Miss Teen New Hampshire Janel Bishop is the new Miss Teen USA.
Miss Teen Georgia Meredith Young was first runner-up, and Miss Teen Missouri Audra Sherman was second runner-up among the 51 contestants at Biloxi, Miss.Bishop, 17, of Manchester, N.H., was crowned by the outgoing holder of the pageant title, Bridgette Wilson of Gold Beach, Ore.
Bishop will receive more than $150,000 in cash and prizes, including a $30,000 employment contract and a new car. The televised pageant's sponsor is Miss Universe Inc.
Young, 18, is from Cairo, Ga., and Sherman, 18, is from Sikeston, Mo.
A student at Manchester West High School, Bishop said she wanted to pursue a career in education.
Asked, as part of the competition interview, what the toughest thing facing teenagers today was, she responded: "I think it's peer pressure. A lot of teens have a hard time being themselves and let others lead them around. I think peer counseling groups in schools are very important. It has worked in our school."