A new Miss Louisiana USA and Miss Teen Louisiana USA were crowned on Saturday night at the Heymann Performing Arts Center in Lafayette.

Miss Ville Platte Candice Bennatt earned the crown for Miss Louisiana USA while Miss Northshore Teen Katherine Haik was crowned Miss Teen Louisiana USA.

There were about 50 contestants from across the state competing for each title. Contestants were judged on three major areas: interview, swimsuit and evening gown.

In order to compete in the pageant, contestants have to be between the ages of 14 and 26, U.S. citizens, single and never married, never given birth to a child and a resident or full-time college student in Louisiana.

Both Bennatt and Haik will move on to compete at the national level for Miss USA and Miss Teen USA.

In the 63-year history of the Miss USA pageant, there have been three Miss Louisianas that have taken the crown.

Eurlyne Howell of Bossier City in 1958, Sharon Brown of Minden in 1961 and of course Breaux Bridge's Ali Landry in 1996 are the past winners from the Bayou State.

Since the Miss Teen USA pageant began in 1983, Louisiana has had only one winner. In 2004 Destrahan's Shelley Hennig took home the crown. Since then, she has gone on to a successful acting career. She currently has a role on MTV's Teen Wolf as the character Malia Tate.

 

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