Pageant News Bureau - Miss Teen USA 2004, Page 8

The queen's last wave

Tami Farrell is cute. That's the first thing you notice about her, at least when she's not wearing the Miss Teen USA crown. She looks healthy, happy, adorable. Nice.

Some cute girls are not beautiful, and some beautiful girls are not cute. With Ms. Farrell, it's hard to say, because she takes "cute" further than anybody we've ever seen. When she smiles, it doesn't even matter if she's beautiful.

During the swimsuit competition in last year's pageant, one of our writers said, "Who would have thought she would have such a terrific body! She looks so goody-goody."

Photo courtesy of Miss Universe L.P., LLLP

Another replied, "The less she wears, the more wholesome she looks."

That's cute.

People in the pageant business who have gotten to know Ms. Farrell rarely speak of her in pageant terms. "Tami Farrell was there," one says. "That was Tami on the phone. Such a nice girl!" says another. She's Miss Teen USA, but the title doesn't define her.

Whoever replaces her, we're going to miss this cute Oregonian. Her smile stays with you.

A real lift

Jessica McRaney has a great line to sum up the girls at the 2004 Miss Teen USA Pageant: "Anybody here can do it." It's a classy thought, and very much on the money.

Surprisingly, this daughter of Mississippi used to wonder if she could do it. It took her friends quite a while to persuade her to compete in the state contest. And even after all the tips and pep talks, she looked out at her competition and said, "I don't think I'll win. I'm not that good."

Photo courtesy of Miss Universe L.P., LLLP

But she did win, and yes, she was that good. That victory was one of the best things that ever happened to her, and not just because it meant a ticket to Palm Springs. It gave her a confidence she had never had before, according to those close to her.

Ms. McRaney would love to win Miss Teen USA. Like all 50 of her rivals, she is determined to win Miss Teen USA. But she doesn't have to win to fulfill her life. She knows what she can do now, and she likes what she sees.

One more thought from Jessica McRaney about the girls in Palm Springs: "They're all so nice."

Photo courtesy of Miss Universe L.P., LLLP

It's Autumn

Autumn Muller made the cover of PNB last winter when she and her "big sister," Miss Montana USA Molly Flynn, jumped into an icy mountain lake. They were in swimsuits, of course. It was a brave, famous moment. It was done for charity.

We wondered then what Ms. Muller was thinking about as she jumped. Maybe she was trying to imagine herself in the dry, overpowering heat of Palm Springs. Now, as she and her competitors feel the Palm Springs sun in the hottest part of summer, we wonder if she's trying to imagine that icy mountain water.

So we've seen Autumn in winter and summer. Hey, that ought to be a song. If you'll write it, we'll sing it.

The whole world talks about the beauty of Montana -- big, breathtaking, colorful. But for years, we at PNB have been talking about the girls of Montana. Year in and year out, they're spectacular. Any season. Any temperature.

Like sisters

Helen Marie Salas, Miss Nevada Teen USA 2004, and Susie Castillo, Miss USA 2003, look a lot alike.

Photo by Joe Whiteko /PNB

Aug. 6, 2004, in Palm Springs, Calif.