Springfield teen earns first runner-up finish in Miss Missouri’s Teen contest

MEXICO, Mo. — Springfield’s Vegas Turner scored a first runner-up after competing to be crowned 2024’s Miss Missouri’s Teen in Mexico, Missouri Friday night.

Turner, a student at The Institute for American Musical Theatre, was chosen by judges as one of the five finalists to compete for Miss Missouri’s Teen after winning three preliminary awards earlier in the week for Best Rookie Talent, Best Overall Talent and Best Evening Gown.

In the final preliminary competition, Turner performed a musical theatre dance for her talent and advocated for “Dress Up Your Dreams” as her community service initiative.

The teen who was ultimately crowned Miss Missouri’s Teen was Bridget Caldwell of Florissant. She will be representing the Show Me State at the Miss America’s Teen competition in Orlando, Florida.

Caldwell won preliminary awards for the Overall Evening Gown award and the Overall Interview. She tap-danced to James Brown’s “I Feel Good” for her talent and advocated for her initiative of bringing youth closer to veterans.

Ava Powers of Kansas City was the second runner-up, followed by Greta Clark of Eureka and Mariah Turner of Kansas City.

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