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[> Subject: Great thoughts here. I have very similar impressions. I didn’t watch Kentucky compete in the past but recognized her name (and red hair) as a girl who has been in the system for a while (often expected to place or win at state). I sort of assumed she would come across as patty, but she does not at all. She is very likable, genuine, and smart. I know talent is her strong suit (again, not from witnessing it, but from following state pageants on this hoard), so I would not be the least bit surprised to see her make the cut.
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Date Posted: 13:31:54 01/02/25 Thu
>There's a lot to unpack from tonight! I thought it was
>a great first night of competition. Overall, it was a
>good production. It did seem to go long at times with
>each competition, but I guess this is what it is going
>to be for the foreseeable future. The stage looked a
>little boring during the opening number. However,
>when the contestants started competing, they had
>pictures of each of them on the monitor. For fitness,
>they had them training and for evening gown, they had
>them in evening gowns. Some of them wore their same
>evening gowns; others were different. The fitness
>music was On the Floor by Jennifer Lopez. I am not
>sure what the evening gown music was.
>
>This year I probably know the least about the
>contestants than any other year I have been posting.
>I think that's the most fun, though. Sometimes it can
>feel a bit anticlimactic, like the year Katie Stam
>won. So, it's good to be in the dark. Some of the
>contestants stood out to me tonight for different
>reasons including:
>
>Michigan-she works for the NBA. I would love to hear
>more about her job. She's got a great look, very
>young and modern. I'd love to see her go far or win.
>She'd get a lot of good attention for the program.
>South Carolina-I really like her. She reminds me of
>another of my favorite Miss South Carolinas-Jeanna
>Raney (01.) They both have that sweet, humble quiet
>nature about them, but you remember them.
>Kansas-when she spoke during OSQ (more about that
>later) she disclosed being a survivor of abuse. She
>spoke very eloquently about it.
>Kentucky-one of my favorites, she like fellow
>Kentuckian Heather French has veterans' issues as her
>platform.
>Indiana-she's just so damned cute.
>South Dakota-she's one I really hope is a dark horse.
>She really loves nature. I think it might be part of
>her platform. There's something very likeable about
>her.
>Wyoming-she is a youth athletic coach. I found her
>very interesting and would like to hear more about
>that. She has some nice energy.
>West Virginia-she seems to either be a physicians'
>assistant or in PA school. She's not outstanding in
>onstage competitions but when she spoke, she was so
>naturally confident and could articulate her passion
>for it very well.
>
>Some other things that I learned tonight I will talk
>about more when we get to OSQ.
>
>As far as who is standing out to me, it is not some of
>the usual suspects. Right now, the one who has
>emerged for me as a real contender is Miss Ohio. She
>really stands out. She has a lot of confidence in
>each competition. I remember her. The contestant who
>stood out to me in a surprising way tonight was
>Missouri. She's really competitive! She is by far the
>strongest Miss Missouri I have seen in a LONG time at
>Miss America, and that includes Simone in 18. She
>does seem a bit young, especially with her tone of
>voice, but you really notice her in each competition.
>She has amazing stage presence. Another contestant
>who is jumping out at me is Nevada for the same
>reason. She spoke a bit rapidly in her onstage
>question, but she has the it factor. She's very
>confident and she did well enough in all categories
>tonight. Another one of my pleasant surprises is
>Maryland. She has a quiet confidence but there is
>something regal about her. You notice her, and she's
>consistent across the competitions so far.
>
>The following also did very well and were consistent
>across all competitions. While they did not win
>preliminaries, I could very well see them in the top
>10 if their talent is good tomorrow:
>
>Alabama
>Arkansas (sort of)
>California
>Illinois
>Mississippi (sort of)
>
>A couple of others of note:
>New Jersey-she comes across in an unusual way. In a
>way she seems very original, maybe not polished but
>when she speaks, she really is commanding. In gown,
>she seemed confident. I have a feeling she could be
>the 25 years later equivalent of Victoria Andrews Page
>if the judges like her.
>North Carolina-more in the OSQ rundown, but she has a
>platform of dealing with inclusivity in the Miss
>America Organization. When I was taking notes I
>wrote, "listen to her." I have a feeling if she can
>articulate herself very well, she's one to watch. I
>do not think she is the next Miss America, but I
>really think she brings a relevant conversation to the
>forefront. I think the judges might appreciate that.
>Louisiana-she was one of my high hopes this pageant.
>I saw her compete before and was a big fan of hers.
>However, she's so subdued. I am not sure what
>happened to LA overall, but they can't seem to rise to
>dominance as they did before. Their contestants do
>not have that fire they used to. It is not just
>Olivia.
>
>The last thing I wanted to mention was the judges'
>panel. There is a Paralympian and another judge who
>has worked with the disabled community. There are a
>good number of contestants who have that as platforms,
>so I am curious to see if they will resonate with the
>judges. Also, many of them seem to have executive and
>business experience, which also makes me wonder if
>they are looking for someone to market the program.
>
>The buzzword this year is "opportunity." Apparently,
>this is the Miss America Opportunity, not the Miss
>America pageant. Finally, the venue looks very nice.
>It reminds me of the theater where they hold the
>Academy Awards.
>
>I am going to start posting the individual competition
>rundowns probably not tonight but start looking
>tomorrow around late morning-noon.
>
>Until then!
>The Mod
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