Pageant News Bureau - Miss Teen USA 2003, Page 6

TV beauty

You learned in school that Delaware is the birthplace of the American chemical industry, but you may not have heard that it's also the birthplace of American pageants.

Beauty queens from the state tend to have interesting histories, and Ashley James is no exception. Her mother is an executive in fitness pageants, and Ms. James grew up to be good at both athletics and beauty competitions.

She made her pageant debut when she was 2 or 3, as best she can remember. "I was very, very little." And in sports, she has been a school standout for years. "Field hockey, softball, I've played them all." As delicate and feminine as she looks, she has a reputation for bearing injuries like a Spartan warrior.

In autumn, Ms. James starts classes at the University of Delaware. She's undecided on a major, but she's currently leaning toward psychology or fashion merchandising, which have more in common than you might think at first.

But what she really likes is television. Not watching it, being on it. She recently went to a modeling expo, and "I won TV beauty." Who can argue with the experts?If she wins Miss Teen USA (on television, of course), she will have to put off college for a while. "Darn!" she says. Sometimes dreams show up early.

Photos courtesy of Miss Universe L.P., LLLP

Connecticut, baby!

Nina Musumeci babysat her way to pageant stardom. Strange but true.

"I used to babysit for a former Mrs. Connecticut," Ms. Musumeci recalls. "She said I should try competing." It only took one pageant to prove that lady right.

We wondered what would make a babysitter look to a trained eye like a potential Miss Teen USA. So we asked Ms. Musumeci what people in general say about her appearance. She thought a minute. "People say I look like Britney Spears." Mmmm, maybe so.

Nina Musumeci,
Miss Connecticut Teen USA

Some new beauty queens make a show of being wide-eyed and delighted. But with Ms. Musumeci, it's the real thing. There's nothing scripted about her. She likes field hockey, "Friends," modeling and meeting people. She wants to get into acting, and she wants to win that national title.

And isn't her name marvelous? Nina Musumeci. So Italian, so musical, so feminine. It melts in your mouth like tiramisu.

She's got the look. She's got the name. Can fame be far behind?

Photos courtesy of Miss Universe L.P., LLLP

Peak performance

Karis Donahue lives near Rocky Mountain National Park, one of the most spectacular places on Earth. "No matter what season, it's gorgeous," she says.

Snowboarding and skiing are favorite winter pastimes in her area, but both leave Ms. Donahue cold. She has always preferred ice skating. It's one winter sport you can do even in summer, if you have the right facilities. She skated competitively until she was 14, hoping to be like her idol, Nancy Kerrigan.

Karis Donahue,
Miss Colorado Teen USA

Then Ms. Donahue tried something else. "I got into pageants. They said I was very graceful." And she was very good. She can count on one hand the number of times she has competed, and she's already in the upper ranks. What a blast! Nancy Kerrigan will be watching her on television.

Whatever happens next in pageants, Ms. Donahue plans to do more modeling and eventually pursue a career in fashion design. There's just one thing she doesn't want to do: leave Colorado for good.

Since this is nickname year, we had to ask about hers. It's "Karsi." Her real name is Karis, and her nickname is Karsi. In an odd way, it's easy to remember, even if we don't quite understand it.

Photos courtesy of Miss Universe L.P., LLLP

More on Miss Teen USA 2003 . . .

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Aug. 12, 2003, in Palm Springs, Calif.