ORLANDO--Two young women from the Mountain State are stepping into the national spotlight this week as they travel to Orlando, Florida, to represent West Virginia in the Miss America and Miss America’s Teen competitions.

Courtney Bearer, 23, of Morgantown, was crowned Miss West Virginia 2025 in June. A summa cum laude graduate of West Virginia University and the Community College of Beaver County, she now works as an account coordinator at Blaine Turner Advertising and previously taught dance. She will make history Thursday when she performs a hula hoop routine to “Wipeout,” the first time the talent has ever appeared on the Miss America stage.

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