JUDGES POST - MISS AMERICA 2015!!!

JUDGES!!! WE FINALLY HAVE JUDGES!!! :)

Junkies and contestants get excited about the "Judges Announcement" for a couple of reasons.  Here's Why...

When you have 53 articulate, intelligent, talented and overall fabulous ladies competing for the Miss America crown, it is darn near impossible to figure out who really is "better than the rest".  That's why the judging panel is important.

As a contestant, in order to be successful at Miss America, you need to know who's judging, then leverage that information in order to "connect and impress" in both the interview, and on stage.

I'm reading your mind right now (lol)... and I can tell... some of you... aren't really "buying" what I'm selling.  Chances are, you're thinking one of two things right now... 

Thought #1

          "C'mon... I don't think judges really have anything to do with it.  I believe there's one girl, who outshines the rest and is destined to become Miss America, regardless of who's on the judges panel..."

This school of thought isn't fully without merit.  In fact, Miss America 1995, Heather Whitestone comes to mind... (hope you got to see the YouTube clip we posted of Heather yesterday!)  I truly think that girl was going to be Miss America regardless of who was on the judges panel - Case Closed!

Thought #2

          "C'mon... I don't think the judges really have anything to do with it.  The "powers that be" at Miss America already know who they want to win and the panel is stacked in favor of that girl."

Well - We can't speak to the validity of this claim, although it's held by many people.  It wouldn't surprise us if MAO knew the quality traits and specific characteristics they were looking for in a winner... But... we're not convinced they pick one girl and stack the panel so she can win.  And even if they did - we're not convinced it always works out the way they had originally intended!!! LOL!  :)

So - in light of these thoughts... Here's our "Happy Medium"...

If you're truly "destined" to become Miss America (by the powers that be or through some higher, spiritual force) - then congratulations - I'm so excited for you - I can't wait for your dream to come true - please don't forget to use water-proof mascara on your big night! :)

But, for everyone else who thinks Miss America is kind of a "crap shoot" (and I use that term fondly), then, we say it might be a good idea to discover how you can "connect and impress" the 7 people who hold the fate of the crap-shoot in their hands (lol!). 

So - let's take a look at this year's panel and see if we might be able to glean some insights... The panel includes:

Lee Meriwether - Actress, Humanitarian and Miss America 1955... Beloved "Forever Miss America" by MAO and pageant fans alike
Marc Cherry - Executive Producer and Writer of multiple hit television shows, has strong fondness for MAO, also judged Miss America 2011
Kathy Ireland - Supermodel, Fashion Guru and CEO/Chief Designer of her own company... Conservative and a strong religious advocate
Donald Driver - All-time leading Receiver for the Green Bay Packers, Continually beats the odds against him, Dancing With the Stars Champ
Anne MacDonald - Retired Army Brigadier General, West Point Grad with 2 Masters Degrees, Glass-Ceiling Breaker, now an Executive Coach
Gary Vaynerchuk - Entrepreneur, Author, Public Speaker, Digital and Social Media Branding Expert, originally from Belarus
Shawn Johnson - Gold Medal Olympian, Dancing With the Stars Champ, judged Miss America 2010

So... What do The Junkies see when we look at this panel of judges???  Here's a few thoughts...

1.  Marketing Gurus - Every one of these people found success in a certain area and then parlayed that success into a national brand.  We think this panel will choose a contestant who has a strong grasp on her own 'personal brand' and has a fundamental understanding of how to market via social media.  Doesn't matter if your brand is your platform, or your personality, or your life story - These people understand the value behind branding and marketing.  Any girl who doesn't have a significant understanding on how to sell herself, and how to get the general public to respond, will be left wanting...

2.  Substance Over Style - No Divas here!  These people were not entitled - Far from it!!!  They all started at the bottom and busted their tail to take their career as high as they possibly could.  That tells us this panel will likely choose a hard worker - and someone who is extremely grateful - as opposed to someone who thinks they're better than the rest and "deserves to win".  If you've mastered the pageant interview but can't translate those skills into real life, this panel is going to see right through you.  These people can't be fooled.

3.  Street-Smart and Business Savvy.  These judges don't fit "inside the box" that others have painted for them.  Think about it... in several cases, when everyone thought they had already given all they could offer in a certain career path, they reinvented themselves to become something more (Driver, Johnson, Ireland, MacDonald).  You can't do that unless you have a rock-solid belief in yourself and refuse to let others tell you what you can and can't do.  That means, they're looking for someone who's multi-faceted, won't crumble under a bit of pressure, and has the ability to 'surprise' people who think they might have you pegged.

4.  Hello Fitness!  With an NFL player, an Olympic Gymnast and a Super-Model on the panel - you can bet swimsuit is going to be a factor this year.  Some people say although we've been crowning "good" swimsuit bodies - we haven't been crowning the "most fit" girls in recent years.  I'm guessing that changes this year and we're gonna crown a solidly fit contestant in September.

5. "Entertainment" Trumps "Talent" - No big change here... This is what we've seen with the last 2 Miss Americas.  You don't have to be the most technically skilled contestant to win - But you most certainly have to be entertaining.  If you're technically sound but not entertaining, Junkies hope you add some 'spark' to your routine immediately.  We're not saying a "Talent Queen" has no chance of winning - we're saying you've got to have "Entertainment Value" - period. 

And there you have it!  I suspect the woman who will be crowned Miss America 2015 will be social media savvy, someone who has inner-strength, who is engaging, personable and unstoppable.  The question is... Who will she be...???

Only THIRTY-TWO more days until we find out!!!

Told you this was gonna be a BIG WEEK - And it's not over yet!!! :)

;)
Founding Junkie

JUNKIES LOVE SWEETHEART!!!

Junkies simply LOVE Miss Sweetheart...

If you're one of the long time devoted followers of Pageant Junkies/Miss America Junkies, then I'm sure you're familiar with one of the smartest ideas in the history of pageantry, called Miss Sweetheart.  But because we continue to gain more and more followers through all kinds of social media outlets, we don't want to assume everyone knows everything there is to know about Miss Sweetheart!  So - if you've read one of our other posts on this specific pageant from years gone by, that's fine and dandy... You're about to get more of what you already love! :)  But, if you're new to the whole "Junkies" thing and thereby aren't exactly sure why Junkies seem to always be fawning all over Miss Sweetheart - then you're in luck!  Because we're about to give you our most compelling argument yet! :)

First - a little about Miss Sweetheart...

Miss Sweetheart is an 'invitation only' pageant... Held during the National Sweetcorn Festival... in the middle of the sprawling metropolis of Hoopeston, Illinois (population 5300).  Presented by the Hoopeston Jaycees, the festival itself is part county-fair, part end-of-summer ritual, that draws over 200,000 people each year.  Trust us - This place is Americana at its finest. :)

The 1st runner up from each state is officially invited to compete, but sometimes the 2nd, 3rd or 4th runner up attends instead (if the 1st runner up chooses not to attend, then the 2nd runner up is given the chance and so-on down the line).  Like Miss America, the rule is, you can only attend Miss Sweetheart one time (it wasn't always this way - but it was recently changed) - and each area of competition is judged in the same way as it is for Miss America.

At this point you may be saying... "OK - now I understand what Sweetheart is... But I don't get it... Why is Sweetheart so special?" 

Here Why... 

Because Miss Sweetheart is for every girl whose name was not called.

Think about it.  You're standing on stage at your state pageant, holding hands with another girl, knowing it could be you and your whole life is about to change... only to realize... it's not you... they chose someone else.  And regardless of how proud you are of your accomplishment, it most cases, you really, really wish it could've been you. 

And when you get together with 40+ other women from across the country who have experienced that exact same feeling, you're a little encouraged.  And when you see the level of talent, poise, fitness and intelligence these 40+ other ladies bring to the stage, you're humbled.  And when you suddenly realize that any of these ladies could've won their state and been an amazing representative at Miss America - that's when it dawns on you - that you're one of them!  You --- the girl whose name was not called --- YOU are part of 'The Group' of girls who almost made it.  And each of these ladies, know exactly how you feel.

Miss Sweetheart is a chance to meet women who were half-a-heartbeat away from winning their state and learn how MAO has changed their life too.  So many contestants say their experience at Sweetheart is what gave them a new perspective on their journey towards Miss America.  For some contestants, they participate in Sweetheart and get a better understanding of what it takes to compete at the highest level.  Then, they go back to their home state, win their state, and then finally get the chance to walk the stage in Atlantic City!  However for other ladies, once again, their name won't be called.  That means, Miss Sweetheart was the closest they will ever come to competing at Miss America... And that's what makes Miss Sweetheart so special. :)

So there you have it!  Miss Sweetheart truly is a "Mini Miss America" in the middle of a corn-field (LOL!  Not quite - but almost!).  This year - there are four state winners who were once Miss Sweetheart contestants... Colorado, Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Indiana (which proves not everyone who attends Sweetheart makes it to Miss America!)

We won't be offering prelim predictions for Miss Sweetheart - but we'll make sure we pass along all the prelim winners, etc. as the event takes place August 29th through August 31st.  The judges were just announced last week (photo below courtesy of the National Sweetheart Pageant Facebook Page) and with FORTY-FIVE contestants (one of the larger groups!) - it looks like it's bound to be an amazing event!  Can't wait to see who walks away with the crown this year - and which girls go on to become future Miss America contestants!!!

The full run-down of names and competition dates is below - collage courtesy of Miss A Unlimited - GOOD LUCK LADIES!!!  WISHING EVERYONE AT MISS SWEETHEART an AMAZING WEEK!!! :)

Until Next Time -
Founding Junkie

*Update - We just learned this morning that West Virginia's Sweetheart Olivia Staubs had to withdraw from the competition.  All other info is accurate at the time of this posting.

GROUP A

#1 MISSISSIPPI - LAURA LEE LEWIS
#2 IOWA - SERICA ROWLEY
#3 TEXAS - MADISON ADAMS
#4 NORTH DAKOTA - FAYE STROMBERG
#5 TENNESSEE - JACLYN TORRENTO
#6 WEST VIRGINIA - OLIVIA STAUBS
#7 ALABAMA - ELISABETH CHRAMER
#8 UTAH - ABBEY EYRE
#9 ALASKA - ZOEY GRENIER
#10 NEW HAMPSHIRE - HOLLY BLANCHARD
#11 PUERTO RICO - STEPHANIE RAMOS

GROUP B

#12 GEORGIA - TAYLOR VOYLES
#13 CONNECTICUT - ALEXANDRIA PUGLISI
#14 DIST OF COLUMBIA - AMELIA WOLF
#15 HAWAII - JEANNE KAPELA
#16 IDAHO - KALIE WRIGHT
#17 ILLINOIS AMANDA GOERLITZ
#18 KENTUCKY - CLAIRE BUTLER
#19 DELAWARE - BROOKE MITCHELL
#20 COLORADO - CHELSI ROSE
#21 VERMONT - ALAYNA WESTCOM
#22 MINNESOTA - RACHEL LATUFF

GROUP C

#23 NEW MEXICO - MARISSA LIVINGSTON
#24 NEVADA - BAILEY GUMM
#25 OKALHOMA - GEORGIA FRAZIER
#26 WYOMING - JULIA KENDRIX
#27 LOUISIANA - KELLY BERNARD
#28 ARIZONA - HANNAH MORGAN
#29 OREGON - AUDRI ROUSSEAU
#30 MAINE - KATHERINE RUSHLAU
#31 KANSAS - JENNIFER SALVA
#32 FLORIDA - CHLOE LUPO
#33 CALIFORNIA - ASHLEY OTT

GROUP D

#34 RHODE ISLAND - ALEXANDRA CURTIS
#35 INDIANA - MORGAN JACKSON
#36 VIRGINIA - ELIZABETH MARTIN
#37 ARKANSAS - BAILEY MOSES
#38 NEW YORK - JAMIE LYNN MACCHIA
#39 WASHINGTON - MEGAN LEIBOLD
#40 NEBRASKA - RACHEL FOEHLINGER
#41 MASSACHUSETTS - CHARLENA KENNEDY
#42 WISCONSIN - CHELSEY WASIELEWSKI
#43 SOUTH DAKOTA - JADE POSSAIL
#44 MARYLAND - EBONY SHERRILL
#45 NEW JERSEY - DEVON VANDERSLICE

Friday - Groups A and B compete in Lifestyle & Fitness and Evening Wear while Groups C and D perform Talent

Saturday - Groups A and B perform Talent while Groups C and D compete in Lifestyle & Fitness and Evening Wear

Sunday - Finals

OLIVIA McMILLIAN is MISS AMERICA'S OUTSTANDING TEEN 2015!!!

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!


Georgia's own Olivia McMillan is Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2015!!!

Olivia is a Senior at Northside High School in Warner Robins, GA.  After winning the Miss Warner Robins' Outstanding Teen competition, she lost 50 pounds before her state contest and before being named Miss Georgia's Outstanding Teen.  At 5'10, Olivia not only has a strong presence, she has a beautiful voice.  She won the preliminary talent award at both GA OT and MAOT for her moving rendition of Nessun Dorma.  Olivia, who describes herself as bi-racial, was adopted by her forever family and also has a brother with special needs.

And Junkies are super excited that she won! 

In fact, we were so excited - we nearly burned our dinner!  Here's a quick play by play of our evening shortly before Olivia was crowed...

- Pageant well underway... The Top 10 complete evening wear and OSQ.  There seems to be some 'filler' at this point in the pageant, so I begin dinner...
- Hmmm... I haven't seen my son for 4 1/2 hours (silly kid forgot to 'check in').
- Update social media, text friends who aren't able to watch the stream... and try to remember all the ingredients for tonight's feast.
- Back to the webstream when they announce the Top 5 finalists... Originally, I wrote down 5 names and went 4 for 5, but switched one girl out at the last second.  Bummer! Gotta stick with my gut.
- Back to dinner - time to brown the meat...
- Back to wondering where my son is and if he'll remember to come home on time...
- Back to my computer to see Leah Sykes' farewell... She's so lovely...
- Back to texting friends who aren't able to watch the show online and are looking for an update...
- Ok - live stream announcement time...
- Olivia McMillan is announced as the new MAOT!!!
- Took 17 photos - trying to get one worthy of posting before the stream goes out and Olivia is done with her "walk"...
- Junkies find 1 worthy photo and begin uploading to multiple social media outlets...
- Do I smell something burning...?
- Oh Crap!
- Good news!  The meat's not "too bad"... it's just 'well done' and somewhat salvageable...
- My son's still not home... He'll never know the difference anyway :)

If you knew me, you'd realize that "cooking dinner" is a relatively new experience for me... However, "burning dinner" isn't a new experience at all... :)  But enough about me - let's get back to MAOT!

Here's a full summary...

Miss America's Outstanding Teen Top 5
WINNER - Olivia McMillan - Georgia (Top Vocalist Award)
1st Runner Up - Lexie Perry - Tennessee (Instrumentalist Award)
2nd Runner Up - Morgan Green - Alabama
3rd Runner Up - Casey Shepard - Virginia
4th Runner Up - Morgan Holen - Nebraska (Dancer Award)

Remaining Semi-Finalists
Florida (Dancer Award) - Michigan - Virgin Islands (People's Choice) - Pennsylvania - Texas

Top 12 Finishers
Colorado and North Dakota (People's Choice and Instrumental Award)

Teens in Action Award (aka - Quality of Life Award at Miss America for platform work)
Nevada and New Jersey

Non-Finalist Interview Award
Arkansas and New Jersey (tie)

Non-Finalist Gown Awards
Oklahoma and Washington (tie)

Non-Finalist Talent Awards
Utah and Wisconsin (tie)

Miss Congeniality
Nevada

CONGRATULATIONS LADIES!!!

And now - a few Junkie thoughts... in random order...

1.  Junkies only go 5 for 12 tonight---- but strangely enough, all 3 of our 'bubble states' also make the Top 12.  THIS GOES TO PROVE SOMETHING IMPORTANT....  The last time we did really well when it came to semi-finalist predictions, it was because we saw 2 nights of preliminary competition at Miss America, back in Las Vegas.  One night just doesn't seem to be enough for us - and obviously, not seeing ANY prelims for MAOT hurts us as well.  There's only so much you can learn from online research instead of being there live.

2.  While it's 'relatively easy' for Junkies to predict Prelim Winners - if you wanna become a semi-finalist, there's a lesson here to learn... You simply MUST be well-rounded in ALL categories!  It's not enough to win a prelim - 2 prelim winners didn't even make the Semi-finals... and 2 girls made the Top 5 who didn't even win a prelim!  Junkies may be able to predict your strength - but it's your ability to excel in ALL CATEGORIES that makes you a semi-finalist (which is certainly more important than our ability to pick you out of a crowd!).

3.  On our original prediction list, Junkies picked 2 out of the Top 5 (GA and AL).   We actually picked one additional girl who finished in the Top 5, but switched our choices right before posting the blog (Ugh! Must stop second guessing ourselves).  We also posted a tweet sometime before the Top 5 announcement was made... In that tweet, we mentioned GA was our pick to win - she just had that 'something special' about her when she answered her question on stage.

4.  Olivia is the first MAOT with a "strong story" in quite a while... And she certainly isn't the "typical pageant" type of winner!  She still fits the mold of everything we listed in yesterday's post - Impressive Talent, Significant Beauty, Confident Communicator, Lots of Poise... But she also brings something else to the table... Call it, "The Mallory Factor". :)  Junkies feel like Olivia is oh-so relateable - like Mallory Hagen, Miss America 2013!  She's a "real teen" who has an awesome story to tell and as she said in her on-stage question, she can relate to nearly anyone because of the many facets of who she is (as we told you above).  No doubt, Olivia will represent MAOT in a phenomenal way and we can't wait to see her year unfold!

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!!!  CONGRATS to all our contestants and their placements!!!

As always - BIG THANKS for playing along and for taking this inaugural journey with us... Predicting MAOT was a whole lot more fun than we originally thought - and a great way to "prime our pump" when it comes to Miss America!  There's not much time between now and September 14th!  Be sure to start your research now so you'll be ready when prelims begin in Atlantic City!  Ready or Not... HERE IT COMES!!!

Congrats Again Teens - Junkies are super proud of each and every one of you!!!

'Til Next Time -

Founding Junkie



  

MISS AMERICA'S OUTSTANDING TEEN PREDICTIONS!!!

OMG.

Today is the day we crown a new Miss America's Outstanding Teen!!!  Junkies have been climbing the walls ALL DAY LONG trying to get a grip on how we're going to narrow our list of 53 incredible Outstanding Teens down to only a few semi-finalists who will compete for the crown tonight!!!  We may make this look easy - but I gotta tell you, Junkie intuition can only take you so far... Today's the day where the rubber meets the road and a high heel meets the hard-wood (or something like that). 

But before we give you our predictions, we want to take a few moments to honor Leah Sykes - Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2014 who is giving up her crown tonight!

Junkies saw Leah sing during the Miss Minnesota program and were BLOWN AWAY by her talent!  SERIOUSLY!  Leah's vocals were some of the best we heard at the whole pageant - and some of the best we've ever heard from someone her age!  Musicians might say she has a special 'tone' or a unique 'quality' about her voice - it comes across as original and authentic, seasoned and pure.  She's certainly gifted - and has obviously worked hard to 'hone her talent' over the years.

It's our understanding that Leah will begin her Freshman year at Belmont University this Fall in Nashville, TN pursing a career in the music industry.  According to an article in the online edition of the Orlando Family Magazine, Leah says she has grown immensely over the past year as MAOT 2014 - and she encourages all teenagers to spend time giving and investing in the lives of others.

          “Find an organization that’s really personal to you and that you can really connect to,” Sykes said. “Volunteering has really become an important part of my life. I can’t believe I went 16 years without it in my life.”

We know Leah's mark has been made on MAOT and the next titleholder has a lot to live up to!

And while we've never had the chance to see any other Outstanding Teen national winner perform, Leah most certainly gave us a glimpse of the kind of young woman who typically wins the crown...  Especially when we study the last few national winners, we notice they all have a few things in common...

Impressive Talent
Significant Beauty
Confident Communicator
Lots of Poise

Those are the thoughts we're keeping in mind when we choose our Top 12.

BUT BEFORE WE GET THERE... We just want to remind you of some super important tid-bits...

 - If we don't choose your favorite girl, it's not personal.  Trust me - there are oodles of fabulous girls at MAOT this year - Junkies are beyond impressed with the state winners from each organization and the reason it took us so long to post this blog is because we spent so much time going back and forth with who would make the list!

- Here's what we always say - JUNKIES AREN'T PERFECT!  Just because we don't name your girl - it doesn't mean she won't make the semi-finals and it certainly doesn't mean she won't win!  It only means, we aren't perfect.  Remember - we didn't see a thing this week!  All of our research has been done online - We're not about to bet the house on perfection tonight!  Anything can happen :)

- Because the MAOT contestants are without their phones this week - we're guessing the only ones reading this blog right now are people who AREN'T competing (families, friends, etc)!  So - if your state makes our list, we hope she proves us right!  And if your state doesn't make our list, WE HOPE SHE PROVES US WRONG!!! :)  Junkies only want the best for each of the young women competing tonight... May this experience be one of the BEST THINGS that ever happened to each and every one of them!!! :) 

With all these thoughts in mind, here's our Top 12 list for MAOT 2015!!!

Junkies Top 12 List for MAOT
Alabama
Georgia
Oklahoma
Connecticut
Ohio
Washington
Texas
New Hampshire
Florida
South Carolina
California
Tennessee

Bubbles (or if they choose a Top 15... Junkies keep getting conflicting reports)...
Nebraska
North Dakota
Virginia

And while it's insanely difficult to pick a Top 5 - Here's what we've got...

Junkies Top 5
Alabama
Georgia
Oklahoma
Texas
California

Winner
Oklahoma

THAT'S A WRAP!!!  GOOD LUCK LADIES!!!

Founding Junkie :)

MAOT Thursday Night Results

HERE WE ARE - WE MADE IT!!!!

The final night of MAOT Prelims has taken place and two more winners have come to the table!  Who were the winners last night?  Let's get to it!

TALENT - NORTH DAKOTA - an incorrect pick
The Junkies' dream of the perfect prelim prediction post was foiled by last night's talent winner - Raghen Lucy :)  Just for the record - nobody's even mildly upset at Raghen for spoiling our streak... How could you be when she performed a lovely Piano solo to Pirates of the Caribbean :)  She's also the very first Outstanding Teen from the state of North Dakota to bring home a prelim win in any area of competition!!!  Junkies say BRAVO RAGHEN!!!  BRAVO!!! :)

GOWN/OSQ - OKLAHOMA - a correct pick!
This is the second year in a row that Oklahoma has won the Gown/OSQ award at MAOT... Joei Whisenant certainly has that "something special" that's so attractive and sweet!  I don't know how they do it - but Oklahoma has the "biggest bench" we've ever seen in pageantry!  LOL!  If you don't understand that reference, it basically means OK consistently sends strong girls, year after year after year, in both their Teen and Miss program.  Think of your favorite college basketball or football team - when one class graduates, the best programs are able to put together another winning year because 'the bench' (the players coming up in the system) is so strong.  Congrats OK!  You may just have a winner on your hands in Joei Whisenant...

And there you have it!  Junkies finish 5 for 6 in our first year ever predicting Miss America's Outstanding Teen preliminary winners - and we're thrilled!  NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS did I think we'd do so well in our first year out (*big sigh of relief right here)... And who knows... Maybe Junkies will take time in 2015 to see MAOT in person!?!

In the meantime - our work continues... and the HARD PART has just begun!  Junkies need to put together a finalist list for Saturday night!  You think prelim predictions are hard?  Try picking out 5/10/12/15 semi-finalists out of all these amazing teens!

*Side Note - does anyone know how many semi-finalists will be chosen (lol!)?  Again - it's our first year at this whole Teen thing... hate to select 15 states only to learn there's only 12 chosen... HELP PLEASE! :)

We expect you'll be doing the same!  You can always "play along" by selecting your own list of semi-finalists and compare them to ours!  We'll post our list sometime before the pageant begins on Saturday night!

Oh - and you can also live-stream the pageant on Saturday for a $10 donation... Here's the information and the link to the stream! :)

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!! :)  Have a Fabulous Weekend!!!

Founding Junkie