Miss America's Teen: Celebrating the States with the Most Winners and the History of Titleholders

Miss America's Teen is much more than just a pageant—it's an American scholarship competition designed to empower and uplift young women across the country. Since its inception in 2005, the program has promoted scholastic achievement, creative accomplishment, healthy living, and community involvement for girls aged 13 to 18. Over the years, it has distributed more than $113,000 in direct scholarships among contestants and partnered with universities for over $29 million in in-kind tuition awards.

A Brief History

The first Miss America's Teen competition was held in August 2005 in Orlando, Florida. Since then, the event has remained a staple in the youth pageantry circuit—continuing to grow in stature. The chairwoman for the program is Robin Fleming, Miss America CEO. Notably, in January 2023, the pageant officially changed its name from "Miss America's Outstanding Teen" to "Miss America's Teen." The current titleholder is Peyton Bolling of Arkansas, crowned on January 4, 2025.

Which States Have the Most Winners?

Certain states have proven themselves as consistent powerhouses in the Miss America's Teen competition. Here’s a look at the states with multiple titles:

State	Number of Titles Won	Year(s) Won
Alabama	2	2018, 2022
Florida	2	2012, 2014
Oklahoma	2	2011, 2017
South Carolina	2	2009, 2013
Texas	2	2006, 2019
Washington	2	2020, 2023

Other states with a single winner include Arkansas, North Carolina, Georgia, New Hampshire, New York, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Complete List of Miss America's Teen Titleholders

Here is a year-by-year breakdown of the winners:

• 2006: Meghan Miller (Texas)

• 2007: Maria DeSantis (New York)

• 2008: Caitlin Brunell (Virginia)

• 2009: Taylor Fitch (South Carolina)

• 2010: Jeanette Morelan (Wisconsin)

• 2011: Lacey Russ (Oklahoma)

• 2012: Elizabeth Fechtel (Florida)

• 2013: Rachel Wyatt (South Carolina)

• 2014: Leah Sykes (Florida)

• 2015: Olivia McMillan (Georgia)

• 2016: Allie Nault (New Hampshire)

• 2017: Nicole Jia (Oklahoma)

• 2018: Jessica Baeder (Alabama)

• 2019: London Hibbs (Texas)

• 2020: Payton May (Washington) — no competition held in 2020, so she held the title for two years

• 2021: No national pageant was held due to the COVID-19 pandemic

• 2022: Marcelle LeBlanc (Alabama)

• 2023: Morgan Greco (Washington)

• 2024: Hanley House (North Carolina)

• 2025: Peyton Bolling (Arkansas)

Miss America's Teen stands as a testament to the ambition, talent, and intelligence of young women nationwide. With states like Alabama, Florida, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Washington leading the charge with the most wins, the program continues to inspire future generations of scholars, artists, and leaders.