Luxe Life Blog

Exclusive: Miss America sets Miss Nevada, Miss Nevada Teen pageants

Posted June 20, 2012 • 12:38 p.m.

Contestants competing for 2012 Miss Nevada and Miss Nevada's Outstanding Teen with 2011 Miss Nevada Alana Lee and 2011 Miss Nevada's Outstanding Teen Bailey Gumm.

Photo: Miss Nevada Organization

Six Las Vegas teenagers and three Las Vegas young women are among the 28 contestants competing for the titles of Miss Nevada and Miss Nevada’s Outstanding Teen on July 2 and 3. The winners will represent our Silver State at the respective national competitions: the 86th Annual Miss America Pageant at Planet Hollywood on Jan. 19 and airing on ABC and Miss Outstanding Teen in Orlando, Fla., in August.

The state pageant takes place the two days before Independence Day at Casablanca hotel and casino in Mesquite. Twelve young women will vie for Miss Nevada, and 16 teens will compete for that crown. Laura Kaeppeler, 23, of Wisconsin became the 2012 Miss America at Planet Hollywood in January.

“We could not be more thrilled with the contestants who are competing for both titles this year,” said Amy Hacker, executive director of the Miss Nevada Organization. “Nevada is full of talented, beautiful women, and this quite possibly could be our strongest group of contestants yet. We are excited for these ladies to take the stage and fight for the opportunity of a lifetime to represent the Silver State.”

On the first night of competition, Miss Nevada hopefuls take part in onstage questions and talent, and teen contestants perform their talents for the panel of judges. At the end of the evening, talent winners will be selected. The next evening, Miss Nevada contestants compete in evening wear and swimsuit, and the teen contestants take the stage in fitness and evening wear and for the onstage question. All the contestants take part in a private interview with judges.

The two-night event culminates with the crowing of the titleholders by 2011 Miss Nevada Alana Lee and 2011 Miss Nevada’s Outstanding Teen Bailey Gumm. Alyssa D’Agostino, Elizabeth Mercado and Ashley Tarchione represent Las Vegas and Henderson in the Miss Nevada contest, and Sabrina Singh, Baylee Bernstein, Audrey Morris, Joy Thompson, Megan Thompson and teen singing sensation Ellie Smith are competing in the teen competition.

Nicknamed “The Star-Spangled Girl,” Ellie has sung the national anthem for NFL, NBA and MLB games and has been honored as one of Ten Outstanding Women for her anti-bullying work in education. Check out her web site at EllieSmith.com

To date, 19 states have selected their candidates for the next Miss America Pageant. The remainder will be selected over the next five weekends starting with Arizona this Saturday and wrapping up with South Carolina and the Virgin Islands on July 21. For more information or to order tickets to the 2012 Miss Nevada and Miss Nevada’s Outstanding Teen pageants, please visit MissNevada.org.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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