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15
Missouri • Bayleigh Dayton
Bayleigh is a girl filled with great personality that might really help her to get into the semifinals, she might be one of the surprise placers of the night. During the preliminary competition, her styling was very impeccable and gave such graceful performance throughout the whole night. With the new criteria of IMG, looking for girls with great personality, Bayleigh might just really be the one to beat. Deshauna 2.0 perhaps?
14
Tennessee • Allee-Sutton Hethcoat
She had the glamour and star quality going on around her but she rather gave a monotonous performance in the pre-pageant period and her frame isn't that impressive for me. Albeit, we have the give her the credits for also being one of the stand outs of the preliminary competition. Two years of the powerhouse Tennessee not placing, she might give it this year.
13
New Jersey • Chhavi Verg
Chhavi, with her Indian features, really served a fresh dish on the table that she alone owns. She was very vibrant during the preliminary competition and was really a surprise for me. She has improved so much from her state pageant. Her styling was also a stand out and I wouldn't totally mind her placing on 14th.
12
Florida • Linette De Los Santos
I was one of the people who got really sad when the original titleholder Genesis Davila was dethroned and with this girl replacing, I thought Florida isn't going to give it this year. But, we all have to admit that this year gave one of the strong performances in the evening with her toned body, great catwalk and commendable choice of evening gown. Had she only stood out during the pre-pageant activities in the sea of beauties, she would've really earned the ticket to my Top 10.
11
Minnesota • Meridith Gould
One of the underrated girls of the competition. Undeniably, she has the beauty of the face + having competed in the equally prestigious Miss America pageant, she could've aced this competition. I thought she gave a great performance in the Swimsuit round but her evening gown for me was her downfall being so lackluster and she looked like going to a wedding rather than going to a Miss USA stage.