Talent is worth a large percent of your overall score at Miss America’s Outstanding Teen pageant. All 51 contestants were extremely talented, but it was inevitable that there would be five finalists who the judges deemed had exceptional overall performances. Out of all the contestants, talents ranged from playing an instrument, to singing, dancing, and even speed painting. The wide range of talents made the competition even more difficult than it already was, for both the contestants and the judges. However, on the final night, the judges had to pick the top five contestants. Their talents were main aspects of what made them unique.

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The newly crowned, Miss America’s Outstanding Teen, Jessica Baeder, from the state of Alabama, amazed the audience in Orlando, with a jazz on pointe, to the song “Boogie Woogie Bugle.” She was able to liven up the stage, as well as, the audience with incredible flexibility and strength, in the way she stayed on her toes for the entirety of her performance. Steady in her movements and even accomplishing what looked like a moonwalk on pointe, Jessica kept the audience and the judges at the edge of their seats.

The first runner up, Annie Swan from the state of Georgia, is an incredible tap dancer. For her talent performance, she tapped to the song, “Hit the Road Jack.” This was especially memorable because of her steadiness in her spins; she was able to continuously turn for long periods at a time. Every beat was amplified with her tapping, proving that Annie is indeed an exceptional tap dancer!

The second runner up, Chloe Wildman from the state of Maryland, to Miss America’s Outstanding Teen definitely has a future involving sold out world tours. Her mesmerizing vocals to “Six Feet Down,” a song she wrote herself for her EP, “Unbroken”, soothed the audience. The inflections and emotions in her voice were absolutely enthralling. Chloe demonstrated that she is an expert at maintaining her pitch and hitting even the most difficult of high notes.

The third runner up, Stephanie Wendt from the state of Texas, to Miss America’s Outstanding Teen performed a lyrical dance to “I Believe.” Right off the bat, it was evident that Stephanie had incredible command of the dance form and understanding of the lyrics. Stephanie’s expressions conveyed the exact message of the song, while her remarkable flexibility enhanced the performance and made it engaging for the audience.

The fourth runner up, Katie Preston from the state of Michigan, to Miss America’s Outstanding Teen could be on Broadway with her unbelievable vocals. She sang a song from the Phantom of the Opera as her talent, and did more than justice to it. The depth of her voice definitely made a lasting impact on the audience. Her voice had profound clarity when it came to singing the lyrics as well as reaching the high notes. Katie’s performance, without a doubt, stunned her audience.