Nikkie Groat is a beauty queen from Matthews, North Carolina who has competed in the Miss Teen USA pageant. Groat's first pageant experience came in 2003 when she entered and won the Miss Union County pageant, which allowed her to enter the Miss North Carolina Teen USA pageant, where she was a top twelve semi-finalist. Groat competed again the following year. winning the Miss North Carolina Teen USA title in late 2004. As Miss North Carolina Teen USA, Groat was the "sister" titleholder to Chelsea Cooley, who was Miss North Carolina USA for five months before she won the Miss USA title. Groat represented North Carolina in the Miss Teen USA 2005 pageant televised live from Baton Rouge, Louisiana in August 2005. She failed to place in the nationally broadcast pageant, which was won by Allie LaForce of Ohio. In November 2005, Groat crowned Melissa Lingafelt as the new Miss North Carolina Teen USA. Lingafelt would later go on to place first runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2006. Born in Upland, California and brought up in Matthews, North Carolina where she moved in second grade, Groat attended Piedmont High School in Union County, North Carolina.<ref namePriceUnexpected/> She belongs to the National Honor Society and National Art Honor Society and is a member of Future Business Leaders of America.<ref namePriceUnexpected/>
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