MISS TEXAS

Five times...

That's how many time Miss Texas 2013, Ivana Hall competed before winning the Miss Texas crown... But what's even more amazing - is that as far as we can tell - Ivana NEVER ONCE won an award during her first 4 trips to Miss Texas!  Never a runner up, never in the Top 15, never a preliminary award, never a non-finalist award...  Zip - Zilch - Nada!  But she didn't quit.  And you can tell - LOTS of people were shocked (including Ivana and several contestants on stage behind her) when she was named Miss Texas 2013 (love this photo - just click on it to see a larger version!).

And not only did Ivana win Miss Texas after not winning any awards in her previous 4 attempts, she then goes on to finish in the Top 10 at Miss America!  No doubt she had a stellar interview and we know she looked amazing on stage - Talk about "peaking" at the right time!!! :)

But Ivana's journey isn't just about her years of competition... At the age of 10, Ivana's uncle was diagnosed with AIDS.  After watching him battle and eventually losing him to the disease, Ivana decided her platform would be HIV/AIDS: Education and Resources.  Her uncle lived with the disease for 22 years before sucombing to it when she was only 17.  And as Ivana states in an article from TheDallasVoice.com, finding something that fits your passion at the age of 17, is a good thing. :)

          "Since you first started working with the HIV/AIDS cause, is it possible to articulate the changes it has made in you? Oh, there has been so much change in me.  I’m not the same girl as I was starting out as a 17-year-old. I have always been a very opinionated person, even for my age, but I stand firmer on my beliefs now. I don’t question myself any more. My maturity level I think is much higher than a regular 23-year-old. To be able to give myself emotionally to others is another thing. I have always thought it’s important to be a compassionate person, and no matter where I go in life, I have to keep that intact. I think that is my most important attribute."

 

Without question - big things are in store for Ivana Hall... Regardless of how many times she attempts to do something - We know if she wants it, she'll get it!  :)

Now - before we get to this year's predictions, we'd like to hijack this post for a little "Junkies in Training Moment"...  

Something to remember... Since 1972, Miss Texas has only missed the cut at Miss America 10 times!  Yes, you read that correctly - over the past 42 years - FOR MORE THAN 4 DECADES - Miss Texas has been named a semi-finalist 76% of the time at Miss America!!!  Do yourselves a favor and ALWAYS list TX on your top 15 list come September... :)  Got it?  Cool... This Junkies in Training moment has been brought to you by people who have way too much time on their hands... Thank God we do have a life outside of pageants. :)

OK - Now - Speaking of competition... last year, we didn't list Ivana Hall on our "Here's Who to Watch" list - but obviously, that didn't stop her from winning the title!  And truth be known, I wouldn't put it past a dark horse to come out of nowhere and win the title again!  There are 52 girls in this year's Miss Texas pageant - and this is going to be one tough competition...

Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch:

Christine Tang - 1st runner up '13, Prelim SS and Talent '13, 4th runner up '12
Callie Thompson - 4th runner up 13, Top 10 '12, TX OT '07
Katherine Dunn - 4th runner up TX USA '11 4th runner up '09
Morgan Fuller - Top 15 '13,  Prelim Talent and Alpha Talent
Madison Fuller - TX OT '10 (yup! they're sisters!)
Monique Evans - Prelim SS '13, Top 15 '12, Top 10 '11
Ameera Swaidan - Top 10 '13, Prelim SS '12
Christa Widjaja - Top 15 in '13, 2nd runner up TX OT '11
Elise Martinez - Top 10 in '12
Brittney Bennett - Top 15 in '12
Keli Kryfko - Getting lots of press for losing 100 pounds including GMA 

Others to Watch:
Isis Smalls - Younger sister of Miss IL Jade Smalls, 1st runner up to Miss America 2000, Heather French
Logan McCormick - Strong local prep team behind her - beautiful girl
Destiny Velez - 2nd RU TX OT '09, drums for talent!
Laryssa Bonacquisti - 3rd runner up TX OT '12, Int Cinderella Teen '13

Another Big Round of Applause for all the "Texas Junkies" who sent us your inside scoop - including our Junkie Research King!  Life is good when there's a King in  your corner!!! :)

ALL THE BEST LADIES!!!  GOD BLESS TEXAS!!!

MAJ

MAJ UPDATE #4

Well Hello Again Junkies!!!  Time for another wrap-up post regarding this week's competitions!

This official "morning after blog" is always interesting... And trust me... After watching who was winning preliminary awards this week, I'll admit... Junkies were slightly nervous about the results!  Let's just say it was a nail-biting, nerve-racking, hair-pulling, popcorn-munching, kind of evening!

Now, before we evaluate our results, I hope you'll let me take just a few moments to remind all of our awesome and loyal followers of a few things...

1. JUNKIES AREN'T PERFECT.  We've said it once, we'll say it a million times and we're not ashamed to admit it - Junkies are not perfect!!!  Just because we don't list "your favorite girl" in our "Here's Who To Watch List" it doesn't mean she's not worthy of the crown.  It doesn't mean she has no chance.  It doesn't mean we have a secret agenda to sabatoge her confidence in hopes of getting 'our girl' to win or any other crazy theory you can come up with... (lol)... It only means we aren't perfect.

2. JUNKIES PREDICT FROM WHAT'S ON PAPER.  In 95% of the pageants held, we've never met a single girl competing for the title of Miss State.  You many find that hard to believe - but it's true! When we make our predictions, our picks are based off information we find online and previous finishes (and in some cases - you'd be surprised how hard it is to find accurate information regarding previous finishes!)... RARELY have we ever seen any of these ladies compete on stage and it's even rarer that we've actually met one of them in person.  Hence the reason why (see point #1 above...) We're not perfect! :)

3. JUNKIES JUST WANNA HAVE FUN.  That's how this all started and what it's supposed to be for everyone reading - FUN!!!  :)  If it's not fun for you and your friends/family, that's ok... We don't 'demand' that anyone have fun while following us - but FUN is the whole reason we play the game!  We're just out here in cyber-space, blogging our little hearts out, trying to see if we can pick winners having never met these ladies - and believe it or not, to us, IT'S FUN!!! :)  Trust me, we don't spend hours of our lives researching and writing and posting because we have 'something to prove'.  To us, our end goal isn't about "being right" - We do this, because Junkies Just Wanna Have Fun.  :)

Capiche? :)

Cool - Reminders over... Thanks for indulging me.  Now, let's get to the results from this week's state pageants!!! :)

Even though we had nine state pageants last night - we also had Miss West Virginia take place on Tuesday of this past week... So, let's start with WV - How did Junkies do???

West Virginia - 4 for 5, Missed the Winner

Congrats to Paige Madden - the new Miss WV and the only girl we didn't have on our watch list from the Top 5!  Nice Work!

And now - moving to last night's results... Junkies are excited to report - we didn't miss a single winner last night!!! WHOOOOO HOOOOOO!  Our first perfect weekend since the pageant season started!!!

Connecticut - 5 for 5, listed the Winner
Maryland - 5 for 5, listed the Winner
South Carolina - 3 for 5, listed the Winner
Virginia - 4 for 5, listed the Winner
Oregon - 5 for 5, listed the Winner
California - 2 for 5, listed the Winner
Louisiana - 5 for 5, listed the Winner
New Mexico - 5 for 5, listed the Winner
Puerto Rico - 4 for 5, listed the Winner (LOL!  Crazy Lucky!!!)

So - 9 for 9 last night - YAY!  And when you include Miss West Virginia - Here's where we land!

9 for 10 = 90% for listing winners
42 for 50 = 84% for listing Top 5 finishers

Which means... (drum roll please)... Junkies have our BEST WEEKEND OF THE YEAR!!! :)

Now - if you haven't already glazed over with stats and numbers, we still need to give you our over-all, cumulative totals for the year... We'll try to keep it simple... Here's Where We Land...

GRAND TOTAL

39 for 45 = 87% when listing the winners
162 for 223 = 73% when listing Top 5 finishers

THERE YOU HAVE IT!!!  Miss Massachusetts takes place at 3pm EST today (Sunday) - and the only remaining pageants are Texas, Washington, Mississippi, Idaho and Kentucky!!!

And just for the record - YES - WE'RE HAVING FUN!!! Hope you are too!!!

Until Next Week - JUNKIES UNITE!!!

MAJ

MISS PUERTO RICO

For years, we've been saying essentially the same thing when we write our blog on Puerto Rico.  It's the truest definition of "a broken record" if we ever heard one.  Honestly, you can go back through the archeives of this blog over the past several years, choose the Puerto Rico post and somewhere within it, you'll find the following phrase...

"Why didn't I take that Spanish internship to Mexico when I was in college?" (And don't you love how Miss Puerto Rico 2013 Shenti Lauren seems to be asking us the same question in her photo above???).

Had we done it - we would be in much better shape when it comes to writing about the lovely ladies who have competed and been named Miss Puerto Rico - (not to mention, a thousand times more marketable in the workforce and able to function beyond the survival level during vacations to Cancun).

So - here's the deal... Just because we can't find an article written in English describing how lovely Shenti Lauren, Miss PR 2013 is - it doesn't means she's not lovely indeed.  After all - she made her way to the Miss America stage - and we all know you don't make it to Miss America unless you have something special.

So - here's to Shenti Lauren, Miss Puerto Rico 2013 as she pursues her graduate degree in meteorology!  ALL THE BEST!!! :)

As you might be able to guess, when it comes to making our picks for Miss PR, we basically throw a few thoughts against the wall and then beg for one of our picks to win.  Seriously, have you ever tried to research the competency of pageant women when all their accolades are written IN SPANISH??? LOL!  You can't make this stuff up, people...  Life is so hard...  So, without further adieu...

Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch:   

Stephanie Ramos - former Miss KY contestant
Rubhi Garcia - attended Miss Sweetheart '13
Glenys Carbonell - Miss Teen World PR contestant '13
Beverly Alvarez - Top 15 Miss PR Universe
Yarelis Salgado - Model, stunning
Jelissa Reynoso - another model, stunning

JUNKIES LOVE PUERTO RICO!!! :)  STAY IN SCHOOL, KIDS!!!  TAKE THE INTERNSHIP!!!  :)

MAJ

MISS MASSACHUSSETS

Most people reading this blog know first hand how hard it is to lose a pageant.  After all, VERY FEW people cruise to the Miss America title having never lost a single pageant in their entire lifetime.

But just because you know what it feels like to stand on a stage, in front of hundreds of people and lose a pageant, it doesn't mean you know what it's like to finish as the 1st runner up 2 years in a row...

Miss Massachusetts 2013, Amanda Narciso does.  It seems like every year, there's at least one contestant who has been in those shoes... finishing as the 1st runner up 2 years in a row.  To come so close back to back - and then have the gumption to come back for the 3rd year in a row takes chutzpah indeed!

Amanda had been competing since she was 17 - so no doubt, she was elated to be named Miss Mass after all of her time in the program.  That kind of tenacity will serve Amanda well in the years to come - and we wish her all the best as she moves into life "post pageant" :)

AND - Miss Massachusetts is celebrating their 75th Anniversary this year!  Junkies offer big CONGRATULATIONS and know it's going to be a Fabulous Show!!! Who will be the 75th Miss Mass???

Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch:

Meagan Fuller - 1st RU '13, Prelim Talent and SS, 1st RU Miss Sweetheart, MA Jr. Miss '10, 1st RU MA OT '09
Brianna Bostwick - 2nd RU '12, MA OT '09
Nicole DiBlasi -3rd RU and prelim Talent '13, 4th RU '12
Lauren Kuhn - 4th runner up WA '10, Top 8 '11, Top 10 '12, 1st runner up OT, 2nd runner up '10 WA Teen USA
Michelle Nigro - Patriot's Cheerleader, pageant veteran
Kira Kopazek - Non-finalist talent award '13
Courtney Stern - Top 10, interview award '13
Jillian Zucco - Top 10 '13
Victoria DeKoatz - Top 10 '13

JUNKIES LOVE MASSACHUSETTS!!!  GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!! :)

MAJ

MISS CONNECTICUT

Miss Connecticut 2013 Kaitlyn Tarpey, brings 'stubbornness' to a whole new level...

Kaitlyn was admitted to the hospital on a weekend with a collapsed lung due to a rare disease called Lemierre's Syndome.  Doctors told her there was a 90% chance she wouldn't even live until Monday.

"I said, 'No, that's not happening and you're wrong,'"

"I have a very Type-A personality. I'm fine now, but it was scary... I'm so thankful for my parents, who raised me to be athletic, in a health-conscious household. It was a habit for me to be healthy, and if I didn't have that sort of upbringing, I wouldn't have made it. So that was the first lesson I took from that. The second lesson was everything in life is mental. Absolutely everything. I think if I laid back in that bed and said, 'Okay, I'm not going to live to see Monday. I'll say my goodbyes,' I don't think I would have made it. But I'm so stubborn."

Dang Girl...  Defying doctors who give you a 1 out of 10 shot of survival - is pretty much as stubborn as you can get!  No wonder Kaitlyn finished in the Top 10 at Miss America!  She probably told everyone she would - and they had no choice but to believe her (and that's a compliment!)  LOL! :)

Truth be known, Junkies have a little "Type-A" personality in us as well... So, Kaitlyn's attitude can't help but make us smile :)  It also makes us kick ourselves for not picking her to make our Top 15 list at Miss America!  What were we thinking???  Junkies wish you all the best Kaitlyn!  It's pretty darn obvious you're going to succeed, because failure (or dying) isn't part of your nature! :)

When it comes to Miss Connecticut 2014 - Kaitlyn's Miss America performance has certainly generated a strong amount of interest in following in her footsteps!  Please note - Kaitlyn's Top 10 finish was the first for Miss CT in 12 years!  Who can put Connecticut on the Miss America map again?

Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch:

Acacia Courtney - 2nd runner up NY '13, Top 10 NY '12, 3rd runner up CT Teen USA '11, CT OT '09
Valerie Voccio - 2nd runner up '13, CT DYW '11, Talent Award
Elizabeth Wong - 3rd runner up '13, law student
Brianna Munoz - 2nd runner up MA Teen USA '08, 4th runner up MA Teen USA '07, Patriot's Cheerleader '11, Top 15 MA USA '11 
Molly Westfall - Prelim Talent '13, strong dancer
Kirsten Yerger - 4th runner up '10, Prelim SS
Alexandria Puglisi - Top 10 '12 and Overall Talent '12
Alyssa Taglia - CT Teen USA '10, 1st runner up '13

GOOD LUCK LADIES!!!  JUNKIES LOVE KAITLYN TARPEY AND CONNECTICUT!!! :)

MAJ

MISS NEW MEXICO

Like so many Miss America contestants, Miss New Mexico Alexis Duprey lived her platform.  Called "The Power of One" and focusing on the unique challenges single-parent families face, Duprey said when she talks with children, she often quotes one of The Junkies' favorite movies, "Mrs. Doubtfire"...

"There are all sorts of different families. Some families have one mommy, some families have one daddy, or two families. And some children live with their uncle or aunt. Some live with their grandparents, and some children live with foster parents. And some live in separate homes, in separate neighborhoods, in different areas of the country. And they may not see each other for days, or weeks, months -- even years -- at a time. But if there's love, dear, those are the ties that bind, and you'll have a family in your heart, forever."

Alexis certainly made her mark at Miss America - coming home with the coveted non-finalist interview award.  Since September, she's been extremely busy with different appearances around the state and will be finishing her masters degree in communications from New Mexico State University.  Junkies wish Alexis all the best in whatever the future holds for her!

Who will take her place?

It's an interesting race in New Mexico... Some returning faces - and a few rookies make this state one we're sure to watch!

Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch:

Gabrielle Torres - 1st runner up '13
Ashley Fresquez - 3rd runner up NM Teen USA '13, NM OT '09
Jessica Burson - numerous awards in high school and college - beautiful
Elizabeth Nelson - 1st runner up NM Teen USA '13
Stephanie Chavez - 2nd runner up '13, 4th runner up '12
Taylor Rey - Prelim Talent winner in '13
Christina Chavez - older sister to Stephanie Chavez, 1st time competing
Marissa Livingston - Former White House intern, first time at Miss NM

WHOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOO FOR NEW MEXICO!!!  GOOD LUCK!!!

MAJ

MISS LOUISIANA

Two weeks after Miss America, on September 29th, 2013, Miss Louisiana Jaden Leach posted the following to her Facebook page...

          "No one ever goes into Miss America expecting to lose.  If that was the case, then why spend countless hours bending over backwards to make sure you are the best possible version of yourself.  So, let me be the first to admit that I was disappointed when my name was not called out into the top 15.  In addition, I was confused, sad, mad, and a million other emotions all at one time (which I didn’t realize was even possible).  Instead of trying to sort out my own feelings and not enjoying the last two hours I had of my Miss America experience, I decided that time would be better spent comforting my new sisters."

Jaden continued... "A note to all: Something I have realized over the last week is that Miss Louisiana is not part of the Miss America experience, but Miss America is part of the Miss Louisiana experience.  By no way, shape, or form does placing at Miss America determine the type of reign I will have as Miss Louisiana.  It does not take a Miss America placement on my resume’ to leave a legacy as Miss Louisiana.  I will be sure to prove this with my entire being over the next nine months.  The Lord has a HUGE plan for me.  So it’s time to make headlines for some really good and big reasons!  Who’s with me?"

Boom.  Talk about one of the most grounded response we've seen yet!  She's right!  And we'll even go one step further and say - that "title" you think you "need to succeed" - if you have your head in the right place, you'll succeed whether you win or lose.  BIG THANKS to Jaden for 'keeping it real' throughout her reign as Miss LA :)

And now - who's likely to be named Miss LA 2014?  Well - this one isn't super easy to predict - but here's our best shot!

Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch:

Julianne Tippen - 2nd RU '13 and Prelim SS, 3rd RU at Miss Sweetheart
Lacey Sanchez - 1st runner up '13, Prelim SS
Tori Thompson - Top 10 and Prelim Talent '13, Top 10 '12
Amy Matherne - Prelim Talent '13
Kelly Bernard - LA OT '09, Top 10 at MAOT
Deon Sumer - LA OT '12
Chelsi Hefner - Top 10 '13 and '12
Lauren Ford - Top 10 '13 and '12
Hailey Grey - Top 10 '11
Ginger Douglas - 1st RU Miss LA Teen NAM '12, Talent Winner
Breanna Collier - Junkie Dark Horse - the girl can sing!

We're also going to give a shout-out to Megan Lee - If you saw Lauren Vizza's crowning video from Miss LA '11, you might remember a blond girl behind Lauren being completely overwhelmed with emotion when Lauren was named Miss LA '12...  That girl was Megan!  LOL!  If you don't remember seeing it before, you can watch it here...  lol!  It's Awesome - She's SOOOO HAPPY for Lauren!!! :)

And for the record, if you're one of these people who appreciates what we do, but you still think the word "Junkie" is a bit much - the above information about Megan Lee should pretty much prove our addiction is real.  Who remembers crap like that?  Founding Junkie does... that's who... Dear Lord help us all...

GOOD LUCK LADIES!!!  JUNKIES LOVE THE BAYOU STATE!!!  GEAUX LOUISIANA!!!

MAJ

MISS VIRGINIA

Miss Virginia 2013, Desiree Williams has a bit of an unusual beginning to her pageant career... After doing some research on her pageant background, we had to laugh... and share what we discovered!

When Desiree toured Hampton University as a high school senior, she happened to see the Miss Hampton pageant.  At that point, she told her mother and her grandmother that if she were to attend Hampton, one day she would be Miss Hampton University.  Four years later, she gave it a shot.... and won!  That night, she said she called her mom and told her, "I WON!"  Her mom's reply was... "Won what?" LOL!

Miss Hampton wasn't the only thing Desiree won... She was named the first runner up to Miss Virginia in 2012 and then traveled to fabulous Hoopeston, Illinois for the National Sweetheart Pageant (If you haven't heard of Miss Sweetheart - check it out at this link here - Junkies LOVE Sweetheart!)... That's when Desi "won" again and was named Miss National Sweetheart 2012!  She then won another local, went back to Miss Virginia and won the title of Miss VA 2013.

***Junkie Trivia Time!  Who was the last Miss Sweetheart winner to go back and win her own state title?  Erica Gelhaus - Ohio, way back in '07! :)

And even though Desiree didn't win the title of Miss America, she ABSOLUTELY won the MAJ award for BEST LEGS during the Show Us Your Shoes Parade in Atlantic City!  OH BABY - Check out those LEGS!!!  NO CONTEST!!!  WHOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!! :)

All the best to Desi as she finishes grad school debt free, thanks to her time in the Miss America program. :)

Miss Virginia 2014 is shaping up to be quite an interesting contest!  Most people think it's going to come down to the top 2 girls on our list... but don't be surprised if another name or 2 sneak in there!  This is one contest we're going to be watching closely - Anything can happen!

Oh - and if you love photos of pageant week, BOY ARE YOU IN LUCK!!!  Virginia has one of the best volunteers/supporters of Miss America in Julius Tolentino - and his photos are fabulous!  There's already several albums available including photos of the ladies in their evening gowns and their swimsuits!  You can see them at this link here!

Now - here we go! :)

Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch:

Victoria Maiden - 3rd RU '13, Prelim SS, 2nd RU '12, 4th RU at Miss Sweetheart
Courtney Garrett - 2nd RU '13, Prelim Talent, 1st RU '11, VA OT '09, Top 10 at Nationals
Addison Walker - DYW of VA '11
Savannah Lane - 4th RU '13, 1st RU VA OT '12
Delesia Watson - Miss VA NAM '09, Top 12 VA USA '11, NY contestant '13
Sara Grace Fitzsimmons - Top 10 '13
Haylee Hunt - radiates 'spunk' in her photos
Elizabeth Martin - great presence

JUNKIES LOVE VIRGINIA!!!  WHOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!  GOOD LUCK LADIES!!!

MAJ

MISS MARYLAND

Miss Maryland 2013, Christina Denny reminds everyone of something very important...

From an article in the Baltimore Sun...

        After returning to Maryland early Monday morning, Denny said she wants to get some much-needed sleep.
        "It's nice to be home," Denny said. "I'm going to relax, catch up on some sleep, and then I will be back to being Miss Maryland."
        Denny plans to spend the rest of the year serving her term as Miss Maryland. She'll also work part-time as a tutor, and apply to grad schools for speech pathology.
        "I know my students miss me, and I miss them," she said. "I'm going to get started on my grad school applications and send those out. That will be the next thing that I do. That will be the next chapter of my life."

Please forgive me in advance for jumping on the Junkie Soapbox...  But, if being "Miss State" is going to be the most important thing you accomplish throughout the course of your lifetime then (*ahem)... May we kindly suggest you stop competing? :)  Here's why...

Pageants should ALWAYS serve as a 'stepping stone' to the next chapter of your life.  They should be a vehicle to get you where you want to go - not the final destination.  Certainly a 'fun' vehicle - with the chance to meet incredible people and wear fabulous shoes along the way... :) But a vehicle nonetheless.  There should be many, many, MANY more chapters ahead of you... regardless of the outcome of your state pageant. :)

Ok - Thanks for the rabbit trail... Back to Miss MD... Besides being extremely level-headed, we're pretty sure Christina Denny also put the song "For Good" from the musical "Wicked" on the map for future Miss America contestants.  No, she wasn't the first ever to sing it - but she sang it WELL - and we've noticed many different girls across the country are now singing it this year for their Talent.

In the same article above, Christina mentions that as soon as she performed her talent as a member of the Top 10, she ran back to the dressing room and yelled, "I just got to sing on National TV"!!!  What a moment, indeed! :)

Enjoy Grad School Christina!  Congrats on your well-deserved Top 10 placement!  And go get that next chapter of your life! :)

When it comes to Miss Maryland 2014 - we've got ourselves another strong competition ahead!

Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch:

Stephanie Meadowcraft - 3rd runner up '13, Top 10 '12, MD OT in '09
Sara Zeng - 2nd runner up '13, overall Talent '13
Morgan Lash - Miss Teen MD US '13
Ebony Sherrill - NAM MD Jr. Teen '07, MD Teen USA SS award '10, Prelim SS '13
Jade Kenny - Miss AL International '12, 2nd runner up at Nationals, Top 10 in '13 and '11, Prelim SS '13
Kendall Smith - Top 10 in '12 and '13
Emily Logan - Jr. Junkie Reporter in Training - All Grown Up!!! :)
Samantha Hawkins - 1st runner up '13, Prelim SS - has pulled out of the competition to take a fellowship at Harvard - she will not compete

ALL THE BEST LADIES!!!  GOOD LUCK!!! :)

MAJ

MISS OREGON

If you follow Miss Oregon 2013 Allison Cook on social media, you know she's incredibly active!  She's always making appearances, speaking at schools, and is happy to be a part of whatever activity she's been invited to attend.  So, when we read the following article in TheWorldLink.com, we were shocked to learn what she deals with on a day to day basis... We snagged part of the article here and posted it below for you to enjoy...

          Seems like obvious advice on its surface, but for Miss Oregon Allison Cook, it’s a message that she’s turned into her own personal platform.  After five concussions in her own life, the junior volleyball player at Oregon Institute of Technology delivered a warning of what concussions can result in to the 16 teams ready to compete in the Class 3A state basketball tournament this week.
          “It’s not just getting your bell rung anymore. Your brain controls every center of your body, It controls all of your functions,” said Cook..."
          Cook, 20, didn’t hold back details of each of her concussions. Her first came in sixth grade when she was playing basketball, then she got two more playing basketball in the span on four months during her sophomore year of high school. The second one (third overall) she lost her vision for 15 minutes, and Cook has had headaches every single day since.
          She got her fourth getting hit by a volleyball while playing at Oregon Tech and then —  just a two-and-a-half weeks ago — she took an airbag to the face in a car accident for concussion No. 5.
Because of the constant concussions, Cook has had the headaches, her body has lost its ability to tell her that’s she’s hungry, she now an insomniac, and she was honest enough to say she had acne like she’s “12 years old.”
          “Concussions are so much more than hitting your brain and having to sit out of a game,” Cook said. “Concussions control your life.”

Allison's presence all over the state as Miss Oregon - just became all the more impressive to us... Thanks for sharing your message Allison... Junkies know you've made a difference during your reign. :)

And now - when we were researching Miss Oregon 2014, we discovered a significant amount of experience returning this year!  Here's where we landed - Good Luck Ladies!!! :)

Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch:

Rebecca Anderson - 3rd RU '13, Top 10 '11 and '12
Kayla Gordon - 1st runner up '13
Audri Rousseau - DYW OR '11
Elizabeth Denny - 2nd RU '11,
Alexis Mather - Top 10 '13, Prelim Talent
JoAnna Adkisson - OR OT '08
Quinlyn Demig - 4th RU '13
Alexi Provost-Shean - OR OT '12
Gabrielle Nielan - OR USA '13, Miss Congeniality, OR US '12, Top 16 at Nationals
Twila Tschan - Top 10 '12, strong interview

WHOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO FOR OREGON!!!  JUNKIES LOVE YA!!! :)

MAJ

MISS CALIFORNIA

California knows what they're doing when it comes to Miss America.

Since 2003, California has had 5 women finish in the Top 5 - and 4 more ladies finish in the Top 10 or better (i.e., Top 8, etc)!  That's an OUTSTANDING record hard to match over that same period of time. 

Miss California 2013 Crystal Lee certainly helped extend that streak - She was one of two ladies we predicted would finish in the Top 5 at Miss America (Oklahoma was the other) and she has been a shinning example of how to increase the profile of a "Miss State."  Her presence on social media has been one of the strongest we've seen all year - and her passion for 'branding' herself and the Miss America organization has been superb.

When Michael Jeong interviewed Crystal for "Asian Week", he asked her "What is something most people don't realize about the Miss America pageant?"  Crystal responded, saying,

          "We are essentially athletes. It’s just as mental as it is physical. Most onlookers think it’s all about how you look- but having been on the inside, let me tell you that how you think and how you act is equally important. At the national competition, every contestant is gorgeous and at her peak physical condition. Onstage, each girl can be as beautiful as the next. Where the judges select the winner is the interview. A magnetic personality and inner beauty takes you much farther than just having the prettiest face."

Jeong also asked the First Runner Up to Miss America what was going though her mind when she and Nina were standing alone, and whether or not she realized that both she and Nina were Asian.

        
          "In those final moments, I was focused on the announcement of results and didn’t think about us being Asian. I’ve always thought of myself to be just as American as I am Asian. Our country has always been composed of immigrant backgrounds – whether or not your appearance reflects it. The order in which one’s forefathers arrived doesn’t make their descendants more or less American."

WELL SAID!  Junkies couldn't agree more! 

Crystal's future is bright - This 1st Runner up and STEM Scholarship Winner already has her BA in Biology and MA in Communications from Stanford.  That tells us it might be easier to predict what Crystal won't do in life - rather than what she will do!  The sky is the limit!

So - who has the best chance of continuing the California streak at Miss America???

Junkies Say Here's who to Watch:

Caylynn Simonsin - 1st RU '13, Prelim SS '13, 2nd RU '12, Top 12 '11
Katie Wayland - Non-finalist Talent award '13, hilarious video!
Jordan Krinkle - CA OT '07, 3rd RU '13, Winner of Miss Sweetheart '13
Gabriela Garcia -  Top 15 in '13
Carly Valdes - Top 12 in '12 and '13
Marina Inserra - Top 10 '13, 4th RU '12, SS prelim '10
Stephanie Patterson - Top 10 '13
Bree Morse - Top 15 in '13
Shelby Sinkler - CA OT '10

Additional Ladies Who Catch Our Eye...

Izamar Olaguez
Jessica Tonti
Rita Garabet
Kelsey Schwartz

AND - The state of California is celebrating its 90th ANNIVERSARY this week - HUGE CONGRATS to everyone who's made such a milestone possible!!!

ALL THE BEST LADIES!!! JUNKIES LOVE CALIFORNIA!!! :)

MAJ

MISS SOUTH CAROLINA

Miss South Carolina 2013, Brooke Mosteller, is a mover and a shaker if we ever saw one.

Do a quick google search on Brooke and here's what you discover...

1. She's completed her first year as a Law Student at the University of South Carolina School of Law.
2. In 2009, she created "Go Higher" and helped institute a college application day for High School Seniors in SC which streamlines the application process.  This year, 185 high schools participated and over 40,000 students applied to college.
3. Was named 1st runner up for the Miss America Quality of Life award thanks to "Go Higher".
3. Won Miss Congeniality at Miss South Carolina AND Miss America!
4. Raised $79,000 for the Children's Miracle Network and won the Miss America "Miracle Maker" award for the most money raised this year (and shattered the previous record)
5. Is now lobbying for a state-wide law against texting and driving in SC
6. Won $14,000 in scholarships at Miss America!!!

Talk about making the most of your Miss America experience!  Just for some perspective - there were only 4 other girls at Miss America who won more than $14,000 --- Nina Davuluri - Winner, Crystal Lee - 1st RU, Kelsey Griswold - 2nd RU and Myrrhanda Jones - 3rd RU.  It certainly goes to prove your time at Miss America can be fruitful and rewarding, far beyond whether or not you're selected in the Top 15!  Junkies know Brooke's impact and legacy on South Carolina will be significantly recognized for years and years to come - the girl is impressive to the core AND - she must be the nicest person you ever met in your entire life (who else wins Miss Congeniality at their home state and Miss America???).  Seriously - Brooke, we can tell you are 'our kind' of people here at MAJ!  ALL THE BEST!!!

And now - After 2 killer queens in a row (Ali Rogers - 1st runner up to Mallory Hagan and Brooke Mosteller), who the heck can keep this thriving program on the map?

Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch:

Lauren Cabaniss - 3rd RU '13, 2nd RU Sweetheart, 1st RU '12, 3rd runner up '11, SC DYW '08
Mya Kayler - 1st runner up '11, 2nd runner up NC '12, 4th runner up NC '11, NC OT '08
Lanie Hudson - 4th runner up '13, Prelim SS
Lara Scott - 4th runner up '11, Top 10 '13
Ellen Neely - 4th runner up '09
Erin Frost - Top 10 '13, Top 15 '12
Daja Dial - Top 10 '13
Emily Wayne - Non-Finalist SS and Talent '13
Junkie Dark Horses - Leah Lawson and Jordyn Fox

JUNKIES LOVE SOUTH CAROLINA!!!  BIG SHOES TO FILL - GOOD LUCK!!! :)

MAJ

UPDATE #3

Hey Junkies!!!

WHEW!!!  LAST NIGHT WAS  C R A Z Y ! ! !

13 state finals in one evening is enough to drive any Junkie a little insane - but seeing awesome photos of 'shock and awe' like this one, always 'lighten the load' :) 

In case you're new here (and by the growing amount of followers on our Facebook page and Twitter feed, there are a number of you who just might be new here!) - This is where we predict winners, answer questions, honor outgoing queens, and essentially 'indulge' in the Miss America Junkie Addiction.  The blog allows us to expand our thoughts and offer positive commentary to the young women competing in the Miss America organization beyond cute photos and 140 characters.  However, this blog also keeps us accountable!  Our posts labeled "UPDATE" (see the full list of posts to the right)  are the summaries of The Junkies' choices verses the actual winners...

So without further adeiu... And all announced in random order (but of course...)... Here are our results from last night's 13 state competitions!!!

Miss Wisconsin - 4 for 5, listed the Winner
Miss Florida - 4 for 5, listed the Winner
Miss Indiana - 3 for 5, listed the Winner
Miss North Carolina - 4 for 5, listed the Winner
Miss Ohio - 3 for 5, listed the Winner
Miss Arkansas - 4 for 5, listed the Winner
Miss Tennessee - 4 for 5, listed the Winner
Miss Colorado - 4 for 5, listed the Winner
Miss Georgia - 3 for 5, listed the Winner
Miss Utah - 2 for 5, listed the Winner
Miss Arizona - 3 for 5, missed the Winner
Miss South Dakota - 4 for 5, listed the Winner
Miss Maine - Junkies listed all 5 competitors - N/A to this summary 

In addition - Junkies posted last weeks' "UPDATE" prior to the results of Miss DC - So, to keep us honest, we need to give you those results as well...

Miss DC - 3 for 5, listed the Winner
 
OK - So... Wowzers.  Where to Begin... Well, it looks like we went 12 for 13 listing the winners (missed AZ) - and when you tally all the numbers and consider there were 65 possible placements (13 pageants x Top 5 finishes) - we went 45 of 65!!!  Percentage-wise, that makes us 92% on picking last night's winners and 70% on picking the Top 5!!!  Awesome Night!!! :)

AND - When you add in the last 2 week's worth of totals (which you can check out at this link for Summary #1 and at this link for Summary #2) - Our GRAND TOTAL thus far is...

30 for 35 when picking the winner = 86%
120 for 173 when picking the Top 5 = 69%

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!!!  This was a "pretty darn good" weekend for us - but we certainly can't rest on our laurels... We still have 3 more weekends to go for State Pageant Season - and 16 more ladies to crown before it's all over!  Now's the time to remain steady, keep calm and double-down on our research efforts for next week!

Don't forget, Miss West Virginia is crowned this coming TUESDAY and then we'll have final results from VA, CA, PR, OR, NM, LA, SC, CT, MD and MA next weekend!!!

Until Then - We'll keep blogging... You keep reading... And here's a thought...

Do you realize we're only 12 WEEKS AWAY from crowning a new MISS AMERICA???!!!

Look Out Junkies!  The Crazy-Train just left the station - LOL!!! :)

MAJ