The Miss North Carolina Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of North Carolina in the Miss Teen USA pageant and is part of the RPM Productions group.
North Carolina has been moderately successful at Miss Teen USA, but has never won the title. Their best placement was in 1987, 2006 and 2016 when Peggy Blackwell, Melissa Lingafelt and Emily Wakeman placed first runner-up respectively. North Carolina's greatest success came from the mid-1980s to early 1990s. North Carolina, along with Illinois and Florida, has the most Miss Photogenic award winners in the pageant with three each.
Six Miss North Carolina Teen USA's has crossed over to win the Miss North Carolina USA title. The first was Chelsea Cooley, who went on to win the Miss USA title and place in the top 10 at Miss Universe. The second was Erin O' Kelley, Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2001 who made the top 15 at Miss USA 2007. The third was Julia Dalton who was a second runner up in Miss Teen USA 2008. However, she didn't place at Miss USA 2015. And the fourth was Katie Coble, a second runner up in Miss Teen USA 2007 and a non finalist in Miss USA 2017. The fifth was Jane Axhoj, a second runner up in Miss Teen USA 2015. The sixth was McKenzie Hansley in 2024 placing in the top 20.
Kristen Dalton, who came in first-runner up at the 2005 Miss North Carolina Teen USA pageant to Nikkie Groat, went on to win Miss North Carolina USA in 2009, and won the title of Miss USA 2009. She represented the United States at the Miss Universe pageant in August 2009. Her younger sister Kenzie Dalton, who was first-runner up at the 2006 Miss North Carolina Teen USA pageant, became engaged to actor Chad Michael Murray the same year she placed first-runner up to Melissa Lingafelt (who placed first-runner to Katie Blair of Montana at Miss Teen USA 2006.) Their mother, Jeannie Dalton (Boger) was Miss North Carolina USA 1982, and their sister Julia Dalton was Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2008, and placed second-runner up to Stevi Perry of Arkansas at Miss Teen USA 2008. Julia was Miss North Carolina USA in 2015 and didn't place at the Miss USA 2015 pageant.
Their most recent placement came in 2022, when Gabriela Ortega placed in the top 16.
Trinity Locklear of Lumberton was crowned Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2026 on June 28, 2026, at The Spartanburg Marriott Hotel in Spartanburg. She will represent North Carolina at Miss Teen USA 2026.
Results summary Placements 1st runners-up: Peggy Blackwell (1987), Melissa Lingafelt (2006), Emily Wakeman (2016) 2nd runners-up: Katie Coble (2007), Julia Dalton (2008), Jane Axhoj (2015) 4th runner-up: Kaaviya Sambasivam (2018) Top 6: Holly Furman (1991), Rachel Adcock (1992), Ali Burr (1997) Top 10: Tracey Kaggell (1984), Kimberly Jordan (1985) Top 16: Kat Puryear (2012), Peyton Brown (2020), Gabriela Ortega (2022) North Carolina holds a record of 15 placements at Miss Teen USA.
Awards Miss Congeniality: Holly Furman (1991) Miss Photogenic: Rachel Adcock (1992), Melissa Lingafelt (2006), Gabriela Ortega (2022)
Winners
Color key
Year Name HometownAge1 Local title Placement at MTUSA Special awards at MTUSA Notes 2026 Trinity Locklear Lumberton TBA Miss Lumberton Teen 2025 Caroline Holmes Chattanooga, TN 17 Miss Mount Olive Teen Later 2026 America's Ideal Miss Teen 2024 Kaylee Stavlas Smithfield 17 Miss City of Oaks Teen 2023 Katie Setzer Hickory 17 Miss Mountain View Teen 2022 Gabriela Ortega Raleigh 16 Miss Wake County Teen Top 16 2021 Madison Grace "Madi" Walker Garner 18 Miss Garner Teen Previously Miss Teen World America 2019 2020 Peyton Brown Dunn 18 Miss Tri-County Teen Top 16 1st runner-up at Miss North Carolina's Outstanding Teen 2018 Previously Miss North Carolina World 2019 2019 Eliza Minor Harrisburg 15 Miss Harrisburg Teen 2018 Kaaviya Sambasivam Winston-Salem 18 Miss Forsyth County Teen 4th runner-up 2017 McKenzie "Kenzie" Hansley Hampstead 17 Miss Topsail Island Teen Previously Miss North Carolina's Outstanding Teen 2015; Later Miss North Carolina Collegiate America 2019 Later Miss District of Columbia Collegiate America 2020 Later Miss North Carolina USA 2024 Top 20 at Miss USA 2024 2016 Emily Wakeman Cornelius 18 Miss North Charlotte Teen 1st runner-up4th runner-up at Miss South Carolina 2021 2015 Jane Madison Axhoj Charlotte 16 Miss South Charlotte Teen 2nd runner-up Later Miss North Carolina USA 2020 2014 Pamela Michelle "Pammy" Peters Raleigh 17 Miss Charlotte Teen 2013 Kelsey Barberio Chapel Hill 18 Miss Chapel Hill Teen 2012 Katherine "Kat" Puryear Thomasville 18 Miss Thomasville Teen Top 16 Previously Miss North Carolina's Outstanding Teen 2009 3rd runner-up at the Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2010 pageant 2011 Vanessa McClelland Fayetteville 18 2010 Lauren Ashley Martz Salisbury 16 2009 Scarlett Howell Ansonville 16 2008 Julia Dalton Wilmington 16 2nd runner-up Later Miss North Carolina USA 2015 Daughter of Jeannie Dalton Boger, Miss North Carolina USA 1982 Sister of Kristen Dalton, Miss USA 2009 2007 Kaitlin "Katie" Coble Matthews 17 2nd runner-upLater Miss North Carolina USA 2017 2006 Melissa Gayle Lingafelt Concord 16 1st runner-up Miss Photogenic 2005 Nikkie Groat Matthews 17 2004 Elizabeth Claire Carty High Point 17 1st runner-up at Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2002 Later Miss United States Teen 2005 2003 Erin Elizabeth Hendricks High Point 18 2002 Brittany Davis Crews Wake Forest 15 1st runner-up at Miss North Carolina USA 2008 pageant 2001 Erin O'Kelley Asheville 15 Later Miss North Carolina USA 2007 Top 15 at Miss USA 2007 2000 Chelsea Scott Cooley Charlotte 16 Later Miss North Carolina USA 2005 Miss USA 2005 9th at Miss Universe 2005 Miss United States Teen 2001 1st runner-up at Miss Teen International 2001 1999 Stephanie HoltAlbemarle 18 1998 Lucy Parker Denver 19 1997 Alison "Ali" Burr Stanfield 17 Finalist 4th runner-up at Miss North Carolina USA 2000 1996 Tammy Ashton Gastonia 19 1995 Meridith Jackson High Point 18 1994 Valarie Beasley Dunn 16 1993 Wendy Williams Wade 15 Sister of Heidi Sue Williams, Miss North Carolina 1992 1992Rachel Adcock Conover 17 Top 6 Miss Photogenic 1991 Holly Furman Boone 17 Top 6 Miss Congeniality 1990 Heather Simmons Wilmington 16 1989 Kelly Sheppard Leicester 17 1988 Michelle Moore Fuquay-Varina 18 1987 Peggy Blackwell Fayetteville 17 1st runner-up 1986 Denise Jenkins Wilmington 16 1985 Kimberly Jordan Wilmington 17 Top 10 1984 Tracey Kaggell Waynesville 17 Top 10 1983 Janet Elaine Freeman Leicester 16 1 Age at the time of the Miss Teen USA pageant
References
External links Official website