virginia 2013)
2RU: Jamie Hughes
3RU: Brittinay Nicolette (SF MD USA 11, 2RU MD TUSA 10, 3RU MD TUSA 09, T17 MD TUSA 08)
4RU: Kristie Barlow (2RU MD USA 11)

Semi-finalists:
Meghan Dowell 
Sidney Durham (NF 14)
Megan Greber  (NF 14, NF 12, 4RU VA TUSA 11, 3RU 10)
Meah Ollis  (SF TN TUSA 14)
Lauren Petersen 1RU MO USA 14, SF MO USA 13, SF MO USA 12, SF MO USA 11, Miss Missouri Teen USA 2007)
Malissa Sibly  (SF 11)
Delesia Watson (SF 11)

Congeniality: Kiara Williams
Photogenic: Brittinay Nicolette 

Laura Puleo, Desiree Williams, Jamei Hughes, Brittinay Nicolette, Kristie Barlow

Miss Virginia Teen USA 2015 - Ann Kutyna (NF 14)
1RU: Davina Seoparsan (2RU 14)
2RU: Alexis Ramsey (T15 NC TUSA 14, SF 13)
3RU: Cameron Smith (1RU 14, NF 13)
4RU: Alexis Crosen

Semi-finalists:
Morgan Cook
Caitlyn Harman
Corinne Hilton
Ashton Kennedy
Carson Kirk
Monica Osborne 
Madison VanDyke

Congeniality: Caitlyn Harman
Photogenic: Alexis Ramsey

Ann Kutyna, Davina Seoparsan, Alexis Ramsey, Cameron Smith, Alexis Crosen

Update! Congratulations to Renee Bull, the new Miss Virginia USA 2015 and Ann Kutyna, Miss Virginia Teen USA 2015! Click their names to view their profiles, and there’s more coverage on my Facebook page.  

Miss Virginia USA and Teen USA 2015 will be crowned on Sunday afternoon.  The Miss competition this year is really interesting with past runners-up from five different states competing (two from Virginia last year - Laura Puleo and Kiara Williams, plus Ohio, Maryland, Missouri & North Carolina) as well as past Teen runners-up from Virginia and Maryland.  One of those runners-up is Miss Missouri Teen USA 2007 Lauren Petersen who was 1RU in MO last year.  Former Miss Virginia 2013 Desiree Williams adds to the list of MAO contestants competing in USA this year, her first time competing in the system.  Quite randomly there are a couple of contestants who last competed in 2010 and 2011 and have not returned since.  Over a third of contestants have competed in another state previously.

Two of my favourite runners-up from last year are both out now - Maggie Lawson got married in September and Dominique Lee aged out.

Three of the last four Virginia winners had previously competed in a different state, and there is a good chance of that trend continuing this year!  Blondes also have history on their side, as VA hasn’t crowned a brunette since 2009.

2014 Miss top five (2015 contestants in bold) - Kiara Williams(4RU),Laura Puleo(2RU), Arielle Rosmarino, Maggie Lawson (1RU), Dominique Lee (3RU)

In Teen there are two runners-up from 2014, Cameron Smith who was 1st runner-up and Davina Seoparson who placed 2nd runner-up.  Last year’s third runner-up Kinser Crutchfield was a semi-finalist in Miss Tennessee Teen USA 2015 earlier in the year. 

2014 semi-finalist Katie-An Bradley is competing, as is 2013 semi-finalist Alexis Ramsey who is back in Virginia after placing in the top 15 at Miss North Carolina Teen USA last year.

Six of the last eight Miss Virginia Teen USA winners were competing for the first time.

2014 Teen top five (2015 contestants in bold) - Kinser Crutchfield (3RU), Cameron Smith(1RU) Olivia Fletcher,Davina Seoparson (2RU), Ashley Vollrath (3RU)

MISS CONTESTANTS (25)
Kristen Adams (SF DC USA 14, SF VA USA 13)
Alexandra Albertine
Erika Baldwin (NF 14)
Kristie Barlow (2RU MD USA 11)
Tamar Cecki
Lehanna Craft (NF OH USA 14, SF OH USA 12, SF 10, 2RU 09)
Terri Arcelia Darden (NF FL USA 10)
Meghan Dowell
Sidney Durham (NF 14)
Brianna Epting
Megan Greber (NF 14, NF 12, 4RU VA TUSA 11, 3RU 10)
Hallie Hovey-Murray (NF VA TUSA 13)
Jamie Hughes
Jessica Kennedy (NF FL USA 12, NF 11)
Cameryn Mann (SF MD USA 13, SF 12, SF 10)
Brittinay Nicolette (SF MD USA 11, 2RU MD TUSA 10, 3RU MD TUSA 09, T17 MD TUSA 08)
Meah Ollis (SF TN TUSA 14)
Lauren Petersen (1RU MO USA 14, SF MO USA 13, SF MO USA 12, SF MO USA 11, Miss Missouri Teen USA 2007)
Laura Puleo (2RU 14, T10 NC USA 13, 2RU NC USA 12)
Malissa Sibly (SF 11)
Ariel Sorensen
Delesia Watson (SF 11)
Candace White (NF 14)
Desiree Williams (Miss Virginia 2013)
Kiara Williams (4RU 14)

TEEN CONTESTANTS (19)
Katie-An Bradley (SF 14, NF 12)
Morgan Cook
Alexandra Crawford
Alexis Crosen
Caitlyn Harman
Corinne Hilton
Ashton Kennedy
Carson Kirk
Ann Kutnya
Shiana Miller
Kaylee Olivas
Monica Osborne
Alexis Ramsey (T15 NC TUSA 14, SF 13)
Brittany Reiglsperger
Davina Seoparsan (2RU 14)
Cameron Smith (1RU 14, NF 13)
Madison VanDyke
Shoshana Warshavsky
Monay Wells