In a year full of hiccups including Miss USA and Teen USA being taken off the air when they were supposed to air on the television network, the CW but a week before showtime, both sides mutually agreed that the CW would not air the shows this year and the Queen Beauty Network website streamed them like last year but with lengthy delays in some cases. We also saw for the first time in history, the reigning Miss USA fall during her farewell walk, not once but twice. The hem of the skirt of her gown may have been too long. I recalled Ali Landry-Miss USA 1996 appearing on Inside Edition telling then costume director that the hem of national costume at Miss Universe 1996 was too long and that she didn't want to step on it. I think that's what happened in Audrey's case. There is much to say about the 75th edition of Miss USA which featured many former Miss USAs in attendance who got some airtime so
I will be posting my full commentary on Miss USA 2026 on September 3.








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THE PREDICTIONS (August 27, 2026)

The big night is tonight August 27 on the Queen Beauty Network website http://www.queenbeauty.tv/missusa or download the QBN (Queen Beauty Network) app

The judges include: Miss Universe 1992-Michelle McLean of Namibia, Miss USA 2016-Deshauna Barber-Echols, Madison Anderson-Miss Puerto Rico 2019 and 1st runner up to Miss Univeres 2019, Angelica Nwandu-Founder and CEO of The Shade Room, Mia Michaels-Emmy Award-winning choreographer from 'So You Think You Can Dance' and the male judge is Steven Grossman-Celebrity talent manager and producer at Untitled Entertainment.

WE LOVE REUNIONS!!!!!!

Many former Miss USA titleholders arrived in Miami to celebrate the 75th anniversary with eldest being Myrna Hansen-Miss USA 1953 who is 92 years old!


Miss USA 2025-Audrey Eckert poses with 16 former Miss USAs!
Myrna Hansen-1953, Bobbi Johnson-1964, Sue Downey-1965, Maria Remenyi-1966, Cheryl Patton-1967, Tanya Wilson-1972, Barbara Peterson-1976, Terri Utley-1982, Julie Hayek-1983, Gretchen Polhemus-1989, Carole Gist-1990, Shauntay Hinton-2002, Rima Fakih-2010, Alyssa Campanella-2011, Morgan Romano-2022 and Noelia voigt-2023


Barbara Peterson-1976, Julie Hayek-1983, Terri Utley-1982, Jineane Ford-1980, Maria Remenyi-1966, Bobbi Johnson-1964


Dinner Time: Terri Utley-1982, Julie Hayek-1983, Jineane Ford-1980, (in background) Gretchen Polhemus-1989


Diverse Miss USAs: Nana Meriwether-2012, Kenya Moore-1993, Susie Castillo-2003, Deshauna Barber-2016, Shauntay Hinton-2002, April Simpkins (mother of the late Cheslie Kryst)-2019, Carole Gist-1990, Asya Branch-2020


In the audience for preliminaries: Bobbi Johnson-1964, Terri Utley-1982, Tanya Wilson-1972, Judi Andersen-1978


(from back row left to right) Olivia Jordan-2015, Brandi Sherwood-1997, Lu Parker-1994, Carole Gist-1990, Morgan Romano-2022, Gretchen Polhemus-1989, Terri Utley-1982, Julie Hayek-1983, Jineane Ford-1980, Shauntay Hinton-2002, April Simpkins (mother of the late Cheslie Kryst-2019), Shawnae Jebbia-1998, Judi Andersen-1978, Barbara Peterson-1976, Tanya Wilson-1972, Kristen Dalton-2009, Maria Remenyi-1966, Myrna Hansen-1953, Bobbi Johnson-1964, Sue Downey-1965


Kristen Dalton-2009, Susie Castillo-2003, Olivia Jordan-2015, Alyssa Campanella-2011, Tara Conner-2006, Nia Sanchez-2014, Rima Fakih-2010


(back to front): Carole Gist-1990, Susie Castillo-2003, Audrey Eckert-2025, Tanya Wilson-1972, Shauntay Hinton-2002, Barbara Peterson-1976, Sue Downey-1965, Nia Sanchez-2014, Bobbi Johnson-1964, Julie Hayek-1983, Cheryl Patton-1967, Terri Utley-1982, Lu Parker-1994, Shandi Finnessey-2004, Maria Remenyi-1966, Tara Conner-2006, Alyssa Campanella-2011, Olivia Jordan-2015, Deshauna Barber-2016, Nana Meriwether-2012, Brandi Sherwood-1997, Sarah Rose Summers-2018, Jineane Ford-1980, Judi Andersen-1978, Kenya Moore-1993, Rima Fakih-2010, April Simpkins(mother of the late Cheslie Kryst)-2019, Noelia Voigt-2023, Kristen Dalton-2009, Shanna Moakler-1995, Morgan Romano-2022, Myrna Hansen-1953, Gretchen Polhemus-1989, Shawnae Jebbia-1998



And now, here come the predictions for Miss USA 2026! I suspect we will have the top 20 ladies competing in swimsuit and then cut to top 10 competing in gown then a cut to top 5 answering the final question.
Award winners revealed in preliminaries: State Directors of the Year: Vanbros and Associates, Miss Flixxe: Oklahoma with 2nd place going to Minnesota, Best Swimsuit: Virginia, Best Interview: Iowa, Best State Costume (fan vote): Idaho
Now, it is time to reveal my highly anticipated predictions for Miss USA 2026! Last year, there were 8 open casting delegates and some of them placed but this year, there are 16 open casting delegates and some of them made my list!
After reviewing preliminaries, bios, videos and pictures, I have now come up with my final predictions for Miss USA 2026 and they are as follows!



TOM'S FINAL PREDICTIONS FOR MISS USA 2026

Winner=New York-Jenna Dykstra

Jenna has been my winner since she was crowned Miss New York USA because I know her history. A clear standout, Jenna has that modelesque look with her long, lean body and strong stage presence. This 30-year-old statuesque model recently represented the USA on the Miss Supranational stage in 2024 placing as 1st runner-up to Indonesia's Harashta Haifa Zahra and now she has a very good shot representing the USA again on the Miss Universe stage. Jenna was born and raised in Michigan but presently lives in New York City where she works as a physician's assistant and a model and she even owns her own perfume brand. She wants to offer medical care to people who have experienced sexual abuse and works with organizations that support survivors hoping to help others because of her own experience as a child. New York has won 3 Miss USA crowns (1952, 1979, and 1999) and inherited one crown in 1995 and they last placed in 2024.

1st Runner Up=Utah-Alayzia Christopher

Alayzia is my most photogenic delegate this year. That facial beauty just causes me to rank her highly in my list and she is a great overall candidate too. At age 30, she works in hospitality and events but also started a nonprofit called HER (Helping Empower Resiliency) and served on the committee for the Kids Beating Cancer gala. Alayzia was also 2nd runner up at Miss Florida USA 2025. Utah's Miss USA history is interesting as they inherited the crown in 1957 when the winner from Maryland was dethroned and Utah won the crown in 1960 and that winner, Linda Bement went on to win Miss Universe 1960 while Utah's 2023 Miss USA winner, Noelia Voigt was the first to resign so some very unusual wins for Utah!

2nd Runner Up=Arizona-Kaitlyn Humphrey

I'm actually really impressed with Kaitlyn. She just carries herself with such confidence and she wowed me in preliminaries that I had to give her a top 5 spot in my list. Arizona inherited its only Miss USA crown in 1980 after Shawn Weatherly won Miss Universe and Arizona had placed 3 years in a row from 2014 to 2016 but hasn't placed since. Kaitlyn was 3rd runner-up at Miss Arizona USA 2025, 2nd runner-up at Miss Colorado Teen USA 2022, 3rd runner-up at Miss Colorado Teen USA 2021 and unplaced at Miss Colorado Teen USA 2020. Kaitlyn is an Arizona State University journalism graduate who once auditioned for American Idol and she is a content creator with a large following and she has strong speaking ability which comes from her journalism skills.

3rd Runner Up=Tennessee-Sydney Grace Young

Like Arizona's delegate, Sydney is a fresh-faced blonde beauty who just has an incredible overall look and style so I'm expecting big things from her in this competition. Although this is an open casting delegate, Sydney has shown up very ready so much so that she is in my top 5 as I'm very impressed with what I see. She was 2nd runner up in last year's state pageant and Tennessee's ladies are regularly very well-prepared so Sydney is a very possible winner. She is a first-generation college graduate and now has a career in marketing. She founded Pappy's Promise advocating for the Veterans' Early Detection and Accountability Act to improve healthcare for veterans nationwide. This was inspired by the loss of her grandfather to lung cancer. The volunteer state has won the crown twice thanks to two phenomenal beauties, Lynnette Cole in 2000 and Rachel Smith (who is also from Clarksville just like Sydney) in 2007 and they last placed in 2025.

4th Runner Up=South Carolina-Victoria Vesce

I'm still holding out for her to say like in Prince's song, "Batdance," "Hi, I'm Vicki Vesce!" (instead of Vicki Vale). Victoria has a sexy, sinister look to her and a distinct look with her short hair and I think she stands out in a good way. She almost reminds me of Lisa Rinna's character Taylor McBride on 'Melrose Place.' Her pageant history is interesting as she has gone from runner-up in North Carolina to unplaced in other years but Victoria is a lawyer, model, former NBA dancer and entrepreneur helping brands develop through social media. She even has a story about overcoming a rare brain tumor and losing her mother at a young age. South Carolina last placed in 2025 giving them a 3-year streak with Victoria hopes to make 4 and the Palmetto state won the Miss USA crown three times (in 1954, 1980 and 1994) and two of those winners won Miss Universe and their 1990 winner won Miss World so South Carolina's universal pageant track record is one to be revered.

FINALISTS:

Iowa-Madeline (Maddie) Erickson

Maddie already won the top interview award so that's pretty much a clear sign that she's in. Her gown was sensational and her presentation during prelims was mesmerizing so she shot up my list after prelims. She was another former Teen from the class of 2023 who made top 20 that year. She has a degree in mass communications from Louisiana State University where she helped cover the SEC football championship and is now pursuing a career in sports communication. I don't feel strongly enough about this delegate so she is not among my picks at the moment. Iowa last placed in 2024 and Ottumwa's Carol Morris in 1956 won Iowa's only Miss USA crown and later also won Miss Universe that year.

Florida-Aileen Cerchiara

The hometown girl is a favorite. I don't really see it but I can understand her placing high playing on home turf but also that Madison Anderson-Miss Puerto Rico 2019 is a judge and let's not forget that Madison also competed in Miss Florida USA so I can see her favoring Aileen. Aileen is 26 years of age and hails from Tampa and was runner-up to last year's Florida representative, Lou Schieffelin who made top 10. She is a registered nurse inspired to do medical work after her father's passing of a rare blood cancer. Surprisingly, the Sunshine state has yet to outright win Miss USA and the host delegate hasn't won since 1995 so let's see if Aileen can change all that!

District of Columbia-Kennedy Lucas

Kennedy has the facial beauty Kennedy and with Miss USA 2016-DC's Deshauna Barber on the judging panel, it can only help Kennedy but she has earned a spot in her own right. She is quite accomplished holding a bachelor's degree and an MBA from Hampton University and she also won the title of Miss Black USA 2024 representing Maryland so her experience showed in preliminaries and I think Kennedy will do well. DC has claimed 4 Miss USA crowns (1964, 2002, 2016 and 2017) so will it happen again??

Virginia-Justus Kelley

Justus won the swimsuit award in preliminaries so she's absolutely one to watch. Even prior to preliminaries, Justus made headlines sporting a trash bag along with her luggage in her departure pics getting the message across that children in the foster care system are often forced to use garbage bags as luggage when moving between homes and Justus is a licensed foster parent along with her husband Tyler and founder of the advocacy group Foster Footprints. Justus' story has clearly compelled the judges. I question the gown as I wish she went something more tasteful and less costumey but she probably has something different for finals.

Kentucky-Brijet Finister

I think Brijet will appeal to this panel of judges and she does have a great overall look as well despite being 36 and being an open casting delegate who is from Stockton, California but I think the judges will like that she founded Pretty Pensions teaching women about financial independence and being a former NBA/NFL dancer shows in how she moves on stage so Brijet is one to watch. I hope she changes this gown though. Kentucky has claimed 2 Miss USA crowns thanks to Tara Conner in 2006 and Elle Smith in 2021 so let's see how Brijet does.

SEMIFINALISTS:

California-Acacia McBride

Here Comes the McBride! I wanted to put Acacia higher but her petiteness will likely eliminate her in swimsuit so we'll see. Acacia has been a runner-up several times in Mississippi, California and Utah prior to her state win so she is persistent and extremely experienced and I think the judges will like her so let's see how she does. California has claimed six Miss USA crowns (one in every decade except the 2000s when they had 3 1st runners-up) and we have yet to crown California in the 2020s so will Acacia do it?

Connecticut-Jaeden Hamelly

This is my Deshauna-Barber-is-a-judge pick because Jaeden's a 30-year-old army girl (just like Deshauna was) working as a staff Sergeant and Combat Medic and is pursuing her Master of Social Work degree so I think she will get the nod. Despite the fact that she is petite, she is super buff so the judges should be impressed with her body and she carries herself very confidently so Jaeden made my list after all. The constitution state won their only Miss USA crown in 2013 thanks to Erin Brady and last placed in 2023.

Hawaii-Darja Bassut

Darja's a diversity pick for me as we need some Asian representation in the top 20 so I'm saying Hawaii's it but oddly enough, Washington is an open casting delegate and she is from Pearl City, Hawaii (like Brook Lee-Miss Universe 1997) but I think Darja is the one that will place. Her gown seems to be very Hawaiian-inspired with the blue-waves theme and she has a long lean body and she won Miss Hawaii USA on her first try so these are all good signs. The Aloha state has claimed 5 Miss USA crowns thanks to Macel Wilson in 1962, Tanya Wilson in 1972, Judi Andersen in 1978, Brook Lee in 1997 who went on to win Miss Universe and Savannah Gankiewicz who inherited the crown in 2023 after Utah's Noelia Voigt resigned but this year, Noelia is very present even in a hosting capacity and wearing the Miss USA 2023 sash whereas Savannah is nowhere to be seen... Hmmm... Savannah recently had a child by the way.

Illinois-Vivica Lewandowski

Vivica is the daughter of Miss Illinois USA 1998, Mandy Jo Lane Lewandowski and Vivica is also a former Teen who placed as a semifinalist at Miss Teen USA 2023 and I think she did nothing wrong. Everything is great with her in terms of body, styling and stage presentation and she seems genuinely nice but I don't know if a predominantly female panel of judges will be as receptive to her but I decided in the end to give her a spot in my list so let's see if she makes it. Illinois has claimed 4 Miss USA crowns thanks to Myrna Hansen in 1953 who is in Miami now for the 75th anniversary, Marite Ozers in 1963, Amanda Jones in 1973 and Karen Morrison in 1974 so it has been a while for Illinois so let's see if Vivica can do it!

Pennsylvania-Elizabeth Voight

Voight? Is she any relation to Angelina Jolie?? I can also see this one not being favored by a predominantly female panel of judges but Elizabeth also did nothing wrong. She actually has a great body and overall look and her gown presentation was good. She even has a strong pageant history being 1st runner up to her state title twice before her win so I say she's one to watch and have her in my list. Pennsylvania claimed its only crown with the late Michele McDonald in 1971 so let's see if Elizabeth can do it for the Keystone state.

Nebraska-Emily Lenser

I think Emily presents incredibly well and she does have a great body. I was impressed with her state costume performance when she moved the peacock feathers up from being a train for her outfit to go behind her head like a peacock and she struggled for a moment but she recovered really nicely. Emily also has a story about overcoming a severe speech impediment as a child causing her to start her initiative, Embracing Imperfections, a platform dedicated to helping others embrace what makes them unique and she works as a neonatal intensive care unit nurse. The reigning Miss USA, Audrey Eckert, is from Nebraska and successive wins have happened many times in Miss USA history (especially Texas winning 5 years in a row from 1985 to 1989) but this hasn't happened since DC claimed back to back titles in 2017 so will Emily achieve this rare feat?

Maine-Mykala Green

Mykala has a great overall look and body and presents very well so I'm surprised more people aren't talking about her and I've seen some interviews and she seems very conversational so maybe there's something I don't know. She was a runner-up a few times in Rhode Island and New Hampshire before the hop to Maine and won so I see potential in this girl. She is a family law paralegal and aspiring family attorney dedicated to supporting at-risk children who founded a child advocacy internship program, volunteers with grief support groups for children, and advocates for students affected by interpersonal violence. Maine has never won the crown and their best placement was in 2010 when Katie Whittier placed 4th runner-up so let's see if Mykala can do some wonders for Maine.

Minnesota-Rachel Betterley

Rachel is more of a pageant pro having won Miss Minnesota 2015 under her maiden name Latuff but going unplaced at Miss America 2016 and she also won Mrs. Minnesota 2022 and when the marriage rule ended for 2024, she was runner-up to her state title last year and won it this year so I think she has a strong track record and in preliminaries, she does indeed have an amazing body with abs for days. Her gown was an interesting choice but she is an art teacher so she thinks more outside the box but she got a spot in my list. Minnesota claimed one Miss USA crown in 1976 thanks to Barbara Peterson who is in Miami for the 75th anniversary along with Barbara's sister Polly who was Miss Minnesota USA 1981 but went unplaced at Miss USA so let's see how Rachel does.

Nevada-Natalie Bode

A lot of other people seem to favor Natalie so that caused me include her in my list. She is a Texan from Brenham originally and she does have a great body and worked her gown well in prelims but there's something about her nose that bugs me like it's a bit too much to one side but she might have done well in interview as she is an on-air reporter and pregame show host for the Celebrity Poker Tour, covers the World Series of Poker for CBS Sports, contributes as a freelance sports reporter and has a podcast called 'Stories Untold' so she got the last spot in my list! They cut her swimsuit out of the prelim video though so I had to use an unusual shot. Nevada claimed the crown in 2014 with Californian Nia Sanchez and their delegate last year, Mary Sickler was 4th runner at Miss USA and was my prediction to win last year but Mary is now representing the USA at Miss World 2026 in Vietnam so let's see if Mary can take the Miss World crown on September 5!

ALTERNATES:

Massachusetts-Kayshauna Montano

Kayshauna might be another Deshauna-Barber-is-a-judge pick because Kayshauna is close to Deshauna, right??? I think her exotic look makes her standout and her gown was more unique with the gold and blue combination but oh, I wish she would have watched her facial expressions during gown because her frowns were a turn-off making her look so unhappy and her rare smiles looked good but forced. Denny Mendez-Miss Italy 1997 sold the whole frown-to-smile thing during gown presentation much better. Kayshauna competed multiple times to win a state title and she has a great body but she also has a noticeable scar on her stomach but now, I'm thinking of Illinois' Kelly Cruse proudly displaying the scar on her stomach during Miss Teen USA 2005 so I don't know what to think here so I decided to put Massachusetts as an alternate but I can see her get the call.

Michigan-Amber Uhler

Amber was an open casting delegate who is actually from Florida and she even won Mrs. Florida Universe 2024 and then Mrs. Universe USA 2025. She is married with 3 kids and is the oldest delegate competing this year at age 41. She has a story about going from fat to fit which she claims she did naturally losing approximately 170 pounds and saving a child from drowning. Her story might pull her through but I didn't like what I saw in preliminaries. Her ribs were poking out the whole time during swimsuit which like I've been saying since 1999, ribs poking out are a clear sign of sucking it in. Clamp down the ribs too. There's an art to this and it needs to be practised. Also, her gown presentation was so uncomfortable to watch because she looked uncomfortable carefully taking each step and she looked like she was pain or being pinched by her gown so after preliminaries, she became an alternate for me but there have been cases where a strong story can pull a delegate through but that probably won't be the case here.

Georgia-Jade Kircus

I had a few people comment to me about Jade's little salute at the end of her gown presentation. I thought this was her signal to one of the judges, Deshauna Barber to remind her that she's a navy girl! Will it work??? We'll find out soon! I had Georgia in my list originally but I'm not seeing a lot of support for her commenting on her age (She's 36 and a married mother) but Jade does have a very fit body and a decent look but because I'm not seeing a lot of consensus on her placing, I decided to make her an alternate in my list. This is an open casting delegate by the way but Miss Georgia Teen USA just won Miss Teen USA 2026

Alabama-Samantha Havenstrite

Once high on my list, I ended up dropping Samantha to an alternate due largely to that uncomfortable gown presentation in prelims. She could barely walk in that gown and it's not good when you see a delegate struggling like that. I think she's still a great overall candidate and she has extensive experience placing many times at competitive pageants like Miss Texas USA and Miss Tennessee Teen USA so I think she's still one to watch but I'm just not seeing enough consensus on her placing so she lands in alternate territory.

Montana-Lisbeth Fernandez

Lisbeth was 1st runner up in Miss Cuba Universe 2025 to Lina Luaces who placed in the top 12 at Miss Universe 2025. However, I found her a bit low-energy in prelims especially for a Latina delegate and perhaps more reserved. She was an open casting delegate who actually lives in Florida but was assigned to Montana... I found her body to be a bit waifish with ribs poking out which she should know is not a good look. Her gown was interestingly unique though. The train looked a bit Pia Wurtzbach-ish and moved awkwardly and the corset with a loose opening above the skirt was a different concept than what we usually see as was the jewel in the centre of the bust but it worked well for Kansas' Danielle Boatwright in 1996. The whole presentation was just awkward. What makes me put her as an alternate is that Madison Anderson is a judge and is also from Florida like Lisbeth so she may favor her. Montana hasn't placed since 1958. Will that change this year??

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Texas-Alexis Fuetsch

As mentioned in my first round prethoughts, this is the first time in a long time that there was no Miss Texas USA pageant (a time honored tradition) but Alexis was selected through the open casting process. She is the youngest contestant this year at age 20 and was 3rd runner-up at Miss Texas Teen USA 2024 so she could place but I'm leaning towards Texas taking a turn out this year with all the drama behind-the-scenes with the Texas franchise but the Teen placed so now I'm conflicted but I don't know who to take out anyway to fit her in so she gets an honorable mention spot.

Arkansas-Anna Claire Hay

Anna placed at Miss Teen USA 2020 but this time around, I'm just not getting enough consensus on her placing so in the honorable mentions category she goes. There's something else I want to say here but I better not.

Wisconsin-Olivia Lulich

Olivia went unplaced at Miss Teen USA 2020 but she has a pleasant overall look. Her blue gown was nice so she could be up there but for whatever reason, I just decided to make her an honorable mention.

Colorado-Jordyn Owen

Jordyn is a 6-time runner-up at Miss Arizona USA before she got assigned to represent Colorado through the open casting but this is an experienced competitor with a great overall look and I actually liked that she dared to do the feather boa for gown but she doesn't seem to get much attention so I'm putting her as an honorable mention.

Oregon-Claire Wildey

Another open casting delegate that was a semifinalist at Miss California USA 2026 before being assigned to represent Oregon. I think Claire has a great body actually but there doesn't seem to be much consensus on her placing so I put her as an honorable mention.

In my next tier I guess I would put: West Virginia, Wyoming, Louisiana, Missouri and Oklahoma.

And finally, two delegates that lead me to proclaim not to lift your hands to Jesus but to...
Lift Your Boobs to Jesus



The inspiration for this sub-article were the delegates from North Carolina and Mississippi.
North Carolina sent their runner-up Myla Hadley after original winner, Brittany Boltinhouse was allegedly dethroned for using slurs/derogatory language on social media. Myla's gown has large wings at the bustline almost as if she were lifting her boobs to Jesus or they were flying to the heavens so it's an interesting concept that makes my mind go there... The next contestant was Mississippi's Victoria Cantu who during the evening gown, her breasts looked so large and offputting that it was almost comical and that too made me think she wanted to lift her boobs to Jesus so I don't really expect either of these ladies to place and if Mississippi does, it might be because her last name is Cantu so she could be some relation to owner-in-hiding of the Miss Universe organization, Raul Rocha Cantu but that's probably just a coincidence. I didn't know this was a new trend to raise your bosom to the heavens but if that's the case, so be it... Amen.

There is my list for this year! So we'll find out how I did and who I may have missed that ends up in the mix and who will be the new Miss USA!

Tell everyone to watch Miss USA 2026 on August 27 on the Queen Beauty Network or QBN app!



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SECOND ROUND PRETHOUGHTS (August 23, 2026)



The ladies have arrived in Miami, Florida!



The state costume competition is on August 24 for both the Miss USA 2026 and Miss Teen USA 2026 contestants. Preliminaries for both Miss Teen USA and Miss USA are on August 25 when we will see all 51 contestants for each pageant compete in swimsuit and gown and then the 2026 Miss Teen USA finals will happen on August 26 and then the 2026 Miss USA pageant will also air on the Queen Beauty Network website http://www.queenbeauty.tv or download the QBN (Queen Beauty Network) app on August 26 live from the Adrienne Arsht Centre at 5pm Pacific Standard Time. This year, there is a top 20 with the 3 highest People's Choice vote recipients advancing to the top 20. Spread the word and get people to watch Miss USA on the Queen Beauty Network or QBN app this year!

I was curious to see what my TV guide shows as airing on the CW networks instead of Miss Teen USA and Miss USA so I browsed and saw that the CW New York feed chose to substitute Miss Teen USA with a 2021 documentary called "Freddie Mercury: The Final Act" and Miss USA with 4 shows: New York Nightcap, Seinfeld, Friends and Two and a Half Men. The western feed in Los Angeles shows Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble substituting Miss USA. I'd be curious to know if these CW replacement shows draw the same ratings that the pageants would have but I highly doubt it.

I will be posting my final predictions for Miss USA 2026 on the morning of August 27 but in the meantime, I will be posting my present thoughts on each delegate.

Alabama Samantha Havenstrite Samantha has a rich pageant history in competitive states placing as 4th runner up in Miss Texas USA 2023 and in the semifinals of Miss Texas USA 2021 and 2022. In 2022, she claimed the highly competitive Miss Houston USA title. She also competed in Miss Tennessee Teen USA placing as 2nd runner up in 2016 and 2017 and as a semifinalist in 2018 so this history alone makes this delegate one to watch so she is among my top 10 presently. Samantha has a finance degree from Southern Methodist University and is a board member of the American cancer society. Alabama has won the Miss USA crown only once back in 1967 with the late Sylvia Hitchcock who would go on to win Miss Universe that year and the heart of Dixie's last placement was in 2025 when Kennedy Whisenant made top 10. Alaska Holly Huber A 26-year-old from Juneau, who was originally born in Idaho but lived in Alaska since her teen years. She was 4th runner up for her state title in 2025 and unplaced in 2020 but she did win Miss Alaska Volunteer 2024 going unplaced at nationals. Her work in mental health led her to becoming a board member for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. I'm not expecting this delegate to place. Alaska placed in 2017 among the top 10 which was their first time placing since 1990 but the northernmost state has never won the Miss USA crown. Arizona Kaitlyn Humphrey Arizona inherited its only Miss USA crown in 1980 after Shawn Weatherly won Miss Universe and Arizona had placed 3 years in a row from 2014 to 2016 but hasn't placed since. Kaitlyn was 3rd runner-up at Miss Arizona USA 2025, 2nd runner-up at Miss Colorado Teen USA 2022, 3rd runner-up at Miss Colorado Teen USA 2021 and unplaced at Miss Colorado Teen USA 2020. Kaitlyn is an Arizona State University journalism graduate who once auditioned for American Idol and she is a content creator with a large following and I'm actually very impressed with her overall look and speaking ability which comes from her journalism skills so I do have Kaitlyn among my top 10 at the moment. Arkansas Anna Claire Hay You may remember Anna as a semifinalist at Miss Teen USA 2020 and she was my 3rd runner up in my predictions for that year. Anna does have a great overall look. The teeth may be a smidge prominent but I think she has a really good shot at placing again as a Miss. She majored in Exercise Science at the University of Arkansas and models internationally. Arkansas has won the crown once in 1982 thanks to Terri Utley and they placed among the top 20 in 2025. California Acacia McBride Acacia has made multiple attempts at state titles prior to her California win competing in Utah 2024, California 2021-2023 and Mississippi 2017-2019 and Mississippi Teen USA 2016 earning runner-up placements multiple times. Acacia is undeniably beautiful. My concern is her height but I think Acacia is too strong to be denied so she is among my top 5 at the moment. Acacia's autism advocacy and work are driven by a deeply personal reason: her younger brother, Micah, is on the autism spectrum. California placed among the top 20 in 2024 and they have won the Miss USA crown 6 times (1959, 1966, 1975, 1983, 1992 and 2011) once in each decade excluding the 2000s when they earned 3 1st runner-up placements(2005, 2006 and 2009) so will Acacia claim California's crown for the 2020s?? Colorado Jordyn Owen If you can believe it, Jordyn was a runner-up a whopping six times for Miss Arizona USA from 2021 to 2026 and even a semifinalist for Miss California USA 2021. She is now one of the 16 open-casting delegates who was appointed to represent Colorado. Oddly enough, none of the delegates that won the state titles in the years Jordyn competed placed at Miss USA. For this reason, I have decided not to put her among my picks. Colorado has never won the crown but they have two women who placed as 3rd runner up: Rhea Looney in 1963 and Jessica Hartman in 2010. They last placed in 2024 with Jessi Kalambayi who will be representing her native Democratic Republic of the Congo at the upcoming 2026 Miss Universe pageant. Connecticut Jaeden Hamelly Jaeden's a 30-year-old army girl working as a staff Sergeant and Combat Medic and is pursuing her Master of Social Work degree which makes me think of some of the other army wins I found more mysterious like those of Deshauna Barber in 2016 and Alma Cooper in 2024 but I don't think it will be enough this year. This delegate is also quite petite despite being quite buff but this delegate is not among my picks. The constitution state won their only Miss USA crown in 2013 thanks to Erin Brady and last placed in 2023. Delaware Julia Hatoum Delaware placed for the first time ever in 2015 thanks to Renee Bull who made the top 10 but they haven't placed since. Julia was runner-up to last year's Delaware delegate who went unplaced so I'm not expecting this delegate to place. District of Columbia Kennedy Lucas DC has been doing suspiciously well placing in 7 of the last 10 Miss USA pageants and even winning two of those crowns. Kennedy has a sweet look to her from what I've seen so I think she will appeal to the judges so I have her among my top 20 at the moment. She has a bachelor's degree and an MBA from Hampton University and she also won the title of Miss Black USA 2024 representing Maryland. The nation's capital has won the crown 4 times thanks to Kara McCullough in 2017, Deshauna Barber in 2016, Shauntay Hinton in 2002 and Bobbi Johnson in 1964. Florida Aileen Cerchiara The host delegate is 26 years of age and hails from Tampa. Aileen was runner-up to last year's Florida representative, Lou Schieffelin who made top 10 so I think Aileen has the goods to place so she is among my top 10 presently. She is a registered nurse inspired to do medical work after her father's passing of a rare blood cancer. Surprisingly, the Sunshine state has yet to outright win Miss USA. Their 1967 titleholder, Cheryl Ann Patton was originally 2nd runner up that year but accepted the crown after Sylvia Hitchcock won Miss Universe 1967 and the 1st runner up from California did not accept the title. The host delegate also hasn't won the Miss USA title since the late, great Chelsi Smith who represented Texas won Miss USA 1995 in South Padre Island, Texas before going on to win Miss Universe 1995. We celebrate Chelsi today on August 23 as it would have been her 53rd birthday but she passed away of liver cancer in 2018 at age 45 and the Miss USA organization named the Congeniality award after Chelsi starting last year. Georgia Jade Alexandra Kircus Jade is a 36-year-old mother of three recently having given birth to a 2-year-old daughter, Koa Belle with husband David. She is also one of the open casting delegates representing Georgia but is from Franklin, Tennessee and she is a devoted Christian and graduated from the US Naval Academy, where she was a Division 1 athlete and served for eight years as a surface warfare officer in the Navy. Jade is new to the pageant scene but she has a story about her military service and the maturity to impress the judges in interview and a great overall look and body to go with it so she is among my top 10 at the moment. The peach state has surprisingly never won the crown but they have placed as a runner-up many times with the highest being Erin Nance placing 1st runner up in 1993 and they have placed as 2nd runner up a whopping six times (1986, 1988, 2001, 2006, 2014 and 2016) and they did make top 10 last year so I think Jade has what it takes to keep the streak going. Hawaii Darja Bassut Darja is new to pageantry but she is quite interesting as she learned to fly an airplane before driving her first car and although, she is currently a flight attendant, she is pursuing her pilot's license. She is even a competitive speed painter who can create artwork in front of an audience while upside down. She fled Ukraine during the war with her family six years ago causing her to form Unity Across Borders, a nonprofit dedicated to cultural education and humanitarian initiatives. Darja's story and unique talents likely will intrigue the judges so she's in my top 20 currently. Hawaii has won the Miss USA crown 4 times (1962, 1972, 1978 and 1997 with that winner, Brook Lee going on to win Miss Universe) and Hawaii inherited the crown 1 time (2023). Idaho Katie Tetreault Katie is 31 years of age and is one of the 16 open casting delegates. She was runner-up to her state title in 2024 to a delegate that didn't place so I'm not foreseeing a placement for this delegate. Idaho inherited its only Miss USA crown in 1997 when Brandi Sherwood inherited it after Brook Lee won Miss Universe 1997 and they had another 1st runner up placement in 2020. Their last placement was in 2025 with notable California runner-up Jenny Ting Crawford. Illinois Vivica Lewandowski We love a good legacy story, don't we? Vivica is the daughter of Miss Illinois USA 1998, Mandy Jo Lane Lewandowski and Vivica has previously achieved in the pageant world on her own placing as a semifinalist for Miss Teen USA 2023. Vivica is a model and fashion designer who was was diagnosed with PCOS when she was 20 years old and has lobbied the Illinois State Capitol and Department of Public Health to advocate for women's hormone health. Vivica is among my top 20 currently. Illinois had a 5 year streak in the semifinals which was broken last year with two of those placements being in the top 5 and they have captured the crown 4 times thanks to Myrna Hansen (1953), Marite Ozers (1963), Amanda Jones (1973) and Karen Morrison (1974). Indiana Eniola Oke Eniola certainly has a unique look but I'm not sure about height and body. She is 22 and is studying community health at Indiana University and serves as a US Air Force member. Indiana has never won the crown but they were 1st runner up in 1981 thanks to Holli Dennis and they last placed in 2020. Iowa Madeline (Maddie) Erickson Maddie was another former Teen from the class of 2023 who made top 20 that year. She has a degree in mass communications from Louisiana State University where she helped cover the SEC football championship and is now pursuing a career in sports communication. I don't feel strongly enough about this delegate so she is not among my picks at the moment. Iowa last placed in 2024 and Ottumwa's Carol Morris in 1956 won Iowa's only Miss USA crown and later also won Miss Universe that year. Kansas Madilynn Becker Madilynn is another former Teen having competed in 2021 but going unplaced. She was diagnosed with skull lesions when she was 13 and is one of 12 cases that have been documented in medical journals but I don't foresee a placement for this delegate. The place where the folks like to believe there's no place like home last won the Miss USA crown once back in 1991 thanks to Kelli McCarty who was the host delegate that year and Kansas last placed in 2024. Kentucky Brijet Finister Another open casting state sends us Brijet who was a semifinalist at Miss California USA 2017 and she also lives in Stockton, California. I actually like Brijet's look so I have her in my top 20 currently but I did see a swimsuit photo where her belly looks untoned so I have to see preliminaries to make a final judgment on this one but she seems interesting as she is a former NFL and NBA dancer who later became a financial advisor founding Pretty Pensions, a financial education platform designed to help women build wealth, and hopes to expand it through Prosperi-Tea, a program that provides women around the world with tools for financial success. The bluegrass state won the crown twice in 2006 and in 2021 and they finished as 1st runner up in 2024. Louisiana Ella Clark Ella has made multiple attempts at both Miss Louisiana USA and Miss Louisiana Teen USA before clinching her state title this year. She has a degree in public relations from LSU and is a content creator and model but I'm not feeling this delegate so she's not among my picks. Louisiana has won the crown 3 times (1958, 1961, 1996) and they last placed in 2025. Maine Mykala Green Mykala was thrice a runner-up at Miss Rhode Island USA with two of those winners not placing and one getting in last year on the online vote so this track record doesn't look promising but still there's potential here so I have her as an alternate in the meantime who could move into my top 20 after preliminaries. What's interesting about her is that she is a figure skater. She has her master's degree in child policy from Boston University and was accepted to the Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2026 with the goal of becoming a family attorney aiming to advocate for children like her friend who died of a drug overdose. Maine has never won the crown but they did have a 3 year streak placing from 2010 to 2012 and they last placed in 2025 so let's see if Mykala can keep the streak going. Maryland Holly Plank Holly is 35 and is a TV presenter who has a master's degree in communications from Johns Hopkins University who hosts and produces a weekly segment on NBC's WBAL called "Hometown Highlights with Holly." She was 4th runner up to her state title last year but somehow I just don't feel strongly enough about this delegate. Maryland won the crown in 1957 but that winner, Leona Gage, was dethroned shortly after her win when it was discovered that she was a twice-married mother of two boys who also lied about her age which are all rules eliminated in 2023. Maryland also inherited the crown in 2012 thanks to Nana Meriwether who was runner-up to Olivia Culpo who would go on to win the USA's 8th Miss Universe crown in 2012. Maryland last placed in 2023. Massachusetts Kayshauna Montano Kayshauna has competed in many state pageants prior to this win with mixed results but she has potential as she has a look that the judges may go for and she boasts master's degrees from Brown University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst and she was adopted at age 3 and launched Fit Your Mold, an initiative designed to help children build confidence and celebrate what makes them unique. She was also a cheerleader for the New England Patriots so right now, I have her as an alternate but she might move into my list after preliminaries. Massachusetts has won the crown twice in 1998 and 2003 and last placed in 2024 with Melissa Sapini who countryhopped and represented Haiti at Miss Universe 2025 going unplaced. Michigan Amber Uhler At age 41, Amber is the oldest contestant competing this year. She is a married mother of three who has quite the story of losing over 160 pounds and going on to win Mrs. Florida Universe 2024 then Mrs. USA Universe 2025 (not affiliated with Miss Universe and yes, she is an open casting delegate from Florida but assigned to represent Michigan) and she also survived a drowning incident and rescued a child from drowning so she advocates for water safety and all these factors lead me to believe that she will place so I have her in my top 20 at the moment. Michigan won the crown 4 times (1990, 1993, 2010 and 2024) but went unplaced last year so let's see how Amber does with her extensive experience and story. Minnesota Rachel Betterley Rachel Latuff previously held the title of Miss Minnesota 2015 but went unplaced at Miss America 2016. She later married her husband, Brad and they have two sons and is now competing under her married name. She previously won Mrs. Minnesota 2022. She works as an art teacher and now at age 35, she is making her attempt at the Miss USA title. Currently, I have her among my top 20 but we shall see if that changes after preliminaries. Minnesota won its only crown in 1976 and they last placed in 2022. Mississippi Victoria Cantu Another open casting delegate, Victoria is 27 and is a weekend news anchor for NBC and CBS. She is also studying meteorology at Mississippi State University and runs a Pilates studio. I think this delegate lacks the height so I don't see her placing. Mississippi won its first Miss USA crown with Asya Branch in 2020 and they last placed in 2024. Missouri Madison Beck Madison is another delegate who placed among the top 20 at 2023 competing this year along with the delegates from Illinois and Iowa. She is among the younger candidates this year competing at age 21 but she is a real estate agent and already a homeowner. This delegate is not among my picks. Missouri won its only Miss USA crown in 2004 with Shandi "Perfection" Finnessey and they last placed in 2025. Montana Lisbeth Fernandez At 28, Lisbeth is another open casting contestant actually from Miami, Florida so she should feel right at home competing this year. She is pursuing her degree in government intelligence and already holds a degree in theology with the aim of becoming a diplomat and she also travels throughout Latin America preaching the ethical use of artificial intelligence. Lisbeth also competed for Miss Florida USA 2026 but went unplaced. Montana has not placed since way back in 1958 and I don't think that will change this year. Nebraska Emily Lenser Emily is a neonatal ICU nurse who founded Embracing Imperfections, encouraging others to celebrate themselves because of her own experience with a speech impediment which could win over the judges but right now, I have Emily as an alternate. The cornhusker state won their first crown in 2018 thanks to Sarah Rose Summers and the reigning Miss USA, Audrey Eckert is also from Nebraska so let's see if a successive Miss USA crown (which hasn't been done since DC claim back to back titles in 2017) can be won with Emily. Nevada Natalie Bode Natalie is 27 and is a reporter and host for the World Series of Poker, Celebrity Poker Tour, and PokerGO as well as a podcast called 'Stories Untold.' She graduated in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Natalie has a decent pageant history, previously placing as 3rd runner-up at Miss Nevada USA 2025, 4th runner-up at Miss Georgia USA 2023 and top 10 at Miss North Carolina USA 2021. She also has a story of losing her mother to brain cancer and being raised by a single father. Natalie is among my top 20 currently. Nevada won their only Miss USA crown in 2014 and last placed in 2025. New Hampshire Samantha LaBonne Samantha competed under maiden name of Sojka for Miss Teen USA 2011 representing Connecticut going unplaced and she is now competing (as a married mother of two) for Miss USA 15 years later (which is the longest gap in history for someone to compete at Miss Teen USA and then Miss USA and is allowable now with the age limit changes in 2024. The previous record was 11 years held by two women: Maine's Ashley Marble in 2011 and Connecticut's Marie-Lynn Piscitelli in 2012) New Hampshire pulled off a top 20 placement last-year with hijab-sporting MonaLesa Brackett but Samantha who selected through the open casting process is not among my picks presently. New Hampshire has never won the crown but the closest they came was in 2000 when Bridget Jane Vezina placed as 1st runner up. New Jersey Katarina Lengyel Katarina has a master's degree from New York University and works in finance. She is also a dancer who dreams of being on "Dancing With the Stars." Katarina was twice 1st runner up at Miss New Jersey USA: in 2023 to Ivy Harrington who was 1st runner up at Miss USA 2025 and in 2023 to Derby Chukwudi who made top 20 at Miss USA 2023. She was also a semifinalist in 2024 won by Jabili Kandula who went unplaced at Miss USA but hopped to Canada where Jabili placed 2nd runner up at Miss Universe Canada in 2025 and 1st runner up in 2026! I'd say Katarina's in good company so that makes her one to watch! I have her as an alternate currently though so we'll see after prelims. New Jersey has never won the crown but they have 3 1st runners-up: Charlotte Ray in 1991, Chhavi Verg in 2017 and Ivy Harrington in 2025. New Mexico Cara Rgnonti Cara has been a runner-up in Minnesota three times but she hopped from MN to NM and now has her chance to compete at Miss USA. She is a model and a school program administrator helping students discover their passions and hobbies. The land of enchantment did pull off a win in 1984 and they did place as 1st runner up in 2019 and they had a top 20 placement in 2023. This year's delegate is currently among my honorable mentions but we'll see if that changes after preliminaries. New York Jenna Dykstra Jenna is still my winner currently as she just comes across as the strongest overall candidate with her long, lean body and strong stage presence. This 30-year-old statuesque model recently represented the USA on the Miss Supranational stage in 2024 placing as 1st runner-up to Indonesia's Harashta Haifa Zahra. Jenna was born and raised in Michigan but presently lives in New York City where she works as a physician's assistant and a model and she even owns her own perfume brand. She wants to offer medical care to people who have experienced sexual abuse and works with organizations that support survivors hoping to help others because of her own experience as a child. New York has won 3 Miss USA crowns (1952, 1979, and 1999) and inherited one crown in 1995 and they last placed in 2024. North Carolina Myla Hadley Brittany Boltinhouse was originally crowned as Miss North Carolina USA but was soon dethroned after it was discovered that she used the N word multiple times in social media and made over derogatory remarks. Myla Hadley was Brittany's runner-up and is being sent in her place. Myla is a 24-year-old avid equestrian who has a degree in biology but she works in business helping entrepreneurs buy and sell companies. She also has a holistic wellness practice but I'm not expecting a placement for this delegate. North Carolina had a 4-year streak in the semifinals from 2021 to 2024 which was broken last year. The tarheel state inherited the crown for 2022 in addition to winning three other Miss USA crowns in 2005, 2009 and 2019. North Dakota Sophia Richards Sophia previously represented her state at Miss America 2025 going unplaced but winning a preliminary gown award. Now, after thrice placing as 1st runner up for Miss North Dakota Teen USA, Sophia is fulfilling her dream of competing on the Miss USA stage. She has 10 years of dance experience and works as a television news anchor. She studied abroad in Japan and is now earning her master's degree in communications at the University of North Dakota. North Dakota last placed in 2021 and that contestant, Caitlyn Vogel placed as 1st runner up at Miss USA 2021. I currently have Sophia as an alternate so let's see if that changes after preliminaries. Ohio Kayelin Tiggs Ohio has won the Miss USA crown twice (1965 and 1981) and has a very famous 1st runner up with Oscar winning actress Halle Berry and Ohio last placed in 2022. Kayelin is 34 years old and competed in Ohio twice placing as a semifinalist and once going unplaced then hopping to Kentucky placing 4th runner up there for 2020. As per this pageant history, I don't feel strongly about this delegate so she is not among my picks. Oklahoma Annamaria Thomas Interesting factoid about this one, she's from the city of Miami... in Oklahoma. Yes, there's a Miami in northern Oklahoma, not just Florida. Annamaria is 22 years old and she's already married. She's also a junior at Oklahoma State University who has plans to attend law school and earn her Juris Doctorate before becoming a prosecutor. Oklahoma placed as 2nd runner up in 2024 and in the top 10 for 2025 so Annamaria obviously hopes to keep the streak going and I think she seems charming enough to do just that but I don't think she quite has the body so I have her as an alternate currently. Oregon Claire Wildey Claire is another open casting delegate actually from Clovis, California and she was even a semifinalist at Miss California USA 2026. She believes in nontraditional education after receiving public, private, home and online education and is currently a professional model but I'm not expecting this delegate to place. The Beaver state was 2nd runner up last year but they have never won the Miss USA crown, yet they have won Miss Teen USA three times. Pennsylvania Elizabeth Voight Elizabeth grew up on a farm and served as a Pennsylvania State Fair Queen. Currently she works as an educator, basketball coach, and model while also pursuing her master's degree to become a reading specialist. She was 1st runner up to her state title in 2023 and 2024 before clinching it this year so I have among my top 10 currently. Pennsylvania won the crown once back in 1971 thanks to the late, Michele McDonald and Pennsylvania last placed among the top 5 in 2023. Rhode Island Victoria Cuartas Victoria is 33 and an advocate for education. She holds a doctoral degree and serves as a coordinator of undergraduate programs at Brown University. This delegate is currently not among my picks. Rhode Island captured its first Miss USA crown in 2012 and of course that winner, Olivia Culpo, went on to win Miss Universe and the smallest state in the union also placed as 2nd runner up in 2015 and also placed last year thanks to online vote. South Carolina Victoria Vesce This one has a great name. Reminds me of the Vicki Vale character from Batman who says in the Prince song, "Batdance", "Hi, I'm Vicki Vale" so I hope Victoria says, "Hi, I'm Vicki Vesce." You hear it, don't you? Anyway, Victoria's a top contender for sure. Her distinctive shorter hairstyle and her overall look and body propelled her into my top 5. Her pageant history is interesting as she has gone from runner-up in North Carolina to unplaced in other years but Victoria is a lawyer, model, former NBA dancer and entrepreneur helping brands develop through social media. She even has a story about overcoming a rare brain tumor and losing her mother at a young age. South Carolina last placed in 2025 giving them a 3-year streak with Victoria hopes to make 4 and the Palmetto state won the Miss USA crown three times (in 1954, 1980 and 1994) and two of those winners won Miss Universe and their 1990 winner won Miss World so South Carolina's universal pageant track record is one to be revered. South Dakota Lexus Paulson Lexus graduated as a dental hygienist and now works with Invisalign. South Dakota has pulled off rare placements recently making the top 5 in 2018 and the top 10 in 2016 and they had only placed twice before in 1958 and 1974. This delegate is not expected to place. Tennessee Sydney Grace Young Although this is an open casting delegate, Sydney has shown up very ready so much so that she is in my top 5 as I'm very impressed with what I see. She was 2nd runner up in last year's state pageant and Tennessee's ladies are regularly very well-prepared so Sydney is a very possible winner. She is a first-generation college graduate and now has a career in marketing. She founded Pappy's Promise advocating for the Veterans' Early Detection and Accountability Act to improve healthcare for veterans nationwide. This was inspired by the loss of her grandfather to lung cancer. The volunteer state has won the crown twice thanks to two phenomenal beauties, Lynnette Cole in 2000 and Rachel Smith (who is also from Clarksville just like Sydney) in 2007 and they last placed in 2025. Texas Alexis Maxine Fuetsch Alexis was chosen through the open casting system but she is a Texan from San Antonio who even placed 3rd runner up at Miss Texas Teen USA 2024. At age 20, Alexis is also the youngest contestant this year who also became the youngest NBA photographer at 16 and opened her own studio at 19. She also discovered the Children's Rehabilitation Institute TeletonUSA, a nonprofit center for children with disabilities at age 8 and later helped raise money for it. Alexis also plans to take the LSAT and enter law school and eventually work as a disability rights attorney. Alexis is among my top 20 currently as I feel like Texans that have been through the system are well-trained and prepared even though this was an open casting choice. Texas is easily the most successful state at Miss USA winning the crown 10 times including one just recently in 2022 with R'Bonney Gabriel who went on to win Miss Universe. Texas has also has an unmatched five-year streak of Miss USA wins from 1985 to 1989. Utah Alayzia Christopher Alayzia is just a stunning beauty so she has mesmerized her way into my top 5. At age 30, she works in hospitality and events but also started a nonprofit called HER (Helping Empower Resiliency) and served on the committee for the Kids Beating Cancer gala. Alayzia was also 2nd runner up at Miss Florida USA 2025. Utah's Miss USA history is interesting as they inherited the crown in 1957 when the winner from Maryland was dethroned and Utah won the crown in 1960 and that winner, Linda Bement went on to win Miss Universe 1960 while Utah's 2023 Miss USA winner, Noelia Voigt was the first to resign so some very unusual wins for Utah! Vermont Katherine McQuade An open casting delegate, Katherine is a classically trained dancer and works as a client relations specialist. Her pageant history includes being a semifinalist for both Miss New York USA 2021 and 2020 and going unplaced at Miss New York Teen USA 2014. Placements for Vermont are rare but Vermont managed to place last year but they did win the crown back in 1955. I'm not expecting this delegate to place. Virginia Justus Kelley Justus actually has a decent pageant history being twice a runner-up in Virginia (2023 and 2024) and twice a runner-up in DC (2025 and 2026) before a quick hop to Virginia and she has even made headlines for posting a departure pic including her holding a trash bag along with her luggage. Justus posted she was heading to Miami with the very type of bag she has seen children in foster care transition into my own home carrying. Justus and her husband Tyler are licenced foster parents caring for foster children of various backgrounds in need. Justus is among my top 20 currently. Virginia won the crown twice back in 1969 and 1970 and last placed in 2024. Washington Ellise Kakazu Ellise is an open casting delegate who is actually from Pearl City, Hawaii from which Brook Lee-Miss Universe 1997 also hails. Ellise has been a runner-up many times in Miss Hawaii USA so she is experienced but in terms of height and overall impression, I just don't feel strongly about this delegate so she is not among my picks. Washington won the crown in 1968 and placed in 2023 after not having placed since 2004. West Virginia Alanna Lynch Alanna holds a Bachelor's degree in Broadcasting from West Liberty University and a Master's degree in Communications from Liberty University Online and also worked as a Staff Sergeant in the Air National Guard from 2020 to 2025. There's possibilities here but I have as an honorable mention at the moment. West Virginia last placed in 2022 and has never won the crown. Wisconsin Olivia Lulich Olivia also represented her state at Miss Teen USA 2020 going unplaced and I feel the same thing will happen at Miss USA. Olivia has a degree in agricultural and life sciences education from Iowa State University. Wisconsin has never won but they did place as 2nd runner up in 2023 matching their previous highest placement in 1974 and their most recent placement was last year in 2025. Wyoming Melanie San Roman The final open casting delegate is Melanie who is representing Wyoming but is from Austin, Texas. She is a 30-year-old fashion designer who has created looks for Maxim and Miami Swim Week and she began sewing at age 6. This delegate is not expected to place. Placements for Wyoming are extremely rare as they have only placed twice (1986 and 2010).

Again, the preliminaries are on August 25. I will post my final predictions for Miss USA 2026 on the morning of August 27 and then later that night is the finals airing on the Queen Beauty Network website http://www.queenbeauty.tv/missusa at 5pm (Pacific Standard Time)/8pm (Eastern Standard Time) so we shall see who will be queen for 2026!



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BREAKING NEWS (August 20, 2026)

The CW network has sadly announced that it is no longer broadcasting Miss USA 2026 and Miss Teen USA 2026.
A spokesperson for the CW stated, "After careful consideration and conversations with the Miss USA Organization, The CW Network has decided to forego next week's broadcasts of the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants. We wish the organization and all of this year's contestants well in the competition."
The Miss USA Organization posted this message on Instagram. "Two weeks ago, we identified a contractual issue with our production arrangements that could not be resolved within the necessary timeframe. Since then, our team has worked diligently to explore options that would allow us to continue with a live broadcast on The CW. Unfortunately, we were unable to reach mutually agreeable terms for this year's event."
Miss Teen USA and Miss USA will instead be livestreamed like last year on the Queen Beauty Network website: https://www.queenbeauty.tv

More commentary to come during my second round prethoughts which will be posted on August 23.