Miss Missouri Sophia Dominguez-Heithoff is crowned Miss Teen USA 2017

— -- Meet the new Miss Teen USA: Sophia Dominguez-Heithoff!

Miss Missouri beat out 51 contestants, from every U.S. state and the District of Columbia, to take home the crown Saturday night inside Phoenix Symphony Hall in Arizona.

The 17-year-old Kansas City native impressed judges and the audience alike during the question-and-answer portion of the competition. Dominguez-Heithoff explained her efforts to lobby the Missouri legislature to pass a law to aid adults with developmental disabilities.

Along with Miss Missouri, the other top five finalists included Miss Oregon Vanessa Matheson, Miss Nevada Alexis Smith, Miss California Jaanu Patel, and Miss Indiana Paige Robinson.

Dominguez-Heithoff takes over the crown from controversial Miss Teen USA Karlie Hay. The 19-year-old made headlines after taking responsibility for using the n-word on her personal Twitter account. Her Twitter account is now protected.