Does Prelim Placement Really Matter?

With today's lottery for competition order, there is probably much angst among those states that didn't get to select their spot until after 40 other states had chosen, and there was nothing left but the first slots in each group.

Does preliminary placement really matter?

NO.

If you are a strong contestant, the judges will find you no matter where you are in the line-up.

I've analyzed the preliminary competition orders going back to 1992, when Miss America instituted  "composite scoring." Unfortunately I only have results for 21 of those 22 years.  The 2004 program book does not list competition order for prelims, and I didn't attend that year.

If anyone has those records, please email me so I can update the list.

First, everyone should know that since 1992, at least one Top 10 Finalist has come from EVERY spot (except one---and even that spot has made Top 15 twice, Top 20 once, and has a Non-Finalist Talent Award in a fourth year).

So, I'm sure you might be interested in knowing who got the sweet spots, the spots that do better than others in making Top 10.

For comparison, check out this lineup from 1978, back in the days of ballots (before every contestant got points from every judge in every category).  Half of the Top 10 came from the five final talents seen in preliminary competition on Friday night.

1978 SIGMA Group

Here's the list:

# 1 - MU 13 (Minnesota) - This spot has made the Top 10 ten times since 1992 with one of those contestants placing as 4th Runner-up. It also has four Swimsuit wins, a Talent win, and three Non-Finalist Talent (NFT) awards.

# 2 - SIGMA 15 (Kentucky) - Eight Top 10s, including  a 3rd RU, three 4th RUs, and a Top 7 placement, as well as a Talent win and five NFTs. 

# 3 - SIGMA 9 (Arkansas) -  Eight Top 10s, including a 1st, a 3rd, and a 4th RU, as well as four Talent wins, two Swimsuit wins, a Top 15, and three NFTs.

# 4 - ALPHA 12 (Iowa) - Eight Top 10s, including KIM AIKEN, a 1st RU, a 2nd RU, two 3rd RUs, a 4th RU, and a Top 8, as well as a Top 15 and three Swimsuit wins.

# 5 - SIGMA 16 (Tennessee) - Seven Top 10s, including HEATHER FRENCH, ANGELA PEREZ BARAQUIO, and LAUREN NELSON, as well as three Swimsuit wins, two Talent wins, and an NFT.

# 6 - ALPHA 11 (New Jersey) - Seven Top 10s, including a 1st RU, a 2nd RU, and a 4th RU, as well as two Top 15s, a Top 20, three Swimsuit wins, two Talent wins, and three NFTs.

# 7 - ALPHA 9 (District of Columbia) - Seven Top 10s, including SHAWNTEL SMITH, two 1st RUs, a 2nd RU, a 3rd RU, and a Top 8, as well as two Top 15s, a Top 20, three Swimsuit wins, three Talent wins, and three NFTs.

# 8 - ALPHA 10 (Georgia) - Seven Top 10s, including KATE SHINDLE, as well as a Swimsuit win and three Talent wins.

# 9 - SIGMA 14 (Indiana) - Six Top 10s, including two 2nd RUs, and a Top 7, as well as a Talent win and six NFTs.

#10 - ALPHA 1 (Maryland) - Six Top 10s, including LAURA KAEPPELER, a 1st RU, and a 4th RU, as well as a Top 20, two Swimsuit wins, a Talent win, and two NFTs.

# 11 - SIGMA 11 (South Dakota) - Six Top 10s, including a 2nd RU and two 4th RUs, as well as two Swimsuit wins and two NFTs.

#12 - ALPHA 15 (New Mexico) - Six Top 10s, including a 1st RU, two 3rd RUs,and a 4th RU, as well as a Top 12, a Top 20, a Talent win, and an NFT.

#13 - MU 9 (Michigan) - Six Top 10s, including  two 2nd RUs and a 3rd RU, as well as a Talent win and two NFTs.

#14 - MU 1 (Wisconsin) - Five Top 10s, including a 2nd RU and a 3rd RU, as well as a Top 16, three Swimsuit wins, two Talent wins, and three NFTs.

# 15 - SIGMA 17 (Texas) - Five Top 10s, including TARA DAWN HOLLAND, as well as two 1st RUs and a 4th RU, as well as four Swimsuit wins, a Talent win, and four NFTs.

#16 - SIGMA 1 (California) - Five Top 10s, including a 1st RU and two 2nd RUs, as well as a Top 15 and a Top 20, two Swimsuit wins and an NFT.

#17 -  ALPHA 6 (Utah) - Five Top 10s, including CARESSA CAMERON, a 2nd RU and a 4th RU, as well as a Top 12, three Swimsuit wins, a Talent win, and an NFT.

#18 - ALPHA 17 (Ohio) - Five Top 10s, including KATIE HARMON and a 4th RU, as well as a Top 16, four Talent wins, a Swimsuit win, and an NFT.

#19 - MU 11 (Oklahoma) - Five Top 10s, including two 1st RUs and a 3rd RU, as well as two Swimsuit wins, three Talent wins and three NFTs.

#20 - ALPHA 3 (Virgin Islands) - Five Top 10s, including two 3rd RUs and a 4th RU, as well as two Top 15s, two Swimsuit wins, a Talent win, and two NFTs.

ERICKA DUNLAP and TERESA SCANLAN came from MU 10 (Connecticut)
ERICA HAROLD came from ALPHA 8 (West Virginia)
KATIE STAM came from SIGMA 5 (Rhode Island)
MALLORY HAGAN came from SIGMA 6 (Oregon)
NINA DAVALURI came from SIGMA 7 (North Carolina)
JENNIFER BERRY came from SIGMA 12 (Florida)
KRISTEN HAGLUND came from MU 7 (Alabama)
LEANZA CORNETT came from MU 8 (Nevada)
NICOLE JOHNSON came from MU 12 (Pennsylvania)
HEATHER WHITESTONE came from MU 14 (Virginia)

Any 2014 State Titleholder reading this information should remember what I said before, the judges will find you no matter where you are in the group.  Don't sweat it, just do your best in every category!