THURSDAY MAOT PREDICTIONS

Alright, Alright, Alright... :)

Tonight is the last preliminary competition night for Miss America's Outstanding Teen... And although tonight is the final prelim night - it's certainly not our final prediction post regarding MAOT.  We'll definitely be offering a Top 15 and Top 5 list before finals night on Saturday (whoooooooo hooooooooo)!  LOL!  We're in too deep to turn back now!  Might as well go "all in" and see where we land! :)

One thing we do know... Given this class' intelligence, beauty, talent and poise, Junkies think we could see many of these ladies on the Miss America stage one day!  That's good news for us - because we'll be even MORE PREPARED several years down the line when when it comes to future Miss State contestants.

Turns out - this has been a pretty smart move on our part (even if we did get here begrudgingly)... Wish we would've done it sooner!

So - let's not waste more time... let's get to last night's results!

TALENT WINNER - TENNESSEE - a correct pick!
The lovely Lexie Perry is truly something.  While we don't know the whole story, we do know that on Lexie's twitter feed, her profile says, "Hearing impaired fiddle player. Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do."  Big Congrats to Lexie for overcoming her disability - and earning last night's Talent award against some super-duper tough competition!  She certainly has #TeamTennessee on her side - and could do well come Saturday night!

GOWN/OSQ WINNER - WASHINGTON - a correct pick!
Tayler Plunkett is undeniably beautiful.  We found a video of her shortly after winning Washington's OT where she was so genuine and really endearing as a newly crowned titleholder.  We knew she would 'glow' on stage and are excited for her prelim win!  Congrats to Tayler and everyone who works alongside Miss Washington's OT - Great Job!

Alright.  We know what you must be thinking...

"Junkies keep saying they don't have a clue about Outstanding Teens, but then they turn around and go 4 for 4... So what gives?"

Well - to be honest, we're flat our shocked.

As of Sunday - I don't think we could've given you the full name of one single Outstanding Teen state winner out there!  And if you threatened to take away our favorite pair of stilletos - I think we *might* have been able to name 7 out the 10 MAOT National Winners.  It's not that we don't care, it's just not been "in our wheelhouse" so to speak.  It really was on a whim that we decided to give prediction blogs a shot for Teens - but because the same basic rules apply that apply to Miss America, I guess it's not as complicated as we originally believed.  Shame on us for not considering Teen Predictions sooner... Lesson Learned :)

Plus - we could always go 0 for 2 tonight! LOLOL!  Don't put it past us! :)

Now that we've established how Junkies can be a little slow to the party... It's time to tell you what we're thinking for tonight!  Here's the groupings one more time for you... Tonight, the Red Group does Talent and the Blue Group does Evening Wear/OSQ...

Our Picks Are = 

TALENT - Michigan, Florida, Texas and Idaho
So far, Talent has gone to an opera singer and an instrumentalist (fiddle)... Will we get a dancer tonight?  Not sure... This is why we play the game...

GOWN/OSQ - Oklahoma, Ohio, North Carolina and California
Junkies have a theory about the final night prelim winner in this category... Sometimes, the winner simply is the girl who answers her question the best and looks spectacular in her evening wear.  And other times... The final night prelim winner is actually the girl who the judges loved the most in interview.  Trouble is, you never really know the answer until after the winner's been crowned (lol) - so there's no proving this theory until the final night's results take place... Hence, why it's still a 'theory' :)

And there you have it!  Results from Thursday night will be posted to our Facebook page and Twitter Feed @PageantJunkies... GOOD LUCK LADIES!!!  HAVE FUN!!!  :)

#JunkiesLoveYa
Founding Junkie

MAOT WEDNESDAY PREDICTIONS

HELLO FELLOW JUNKIES!!!

Our first night of Prelims at Miss America's Outstanding Teen are over - and the results are in!  But - Before we get to TONIGHT'S picks for Wednesday's Prelim winners - Junkies wanna mention a few things that make us happy!!!

1.  TUE TALENT WINNER - GEORGIA!  A correct pick!  We scoured the internet to find whatever we could find about the lovely Olivia McMillan... What we found, were tons of positive reviews from people who know her, saying how amazing her talent was!  Sometimes, that's just a bunch of nice people being supportive - and sometimes, it's not just lip-service... it's 100% correct.  Really glad to see Olivia win talent last night... She won Georgia's Outstanding Teen on her first attempt - and obviously, her rendition of Nessun Dorma brought down the house in an uber-tough talent competition.  CONGRATS OLIVIA!!!

2.  TUE GOWN/OSQ WINNER - ALABAMA!  Another correct pick!  Junkies found an interview that Alabama's Outstanding Teen gave a local TV station before she even won her OT title and let's just say... this girl knows how to handle herself in an interview room!  Add in the top-notch Teen prep of the Miss Alabama team and we knew she'd be a force tonight!  It was also Morgan Green's first time at Alabama's OT when she won (just like Georgia!) - do yourselves a favor and keep an eye on Alabama!  This girl's going places!  CONGRATS MORGAN!

3.  NO FITNESS AWARDS!  Lol... Actually - it doesn't make us "happy" - it simply makes our lives a little easier. :)  Last year, MAOT announced Fitness awards on prelim nights - but that hasn't always been the case.  We would've hated to NOT list potential Fitness winners and then have MAOT announce them - so we took a chance and 'did our thing'.  This means Junkies won't be listing potential Fitness winners the rest of the week... sniff, sniff...  Guess we're not happy after all... :(

4.  FUN FACT OF THE DAY!  Did you know that Alabama now has back-to-back prelim Evening Gown/OSQ wins at MAOT???  Our good friends at CROWNED reminded us about that little tid-bit... If you haven't joined the "Crowned" Facebook page or followed their blog yet - you can check out the blog here - and the Facebook page here!  These guys have the corner on historical facts and stats about MAO from the "Golden Age" of Miss America all the way through today :)  Don't Miss It!

OK - So... It's time to play the prediction game again!  We were pretty lucky going 2 for 2 last night - can we do it again tonight???  For the record - nobody here is holding their breath...  But that's what makes the competition so much FUN!!!  Just in case you need the competition groups outlined again - here it is...  Tonight the BLUE GROUP performs Talent and the WHITE GROUP is in Evening Wear/On-Stage Question

Here we go :)

TALENT - Arizona, Wisconsin, Hawaii, Tennessee
Oh dear... if you thought Talent was strong last night - we're having another tough time narrowing this list down tonight!  Our original list had NINE different states - and we had to whittle it down to these four states.  Trust me - it wasn't easy... it should be another doozie of a Talent night in Orlando!

GOWN/OSQ - Mississippi, Nebraska, Washington, Georgia
LOL!  Again, this list was super tough for us to bring down to 4 states... There are some very beautiful and super articulate girls competing for this prelim win tonight... We felt pretty confident about yesterday's choices - but today... not so much.  By tomorrow, we may just throw 4 darts at the list of names and call it good.

And there you have it!  We'll post the results tonight and give you one more blog tomorrow choosing Thursday's winners!  And of course - we're happy to get your picks tonight too!  Junkies always say - the more, the merrier!!! :)

Until Then - :)
Founding Junkie

MAOT TUESDAY PRELIM PREDICTIONS

Alright - The "Junkie Predictions 101" class is over.


There's no more beating around the bush.

The time has come to put up and shut up.

Junkies need to make our first ever predictions for tonight's Miss America's Outstanding Teen, Prelim Night #1.

Forgive me... But, I'm suddenly having a flash-back...

I'm in the 4th grade and I'm the first girl up to bat during our very first softball game of the season.  I'm super nervous as my 10 year old body walks up to the plate on this hazy, late-afternoon summer scene.   The pitcher looks older than me... like she's been doing this for a while - and obviously, I have not.  While it's my dream to hit a home-run, I'm also hoping I can just get out of this without peeing my pants.

That pretty much sums up the way I feel about this prediction post! :)

OK - No more time to waste... HERE WE GO!!! :)

TALENT - Illinois, New Hampshire,  Rhode Island, Georgia
Seriously - Talent looks AMAZING tonight and there are SEVERAL girls who could win (Frankly, I could like 4 more states who could win talent tonight - it's that strong!).  From what we can tell - tonight's Talent might just rival the Talent competition at Miss America - if you're in Orlando tonight, you are in for a TREAT!!!  ENJOY!!! :)

FITNESS - Arizona, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio
Seriously - we pretty much have no business predicting Fitness winners because it's NOTHING like predicting Swimsuit winners at Miss America.  Teens perform a "fitness routine" rather than prancing around in a bikini - and we found one online to give you an example!  This is from Miss North Carolina - Check it out by clicking here... Jump to the 3:30 mark to see an example of an OT fitness routine and you'll understand what we're talking about.  MUCH MORE DIFFICULT to predict than good old fashioned Swimsuit winners.  These ladies are being judged on their coordination, strength, balance and timing - and an ability to smile while doing it!  Just fyi - it's kind of hard to see "coordination, strength, balance and timing" via the internet :)

EVENING WEAR/ON-STAGE QUESTION - Texas, Alabama, Florida, Missouri
Seriously - I can't believe we're even trying to predict the winners of an Evening Wear competition when we've never seen these ladies in their full pageant glory.  For us, this prediction is about head-shots, event photos on the MAOT Facebook page, and who we think scored well in interview... Again, not easy to do...

And there you have it!  Our first MAOT Prediction... May it go better than our first softball experience in 4th grade!!! :) 

Actually... I had no idea that memory was still with me - and I laughed out loud when I began writing it down!  Thanks for the unsolicited moment of therapy, Junkies... Hope everyone's pants remained dry throughout the reading of this blog. :)

Big Hugs!
Founding Junkie

MAOT JUNKIE PREDICTIONS 101

Four score and seven rhinestones ago... I was looking for a way to re-connect with old friends.  This was long before the social media revolution took place - way back when email was the coolest thing since fax machines (anyone remember fax machines?).  That's when I decided to get in touch with friends and family during Miss America week by trying to see if I could predict the Prelim Swimsuit and Talent winners each night.  I would email them my picks, they would laugh at my pageant obsession and pretty soon, they were playing along too. :)  That's when the email list became too long and needed its own name.  At that time, it was dubbed "Miss America Junkies" (re-named "Pageant Junkies" just a short time ago)... and every year, more and more Junkies join me in my pursuit of the perfect pageant prelim prediction list.  Now, we've decided to expand this glorious opportunity to include the lovely ladies of Miss America's Outstanding Teen.

In case you've never seen this before - here's how it goes...

1.  I choose 4 states out of the 17/18 girls who are competing within one category that night.

2.  MAOT actually gives away 3 prelim awards each night - Talent, Fitness and Evening Wear/On-Stage Question... Therefore, I'll be predicting 3 different categories of winners (Miss America only awards Talent and Fitness).

3.  Three nights of competition, times 3 winners each night, means we'll have 9 total prelim winners by the end of the week (Pageant Math is awesome - Go STEM!) :)

Here's this year's MAOT contestant order... As always, feel free to click on the photo itself if you'd like to see a larger version.

Ok... couple of ground rules before we get started...

1. THIS IS A TEST... THIS IS ONLY A TEST.  Seriously - Nobody I know would ever say, "Hey... Let's put the Junkies' reputation on the line by trying to predict a bunch of Teen winners that you pretty much know nothing about!"  And yet, here we are. :)  So, fellow Junkies... Please... No judgement.  There's a pretty good shot we'll go 0 for 9 in this endeavor... and if that's the case, well... I guess we can sink back in despair and wait a few weeks for the Big Show in AC.

2.  THESE ARE TEENS... THEY ARE ONLY TEENS.  In case you didn't realize the age limits of the MAOT program, NONE of these young ladies has finished her Senior year of High School.  At the oldest - they've just finished their Junior year - and they can be as young as 13 when they compete at MAOT.  Do you remember what it's like to be that age???  I do.  So here's the deal - Junkies are all about creating a POSITIVE atmosphere when it comes to pageant commentary.  And with our Teens, we will be EXTRA SENSITIVE to ensure such happens.  Fair Warning.

3.  THE SAME RULES APPLY.  I have only seen a grand total of 3 state OT pageants in my life.  I've never seen the finals in Orlando.  Of this year's 53 contestants, I've met 2 of them - (and one of those was just dumb Junkie luck).  I'm basing my predictions from on-line research only.  I have no dog in this fight.  That means, if I don't choose your daughter/sister/niece/best-friend's hair-dresser's granddaughter, it doesn't mean she wasn't pretty enough... It doesn't mean she's not smart enough or she's not talented enough.... it only means, I'm not perfect.  And trust me - because this is our first year predicting teens, we're pretty sure perfection ain't gonna happen (lol!).  Please don't take it personally if we don't list your favorite girl.  She's still got as good a chance as anyone to bring home the title - and our predictions have NOTHING to do with the outcome! :)

4.  FINALLY - IT'S ABOUT THE FUN!  If it's not FUN - then Junkies don't do it!  If you think you wanna be a part of prelim prediction FUN - then by all means, JOIN US!!!  Everyone reading this is welcome to post their favorites each night as well!  Who knows, if you know what you're doing, you may get a job working for the Junkies next year (LOL!) :)

OK - You've just earned your passing grade for "MAOT Junkie Predictions 101!"  Our first prediction blog will be posted later this afternoon!  Feel free to start working on your own prediction list for tonight!!!  GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!

Toodles -
Founding Junkie

MISS AMERICAS OUTSTANDING TEEN!!!

Big Announcement Time...

We're about to do something we've never done before when it comes to our Teens!!!

But - before we get there - Junkies wanna give you an overall summary of the Outstanding Teen program and how many ladies have made it to the Miss America stage.  Prior to the first National Pageant in 2005, we know many different states hosted a 'teen title' - but this list is only regarding the ladies who competed at MAOT and then went on to compete for Miss America... Click on each photo to see a larger version...  Ready or not - Here We Go!

Competing for the Title of Miss America 2009... Courtney Gifford from Wyoming (left) and Sierra Minott from Florida (right)!  Sierra finished as the 4th runner up to Katie Stam.

Competing for the Title of Miss America 2011...
Caroline Bright (VT)
Arianna Afsar (CA)
Madison Tabet (NM)
Jalee Fuselier (HI)
Arianna finished as a Top 10 finalist and Jalee was the 2nd Runner up to Teresa Scanlan.

Then - things started to get a little crazy in the OT world... We had NINE girls competing for the title of Miss America 2012...
Genevive Nutting (ID)
Natalie Davis (MN)
Katharyn Nicholle (NJ)
Kendall Morris (TX)
Ann-Blair Thornton (KY)
Veronica Ohlinger (MT)
Kayla Batt (NE)
Michaela Lackey (GA)
Ariana Walker (ND)
Out of this group Kendall Morris finished in the Top 10 to Laura Kaeppeler.

Eight more Outstanding Teen state winners competed for the title of Miss America 2013... 
Alicia Clifton (OK)
MerrieBeth Cox (IN)
JoAnna Guy (MD)
Kaitlin Gates (WV)
Megan Lyman (NH)
Sloane Roberts (AR)
Taylor Kinzler (MA)
Ali Rogers (SC)
Lindsey Petrosh (NJ)
In this group, Alicia Clifton finished as the 2nd runner up and Ali Rogers was the 1st runner up to Miss America 2013, Mallory Hagan.

Last year we had 8 ladies compete for the title of Miss America 2014 who were Outstanding Teen state winners...  
Myrrhanda Jones (FL)
Annie Rosellini (PA)
Nina Davuluri (NY)
Crystal Lee (CA)
Haley Williams (MI)
Kristin Korda (ME)
Reina Almon (WA)
Jacee Pilkington (NE)
In this group, Myrrhanda Jones was the 3rd runner up, Crystal Lee was the 1st runner up, and of course, Miss America FINALLY crowned a former Outstanding Teen in Nina Davuluri!!!!

This year - there are nine ladies competing for the title of Miss America 2015 who previously won an Outstanding Teen state title... We've also listed their placement at MAOT when they competed... They are...

AR - Ashton Campbell - Photogenic Award
CT - Acacia Courtney
MS - Jasmine Murray - Top 10
SD - Meridith Gould
NV - Ellie Smith
IA - Aly Olson - Non-Finalist Interview Award
AL - Caitlin Brunell - MAOT Winner 2008
VA - Courtney Garrett - Top 10
MT - Victoria Valentine

With 2 Runners Up in 2013 and 3 Runners Up in 2014, could we possibly have 4 Runners Up in 2015???  Dang!  Wouldn't that be something???  And wouldn't it be exciting if one of these ladies succeeded Nina as the second OT in a row to win Miss America???  It could happen...  :)

And now that you have a full breakdown of Miss America contestants at MAOT - it's time for our BIG ANNOUNCEMENT....

JUNKIES ARE GOING TO GIVE OUR PRELIM PREDICTIONS FOR

MISS AMERICA'S OUTSTANDING TEEN!!!

Lol!  Yes - yes... Despite the fact that we basically started researching the Teen finalists all of 45 minutes ago - We're venturing into the prediction business when it comes to our Teens!  Stay Tuned - the very first Teen Prediction Blog will be available TOMORROW - just in time for prelims!

Until then - Junkies wish ALL THE BEST to this year's MISS AMERICA'S OUTSTANDING TEEN CONTESTANTS!!!  Can't wait to see who our new Teen Winner will be!!! :)

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! :)
Founding Junkie

People's Choice Videos!

Junkies are always waiting on pins and needles during the time between "state pageant finals" and "Miss America Week".  One of the things that keeps us going is the unveiling of each contestant's People's Choice Video!!!  As you've undoubtedly read before - JUNKIES LOVE VIDEOS and can't get enough of the opportunity to gain a bit more insight into each contestant!

This year - something new is being introduced... it appears that Miss America has asked each girl to give us a "Selfie Video"... rather than a regularly produced package.  Here are some of the latest photos we found confirming such!

From top to bottom, Miss New Hampshire Megan Cooley, Miss Mississippi Jasmine Murray, and Miss Connecticut Acacia Courtney all posted these photos to their individual Facebook pages - giving us a glimpse into their forthcoming videos!!!  JUNKIES ARE SO EXCITED!!!

But more than excited - Junkies are predicting a new opportunity for State Pageants to jump on this bandwagon as well!  Everyone has a cell phone and everyone knows how to use the video feature - so we're guessing we'll see more states asking their finalists to conduct 'selfie videos' in 2015!  After all - what a great way to get to know the contestants and perhaps open a brand new opportunity to gage a People's Choice Winner (and/or bring in more scholarship money!).

So - in light of this new potential development, Junkies would like to offer a few things to consider when it comes to creating your People's Choice video... Chances are, most state winners have already completed their video - so this post is really for everyone else potentially competing in 2015.

Here We Go!!! :)

JUNKIES DO's and DON'T's of PAGEANT VIDEOS!!!

1. Do Be Real.  Much like your headshot - if your video doesn't correctly capture who you are, you're setting yourself up for failure.  You need to look like the same person the judges are going to see on stage and in your personal interview.

2. Do Be Happy.  There's plenty of time for you to convey your "serious side" or your "smoldering beauty" - but your People's Choice video isn't the best medium to do that.  Videos are supposed to be warm, engaging and happy!  You can't convey that if you're busy being serious.  If your life was shaped by something serious, then allude to the amazing progress you've made and how happy you are to get through the challenge.  If your platform isn't "warm and fuzzy" - then share how incredibly touched you are to see the results of lives changed through your efforts.  Your audience should smile when you're done - and think to themselves, "I like her." :)

3. Do Be Authentic.  If your video is really, really REALLY great - you might actually be setting yourself up for failure.  If the "real-life you" can't live up to the "you" in your video, you're in trouble.  Junkies have seen this happen with Miss America contestants again and again.  Many of the girls we loved in the videos were super-fantastic versions of themselves - but when they arrived at Miss America, these ladies weren't able to live up to the standard they set in their video.  If anything, it's better to error on the side of caution here... It's better if your video isn't super strong and YOU are crazy-awesome, than to have a crazy-awesome video and your personal presence be lacking.  If you consider both Mallory Hagan and Nina Davuluri's People's Choice videos, you'll see what I mean.  Their videos were lovely - but both ladies are BETTER in real life than what you see in the video.

4. Do Be Conversational.  Obviously, you can write out a script and then memorize it for your video - but when you write it down, you need to use the 'regular jargon' of how you would normally speak.  This isn't an essay contest - it's a video.  You can apologize to your English professor later - this is about being conversational, not being 'proper.'  You need to talk exactly like you would in real life - otherwise, you'll come across as robotic and stiff.  Use phrases like "I'm so excited!" rather than "I am very excited" and talk to the camera just like it's your best friend.

5. Don't put it all out there.  Your video should make people want to know your more - so leave something to the imagination!  Give them an overall glimpse into you - but keep it at "a glimpse".  If you try to tell them everything you've ever done, you'll overwhelm the audience and come off as disingenuous.  People watching your video (including judges) need to know there's more to you than this video... So don't let all your secrets out of the bag at once!

6. Don't make people feel sorry for you.  America doesn't elect people they feel sorry for in politics or as their People's Choice winner... America wants to choose people who have purpose and vision.  If I feel sorry for you after seeing your video, then deep down, I know you're not ready for the job.  Essentially, you're telling me you're still in the middle of your mess and you still have a few things to sort out.  Instead, give people your purpose and vision for who you are and why you compete - and let me see you as an over-comer!

7. Don't do too much.  Specifically trying to come up with something that makes you "funny" or "cute" or even "memorable" is a recipe for disaster.  We need to remember you for the right reasons - not the wrong ones...  If you're naturally funny, it should come out in the video - but don't force it.  If you're silly or eclectic or curious, you can find ways to show me such - you shouldn't need a costume or a gimmick to help me remember you.  Doing too much or trying too hard is a recipe for disaster - and will make me wonder why you didn't just make a video with 'the real you' in it.

8. Don't "Wing It" on your own.  You may be the kind of person who's better "off the cuff" - but it doesn't mean you can go into your video unprepared.  Even "impromptu geniunses" need to practice their video and the best way to say whatever they want to say.  Also - you need to make sure you're getting feedback from people you trust... If you try to do your People's Choice video alone, you're not going to have the level of 'polish' it needs.  You don't need 78 different opinions, but you do need someone to come alongside you and be honest about what they see - good and bad.

And there you have it!  CAN'T WAIT TO SEE EVERYONE'S SELFIE VIDEOS - and Junkies hope to see more videos in 2015!!!

All the Best!!!

PJ
(Pageant Junkies)  

JUNKIES TOP 10 and TOP 5 BLOG!

Everyone always wants to know our Top 10/Top 5... And trust me - that list is coming soon enough!  But in the meantime, we compiled the Top 10 and Top 5 states who had the most 'hits' or pageviews on our blog - and now's the time to share THAT list with you!

However, before we 'announce the final results' we thought we'd take a few moments to answer some additional questions that have come up... Always love going to the Junkies Mailbox... :)  Here goes!

So, Junkies went 45/51 and missed 6 states this year... Which states did you miss?
- We missed Vermont, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Arizona and West Virginia (BOO!).  It's our 2nd time in a row missing New Hampshire (Ugh!) - all other states were correctly predicted last year - and you can bet, these states are on our radar for next year!

Just curious - Did you have a "perfect state" that you picked this year?
- Junkies did pick the perfect state in Nevada!  We listed 5 names and all 5 girls were in the Top 5! Honorable Mention goes to Idaho and Washington where we listed 9 names and 8 of those 9 girls made the Top 10.  We were 7 of 8 in New Mexico... and perhaps some other states had strong finishes too... Unfortunately, we didn't keep all of the "Top 10" info from each pageant (lesson learned...)

Just curious - How many total contestants were there this year?
- 1408 contestants.  That's right - 1408.  Because 51 of the 53 pageants were held in 8 consecutive weeks... that means, on average, we were researching 176 girls every week for 8 solid weeks!!!  Most people only care about 1 or 2 state pageants - but our job is to research 176 girls every week.  This alone is one of the biggest reasons why we continue to say, "we're not perfect"... that's a whole lot of research in a short amount of time and we fall short every once in a while.

I don't understand - I thought Miss America had 53 contestants?  Didn't you do 53 state blogs?
- Yes... We did write 53 state blogs, but because Maine and Virgin Islands had a super small number of contestants (5 in Maine, 4 in VI) - we simply listed everyone's name and didn't "choose" a winner/runner up.  Not cool to include them in our total when we listed everyone participating :)

I don't understand - How did you get 189 out of 253 when it comes to predicting the Top 5?
- In the state of Wyoming, they offered awards for the 2nd runner up, 1st runner up and winner... Hence, "3" in the state of WY and Top 5 everywhere else.  And once again, I didn't count Maine or Virgin Islands because we listed everyone instead of choosing only 1 or 2 names.

Honestly, I don't care about all that stuff... Just tell me... WHICH STATE RECEIVED THE MOST PAGEVIEWS on your BLOG???
- LOL!  Ok - Ok - Without Further Adeiu... It's time for the 'big announcement'... :)

This year, our Top 10 most viewed state blogs include:

Florida - Georgia - Oklahoma - Pennsylvania - Arkansas - Rhode Island - South Carolina - Alabama - California and Tennessee!!!

And now -

The 4th Runner Up - MISS OKLAHOMA - Alex Eppler!

The 3rd Runner Up - MISS TENNESSEE - Haley Lewis!

The 2nd Runner Up - MISS SOUTH CAROLINA - Lanie Hudson!

The 1st Runner Up - MISS CALIFORNIA - Marina Inserra!!!

And The State with the Most Pageviews on the Miss America Junkies blog for 2014 is....

MISS PENNSYLVANIA - AMANDA SMITH!!!

CONGRATULATIONS LADIES!!!  These 5 states accounted for more than 9000 pageviews and obviously have INCREDIBLE FANS!!!  Thanks so much for making this year's "Junkie Prediction Blogs" so much fun!!!

And GOOD LUCK LADIES!  May your Top 5 finish within MAJ be an indication of great things still to come!!! :)

MAJ

MAJ UPDATE #4

WHOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO!!!  WE MADE IT!!!

Junkies are always super relieved when the final state blog is posted and the final state is predicted - and we haven't lost our sanity in the process (because, although some may question our sanity, I'm happy to say, it is still intact).

It's our first year to write these "MAJ Update Posts"... (Our first one is here... in case you missed it).

The whole point behind our "Update Posts" is to keep ourselves honest. :)  After all, we're the ones who call ourselves "Junkies" and it might be a bit embarrassing to discover that people who claim to be "Junkies" aren't any good at what they do!  Further - in addition to keeping track of state winners, we "upped the ante" this year and also started keeping track of how many women finished in the Top 5.  Today's post is a wrap-up of not just the most recent state predictions, but the whole Kitten-Caboodle as well (Junkie Kitty likes it when we use the phrase "Kitten-Caboodle") :)

So - Let's start with some results from the past few weeks!

Miss Massachusetts - 4 for 5, listed the Winner
Miss Texas - 4 for 5, listed the Winner
Miss Washington - 5 for 5, listed the Winner

And now - the results from this most previous weekend...

Miss Mississippi - 4 for 5, listed the Winner
Miss Kentucky - 5 for 5, listed the Winner
Miss Idaho - 5 for 5, listed the Winner

Not a bad way to end the state pageant season!  Junkies go 6 for 6 when correctly listing the winner and 27 for 30 when correctly listing ladies who finished in the top 5. WHOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!

Now, before we move on, we want to make sure we address something else that's come up... A few folks have been asking if we updated our results since the 'recent changes' in Florida and Delaware... So - just to keep everyone honest, here's what's cooking there...

Florida - We listed both Elizabeth Fechtel and Victoria Cowen in our prediction list - so no adjustments or changes are necessary.  When it comes to Delaware - The new Top 5 was just announced last week!  Everyone moved up a slot and a new 4th runner up was named... So now... here's where we stand...

Florida - 4 for 5, listed the winner (no changes)
Delaware - 3 for 5 instead of 4 for 5, listed the winner

(Junkies adjusted MAJ Update #2 accordingly, and then factored said numbers into MAJ Update #3 - just in case you were playing this game at home :)

THEREFORE - When you add in the 6 states listed above AND the updates from FL and DE - the big, whoppin', grand-stinkin' cumulative total for 2014 is.....

PREDICTIONS for STATE WINNERS - 45 for 51 (88%)
and
PREDICTIONS for TOP 5 FINISHERS - 189 for 253 (75%)

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!!!  WHEW!!!  Hoping these numbers allow us to keep calling ourselves "Junkies" for at least another year - and of course, in true pageant-girl fashion, we hope we can improve on this year's performance to finish even higher next year!

DON'T WORRY - the Blog will remain active between now and September - Trust me, there's A LOT going on in the next nine weeks before we crown A NEW MISS AMERICA!!!  That's Right - it's only NINE WEEKS AWAY!!! :) 

And you can bet - we're spending a great deal of our time between now and then - trying to figure out, who's gonna win the whole Kitten Caboodle! :)

Stick Around Junkies...  The Fun has just Begun!!! :)

MAJ

MISS IDAHO

Just like they always say - You gotta save the BEST for last... :)

Sarah Downs, Miss Idaho 2013 is a lover of the Miss America system through and through...  In her very first appearance as Miss ID 2013, Sarah explained that she believed in the program so much, that she planned to 'just keep competing' until she was no longer able to do so.  During her first 3 trips to Miss ID, Sarah never even made the Top 10... But that didn't stop her!  All you need is one year when it all comes together at the right time, for the right reasons :)

For Sarah, one of those reasons was her dedication to her platform - "Taking Back our Health - Promoting Nutrition".  Sarah says she gained a significant amount of weight when she was a freshman in college However, once she changed her eating habits and began exercising, she lost 40 pounds and was more than willing to change her platform to better represent her personal experiences.

Sarah's hard work and dedication was rewarded not just with the title of Miss Idaho - but also with the Miss America "Four Points Award".  This special scholarship is given to the contestant whose platform best represents all 4 points of the crown - Service, Scholarship, Style and Success.  And speaking of Success - those Idaho ladies certainly have a winning streak going when it comes to the Four Points award!  This award has been given away for 3 years - and guess who's won the award each year?  MISS IDAHO!!!

CONGRATS to Sarah Downs for continuing the tradition of excellence in your state - and for representing everything the Miss America program stands for... You strike us as the kind of person who truly wants to improve yourself and grow into a talented, self-confident, well-spoken, mature, young woman.  And for that, Big Junkie Kudos come your way! :)

And speaking of Junkie Kudos - O.M.G. - Do we ever have a bunch of Crazy Junkies in the state of Idaho!!!  You ladies are off the hook!  LOL!  Idaho definitely has the most "interaction" with the Junkies - whether through social media posts, retweets or personal messages - and we LOVE every minute of it!  Looks like The Junkies may have to make a trip to Nampa, ID in the future... :)

And for the record - because you're all so accomplished and bring so many incredible things to the table, we REALLY want to put each of your names on the list!  But unfortunately, that's not how the blog works (sniff sniff)...

So - here's the deal... If we list your name, we hope you prove us right! :)  And if we don't, WE HOPE YOU PROVE US WRONG!!!  GOOD LUCK LADIES!!!  #DoYourBest #BeProud #JunkiesLoveID

Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch:

Kaitlin Anderson - 1st RU '13, 4th RU '12
Kali Wright - Top 11 '13 - fabulous headshot, lovely voice
Dani Beckstorm - Top 11 '13, ID OT '08, currently anchor/reporter for KVPI TV
Sierra Sandison - Rookie Interview "Powerlifting challenge" winner and record setter
Kristen Tatilian - Prelim SS '10
Katelyn Stroble - Speech and Debate Team President at BYU
Brittany Lock - 2nd RU ID Teen USA '11, ID OT contestant
Megan Wilson - Miracle Maker award '13
Carolyn Pace - Yoga Talent, articulate, Sustainable Consumerism platform

GO GET 'EM LADIES!!!  JUNKIES LOVE IDAHO!!! :)

MAJ

MISS KENTUCKY

From Miss Kentucky 2013, Jenna Day's own post on October 13, 2013 - on her blog called, "Just Jenna"...

          "The best part of the day, was going to Morehead Youth Development Center. This is a school for girls who have gotten into some trouble and have made some bad choices in the past. The girls come from all over the state. This program serves as a last chance before being sent to a Juvenile Detention Center. I was so blessed to be able to talk to a small group of these young women at the end of the day. I must have stayed for two solid hours. It was awesome! 

I loved hearing about their interests, dreams, and goals for the future. Some of them wanted to be singers, and you better believe we sang songs together for a good part of the evening. And those girls can sing! They even did a mock Broadway audition for me (they were the judges...I had to audition). All of the silliness aside though, we talked about becoming the women that we know we want to be.

  

At the end of the evening, when the talking and singing started to die down, I had to start the long journey home, they all hugged me and thanked me for coming. Two of the young women emotionally and proudly told me that they were going to graduate from the center soon. Their faces, their expressions, their words I think will always be engraved on my heart.

But the interesting thing was...I was there to give them some valuable words of encouragement, but I think they gave something more valuable. They gave me a greater understanding of my purpose as Miss Kentucky. I will make a confession to you all. Right after Miss America it was difficult for me to settle back into the job of Miss Kentucky because of my extreme disappointment. I definitely had to go through a transition phase. Part of that transition involved praying thanksgiving to God for His will being done, even though I did not like or understand His will. But I knew that God had a plan, and these girls helped me visualize that plan more. 

As Miss Kentucky I have the ability to dig deep with the people and students I speak to. This job gives me the opportunity to truly invest time into people in a meaningful way. For the first time in a long time, I am completely content with where I am, I understand why I am there, and I cannot even articulate the incandescent joy that fills my heart as a result. God is good, all the time."

Well said Jenna Day - There's nothing further we could add.  We're thrilled you have 'made your mark' as Miss Kentucky - and your Top 15 placement at Miss America is certainly icing on the cake!

And now - who will be named Miss Kentucky 2014???  GREAT QUESTION!!!  Ugh!  This one isn't easy to predict at all...

Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch:

Kiley Schuffert - 1st runner up '13, 1st runner up multiple times at KY OT
Ashley Ferry - Top 13 '13, 4th runner up '11 and '12, KY OT '08
April Reinle - 2nd runner up '13
Laura Jones - 3rd runner up '13, Non-finalist Talent '12, KY OT '10, Top 10 at Nationals
Melissa Cox - Top 13 '13, Non-finalist Talent '12, baton twirler
Madison McCowen - KY OT '09
Erynn Landherr - KY OT '11, Pre-Teen KY '06, 
Claire Butler - Top 13 '12 and '13
Ramsey Carpenter - Top 13 '12 and '13
Lydia Allen - NAM KY Jr. Teen Queen '10
Wesley Ware - 2nd RU KY Teen USA '12, Miss TN US '13 Top 15 at Nationals, KY Teen America '10

GOOD LUCK LADIES!!!  JUNKIES LOVE KENTUCKY!!! :)

MAJ

MISS MISSISSIPPI

Miss Mississippi 2013 Chelsea Rick has been dreaming of the Miss America stage for many years.  In an article in "Today in Mississippi" by Debbie Stringer, it explains exactly which part of the competition fascinated Chelsea the most...

      
          “It was the talent,” she said. “Of course, I loved the princess gowns—any little girl does—but I love to sing and dance. And to see those girls getting to do their talent on such a big stage really drew me in.”
          “My mom instilled in me the idea that these girls were about more than just pretty clothes. They were compassionate, articulate and intelligent. And the most important thing was that they were getting money for their education,” Rick said.
       

And when it comes to little girls watching her now, what's her message?  Stringer writes...

          Her crown is a sure-fire conversation starter with the little girls.
          “They love it, but I tell them that they don’t have to have a crown to be a princess. They have an invisible crown on all the time. I really have enjoyed that,” Rick said.

Chelsea certainly gave her all at Miss America - coming home with a Top 15 placement and the Preliminary Swimsuit Award (which in case you didn't know, is the 14th time the state of MS has brought home the prelim SS award!).  Plus, she was also honored with one of the 2 new STEM scholarships at Miss America worth $5000 because of her plans to become a neurologist. 

Finally, her years of community service have also been significant - she's raised over 12,000 pounds of food through her platform, "Full Plates, Healthy States" - which earned a place as a Finalist for the Quality of Life Award at Miss America as well.  Whew!  Looks like Chelsea took full advantage of her dream as a young girl - and came home making Mississippi proud :) Now that's what I call 'a performance worth noting' at Miss America!

All the Best to the future Dr. Rick - we're certain Chelsea will be one of our favorite Miss Mississippi's for years and years to come :)

Now - for Miss MS 2014 we've got ourselves quite a competition!  If you're looking for a nail-biter, then look no further! This one could go a million different ways - looking forward to seeing the results this weekend!

Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch:

Laura Lee Lewis - 2nd RU '13, MS OT '09
Morgan Burnett - MS OT '08
Jasmine Murray - Top '10 '13, 1st RU '12, Miss MS OT '07, Top 10 at Nationals, Top 13 American Idol
Jessica Terrill - Top 10 '13, 2nd RU '12, Top 10 '11
Jordin Johnson - 3rd RU '13
Caroline Connerly - 4th RU '13
Shelby Corn - Top 10 '13, 1st RU '11
Alivia Roberts - double prelim winner MS OT '3rd runner up '13
Mia Hall - 1st RU MS DYW '13
Leighann Pacific - 1st RU MS Teen USA '08 and '09
Cece Hilman - Amazing personal story, overcoming invisible illness
Dalee Kimble - She's a comedian!  Seriously!

GOOD LUCK LADIES!!!  JUNKIES LOVE MISSISSIPPI!!! :)

MAJ

MISS WASHINGTON

A delightful article, published in the Washington State University News on October 14th, explains who Reina Almon was growing up and how those experiences shaped her into becoming Miss Washington 2013...

          "As a shy, young girl Reina Almon dreamed of becoming an artist, animal trainer, singer or dancer. The worlds of beauty pageants or environmental advocacy weren’t remotely on her radar.
Community service, however, was front and center in 4th-9th grades when she was actively involved in 4-H, which is a service of Washington State University Extension.
           “Visiting nursing homes, the humane society, volunteering at horse shows and doing food drives gave me a lot of different perspectives on what I could do in the community,” said the 22-year-old Yakima native. “My experience in 4-H prepared me for my job as Miss Washington..."

Reina has certainly 'blossomed' into a gorgeous and confident young woman.  Her personal blog called "Reigna's Reign" has everything from "green" sustainability tips, to thrift store shopping ideas, to ways to re-wear your homecoming dress and glue rhinestone your own shoes!  Completely comprehensive and easy to follow, we highly recommend checking out Reina's Blog Here... :)

We know lots of people are super proud of this former 4-H'er turned sustainability advocate... And we think one of the biggest lessons here is how many paths there are to pageantry.  You never know what experiences you create for yourself as a pre-teen that may help shape you into the things you achieve in your early 20's and beyond!  So, even if you're "not ready" to do pageants just yet --- That's fine!  Go DO SOMETHING and stick with it long enough to see yourself mature and grow.  Then, you'll be more than able to take those skills and successfully use them in the pageant world. :)  Congrats Reina - You are certainly an example worthy of following :)

Now - who do we think has what it takes to be the next Miss Washington???

Junkies Say Here's Who to Watch:

Janae Calaway - WA OT '12
Megan Leibold - Top 10 '13
Catherine Watters - 4th RU '13, competed in '12, excellent twirler
Kimball Gainor - inline skater, competed in '12
Hayley Nicholson - strong talent, Miss Congeniality '13
Kailee Dunn - competed in '12 and '13
Alicia Cooper - Top 10 '13
Angelica Casimiro - graduated college at 20
Ramya Ramanathan - Junkie Dark Horse

GOOD LUCK LADIES!!!  JUNKIES LOVE WASHINGTON!!! :)

MAJ