The Miss New Jersey Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of New Jersey in the Miss Teen USA pageant.

Miss New Jersey Teen USA
Formation1983
TypeBeauty pageant
HeadquartersNewark
Location
Membership
Miss Teen USA
Official language
English
Key people
Deborah Miller
Cindy Provost
WebsiteOfficial website
Chenoa Greene, Miss New Jersey USA 2010 and Erica Scymanski, Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2010 appearing in a St. Patrick's Day parade
Alyssa Campanella, Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2007, first runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2007, Miss California USA 2011, and Miss USA 2011.

New Jersey has had a moderated success at Miss Teen USA, with ten placements. In the first twenty years of the competition, New Jersey only recorded three placements; from 2003 they placed in four of five years. New Jersey's first top five placement came in 2003 when Jacklyn Pezzotta placed fourth runner-up, and this was bettered in 2007 when Alyssa Campanella placed 1st runner up.

Three New Jersey teens (2001, 2006, and 2008) have held the Miss New Jersey USA title and competed at Miss USA. Alyssa Campanella, Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2007, competed twice for Miss New Jersey USA, but relocated to California and won Miss California USA and won the title of Miss USA 2011, the first former Miss New Jersey Teen USA titleholder to win Miss USA, regardless of the representing state.

Isabella Galan of Wayne was crowned Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2022 on April 3, 2022 at Hilton Parsippany Hotel in Parsipanny. She will represent New Jersey for the title of Miss Teen USA 2022.

Results summary

Placements

  • Miss Teen USA: UmaSofia Srivastava (2023)
  • 1st runners-up: Alyssa Campanella (2007)
  • 4th runners-up: Jacklyn Pezzotta (2003), Valentina Sanchez (2014)
  • Top 10: Rosalie Cuzo (1986), Michelle Knipfelberg (1988), Rachael Carrollo (2004), Julianna White (2006)
  • Top 12: Kelli Paarz (1994)
  • Top 15/16: Savannah Schechter (2011), Christina Thompson (2013), JaeLynn Polanco (2020)

New Jersey holds a record of 12 placements at Miss Teen USA.

Awards

  • Miss Photogenic: Jacklyn Pezzotta (2003), Briahna Reinstein (2017), Ava Tortorici (2019)
  • Miss Congeniality: Savannah Schechter (2011)
  • Best State Costume: UmaSofia Srivastava (2023)

Winners

Color key
  •   Declared as Winner
  •   Ended as runner-up
  •   Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
Year Name Hometown Age1 Placement at Miss Teen USA Special awards at Miss Teen USA Notes
2024 TBA TBA TBA TBA
2023 UmaSofia Srivastava Morris Plains 15 Miss Teen USA 2023 Best State Costume
2022 Isabella Galan Wayne 17
2021 Delaney Musgrave Lawrenceville 18 Eligible as a student of Lawrenceville School at the time of crowning
2020 JaeLynn Polanco Bergenfield 16 Top 16
2019 Ava Tortorici Montclair 18
2018 Diana Smerina Freehold 16
2017 Briahna Reinstein Englishtown 16 Miss Photogenic
2016 Gina Mellish Oceanport 16 Later Miss New Jersey USA 2020, finished Top 10 at Miss USA 2020
2015 Jacqueline Giancola East Brunswick 17
2014 Valentina Sánchez Spring Lake Heights 18 4th runner-up Previously Miss Teen Model Venezuela 2011; later competed Miss Venezuela 2020 represented Nueva Esparta, finished in Top 5; later Miss Supranational Venezuela 2021
2013 Christina Thompson Holmdel 16 Top 16 Daughter of Hallie Bonnell Thompson, Miss Ohio USA 1987; later Miss Virginia USA 2021
2012 Kendal Barrett Montclair 15
2011 Savannah Schechter[1] Far Hills 17 Top 15 Miss Congeniality
2010 Erica Szymanski Mt. Laurel 17
2009 Alexa Brunetti Brigantine 18
2008 Michelle Leonardo Tinton Falls 17 Miss Teen United States - World 2009; Later Miss New Jersey USA 2012 and top 10 at Miss USA 2012
2007 Alyssa Campanella Manalapan 17 1st runner-up Later Miss California USA 2011 and Miss USA 2011
2006 Julianna White Haddon Township 17 Top 10 Later Miss New Jersey USA 2011
2005 Regina Villano Tabernacle 18 Host of Solo Generation & Linerocket Live. Actress on All my Children & Guiding Light, Appeared on Reality Show " True Beauty " season 2
2004 Rachael Carrollo Wantage 17 Top 10
2003 Jacklyn Pezzotta Little Egg Harbor 17 4th runner-up Miss Photogenic 2nd runner-up to Miss New Jersey USA 2007 & 2008
2002 Sheri Drach National Park 15 Contestant at National Sweetheart 2006
2001 Erin Abrahamson Essex Fells 17 1st runner-up at Miss New Jersey USA 2007 and assumed the title after the original winner Ashley Harder disqualified due to pageant rules, later crowned Miss New Jersey USA 2007 & Mrs. New Jersey 2015
2000 Ulrica Udani Marmora 18
1999 Nicole Marie Golas Deptford Township 19
1998 Melissa Dungao Princeton 17
1997 Lauren Petty Point Pleasant 19
1996 Jessica Ponzo Williamstown 15 Youngest Contestant at Miss Teen USA 1996
1995 Joyce Houseknecht Deptford 18 Actress Katrina Law
1994 Kelli Paarz Linwood 18 Semi-finalist Sister of Kerri Paarz, Miss New Jersey Teen USA 1991, later Miss New Jersey USA 1998
1993 Heather Brenner Absecon 19
1992 Lori Schmidt Haledon 16
1991 Kerri Paarz Linwood 17 Sister of Kelli Paarz, Miss New Jersey Teen USA 1994
1990 Jennifer Giordano Bedminster 17
1989 Yvonne Christiano Parsippany 18
1988 Michelle Knipfelberg Edison 18 Semi-finalist
1987 Tara Eldridge Voorhees 18
1986 Rosalie Cuzo Colts Neck 17 Semi-finalist
1985 Sharon Turner Beachwood 17
1984 Tracy Grennon Wyckoff 18
1983 Sheri Drummond Lake Hiawatha 18

1 Age at the time of the Miss Teen USA pageant

References

  1. ^ Karas, David (October 3, 2010). "TCNJ senior crowned Miss New Jersey". NJ.com. Retrieved October 5, 2010.

External links