Top 20 America's Next Top Model Runners-Up That Should've Won

#20: Jeana Turner

Cycle 24

She built the kind of résumé that makes a runner-up finish sting. Before her first elimination, she had already landed three second call-outs and won two challenges back-to-back. Those victories tested very different skills: selling Jourdan Dunn’s athleisure in a mirror selfie and excelling in a stop-motion movement challenge. Her regular call-out average was 3.45, second only to Khrystyana Kazakova’s and notably stronger than eventual winner Kyla Coleman’s 4.17. Of course, Jeana’s path was anything but spotless; she hit the bottom, went home, and had to fight her way back. Still, the numbers show how often she delivered before things unraveled. Add her distinctive look and versatility across photo, video, and movement, and that runner-up finish becomes much easier to question.

#19: Chelsey Hersley

Cycle 15

Ann Ward dominated the photo panel, but this model proved herself elsewhere. She won three challenges: Zac Posen’s runway test, the Milan go-sees, and a one-on-one with Vogue Italia editor Franca Sozzani. She was also considered the stronger runway walker and stood out for her fashion knowledge and determination. Ann’s unprecedented five-week best-photo streak made her a formidable winner, especially in high fashion. Still, Chelsey’s versatility made her a compelling alternative for the crown, especially because she kept succeeding in different areas throughout the competition, right up to the very end.

#18: Mamé Adjei

Cycle 22

Pageant experience gave her polish, but she quickly proved she was far more than a beauty queen. Her runway presence was commanding enough for Tyra to compare her finale walk to her own Victoria’s Secret days, and Tyra also praised her passion and drive. Mamé had striking, modelesque features and proved professionally bookable, landing every designer at the go-sees. She paired that presence with confidence, adaptability, and consistency across the competition. Nyle DiMarco was a compelling winner, but Mamé’s runway skill, marketability, and professionalism made her an equally convincing choice.

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#17: Laura LaFrate

Cycle 18

The camera seemed to bring out her boldest instincts. Laura built a portfolio around expressive, high-impact images, and contemporary coverage noted how strongly she was finishing the competition. By the final Vogue Italia shoot, fashion editor Valentina Serra said she would book Laura over Sophie based on their work that day. She also earned consecutive first call-outs during the Macau leg of the competition, confirming that her late surge was more than narrative hype. Runway was less comfortable territory, but her photographic confidence, individuality, and momentum made Sophie Sumner’s victory far from inevitable.

#16: Mercedes Scelba-Shorte

Cycle 2

Some finalists shine brightest in stills; this model could command attention in motion too. Her easy charm and commercial appeal gave her obvious marketability, but she proved more adaptable than the judges’ “too commercial” critique suggested. By the final beauty shoot, she had convincingly crossed into high fashion. Then came the Dsquared² runway, where the judges felt she outperformed Yoanna. Her later advertising work only validated that versatility. Yoanna House ultimately took the title, but Mercedes offered personality, camera appeal, and runway confidence in a package that looked ready to work.

#15: Will Jardell

Cycle 21

By the finale, this contestant had built a serious case for taking the title. He could translate his appeal across formats, booking two Style Fashion Week shows before later topping the panel with his Mitch Stone campaign. In Seoul, his MCM image became one of Kelly Cutrone’s favorites from her judging tenure. His Tyra Beauty commercial also drew a stronger response in contemporary coverage than Keith Carlos’s in the finale. Keith had star appeal, but Will had proved he could handle runway, advertising, and fashion photography. That season-long versatility made the final decision debatable.

#14: Kiara Belen

Cycle 19

She was at her best whenever modeling demanded more than posing for a photograph. A basketball captain, Kiara credited athleticism, competitiveness, and coachability for her adaptability. She won performance-heavy challenges for Tyler Perry and Alicia Keys, booked a job at the go-sees, and won a Jamaica tourism challenge that required filming a commercial on horseback. Then her Dream Come True fragrance shot earned best photo just before the finale. Laura James was formidable, but Kiara had demonstrated runway command, commercial instincts, and camera growth—making her a plausible winner in a cycle built to test far more than photographs alone.

#13: Raina Hein

Cycle 14

Photography was where this finalist made her strongest claim to the title. Raina was consistently identified as the stronger print model, and she earned best photo in a demanding wind-and-rain shoot. Even at the finale, her CoverGirl beauty shot drew praise while Krista’s close-up divided opinion. Runway was Krista’s clearer advantage, and her late-cycle momentum made the win understandable. Still, Raina’s camera strength, fresh commercial appeal, and immediate post-show booking as the face of a Dubai retailer suggest the judges had another highly marketable winner standing beside her all along.

#12: Chantal Jones

Cycle 9

One bizarre runway mishap may have obscured how competitive this finalist had been. Chantal entered the showdown after two consecutive first call-outs and held a slightly better average call-out record than Saleisha. The judges also saw both editorial edge and mainstream accessibility in her. Then her dress accidentally tripped a stilt performer during the final runway, briefly rattling her while Saleisha delivered the stronger walk. That stumble mattered, but Chantal had already shown enough photographic strength and versatility to make the final choice far less obvious than the runway suggested.

#11: Kahlen Rondot

Cycle 4

Long before the finale, this contender had built one of the season’s strongest photographic records. Kahlen earned three first call-outs, never landed in the bottom two until the final three, and finished with a better average call-out than Naima Mora. At final judging, the panel gave her the edge for her season-long portfolio, while her CoverGirl image also impressed. Naima decisively owned the last runway, giving the judges a reason to crown her. Still, if consistency behind the camera carried equal weight, Kahlen had done more than enough to win.

#10: Joanie Dods

Cycle 6

When it came down to the wire in this cycle, Joanie and Danielle Evans made for an extremely strong top two. In the final deliberation, the judges even stated it was the hardest win they’d had to call. But despite her loss, Joanie had an absolutely stellar track record in the competition. During the six weeks before the finale, Danielle had one first call-out while Joanie came out on top a record-breaking five times. And while Danielle killed the final runway walk, the judging panel admitted that Joanie had a chameleon-like quality that would make her a successful model. If ever there were a time to declare a tie, this would have been it.

#9: Melrose Bickerstaff

Cycle 7

There’s no question that Cycle 7’s winner CariDee English is a talented model who was well-liked by fans. But although her fellow competitor Melrose wasn’t always the most lovable contestant, she had confidence, personality, and individuality in spades. And with three top performances and two stints in the bottom, her track record was pretty similar to CariDee. Melrose also stood out by showing off a diverse skill set. She was great at interviewing Janice Dickinson, used a dining table as a catwalk, and was good at attending go-sees. In the finale, CariDee nailed her CoverGirl photo. But Melrose’s runway walk was stronger and the judges acknowledged her other strong qualities. Love her or hate her, her tireless work should’ve secured her the win.

#8: Yaya Dacosta

Cycle 3

Admittedly, Yaya Dacosta was a divisive contestant. While she demonstrated a natural talent for posing with little experience, the judges criticized what they saw as her condescending attitude. She excelled through most of the competition and attracted high praise for her photographs before struggling with challenges in Japan. Despite her setbacks, she had as many first callouts as the winner Eva Marcille. Yaya also appeared at the bottom fewer times. Although some judges advocated for her in the finale, she was still edged out by the undeniably fierce Eva. Despite her loss, the entertainment industry picked up on Yaya’s obvious star power. She would go on to nab a lead role on NBC’s “Chicago Med.”

#7: Molly O’Connell

Cycle 16

Brittani Kline’s win came as a surprise to some viewers. Although her fellow competitor Molly was put through one of the show’s worst-ever makeovers, she dealt with it professionally. She went on to have more best photos in the weeks leading up to the finale than the winner. Molly could also keep an easygoing personality in times of high pressure. By contrast, Brittani was the center of much drama, even at photoshoots. And while the judges would go on to punish future finalists for falling during the final runway show, Brittani did so and managed to score the win anyway. Even the judges admitted that Molly’s portfolio was superior. But the fierce blonde still didn’t take home the crown.

#6: Leila Goldkuhl

Cycle 19

In the show’s “College Edition,” Leila stood out for her bubbly personality, tenacious attitude, and signature smile. Since the judges thought she had great potential, it was shocking to see her get eliminated five episodes in. But the fashion student’s social media score allowed her to return. While Leila notably had an accident during the final runway show, her last photo was acclaimed and she was beloved by the editor-in-chief of Nylon magazine. She went on to show that she had what it took to win. But her high fashion features and track record that was arguably more consistent than winner Laura’s only got her 3rd place. Thankfully, since her loss, she’s enjoyed one of the most prolific careers of any “Top Model” alum.

#5: Jenah Doucette

Cycle 9

“Top Model” can be frustrating at times for the judges’ shifting criteria of what makes a winner. Cycle 9 exemplified this with Jenah. Although the panel admitted she took amazing photographs, she came under fire for an ostensibly prickly personality. But she argued that her personality was just misunderstood. In the dramatic finale, Tyra admitted that while winner Sal had modelling experience, Jenah had one of the show’s strongest portfolios of all time with little experience. Given the high praise she received, it was downright confusing that she was not only NOT given the top spot, but she wasn’t even allowed to compete in the finale.

#4: Khrystyana Kazakova

Cycle 24

The 24th Cycle of “Top Model” removed the upper age limit for the first time and aimed to celebrate a wider range of appearances. Khrystyana shined as a 32-year-old plus-size model who placed third but won us over with a striking look and bubbly personality. She also had as many first call-outs as the winner Kyla and boasted a whopping six challenge wins to boot. But Khrystyana was upset by a twist in the penultimate episode. Jeana Turner was saved after elimination by designer Philipp Plein and made it into the final two. However, we think Khrystyana’s track record and body positivity should’ve merited her consideration as a finalist.

#3: Nik Pace

Cycle 5

When Nicole Linkletter was chosen as the winner over runner-up Nik in cycle 4, some fans were confused by this outcome. Nik was undeniably fierce, with a strong presence and consistency week-to-week that her competitor lacked. Even the judging panel admitted that she was an excellent model right out of the gate. Viewers also took a liking to the Atlanta native and she was voted fan-favorite six times across the competition. But in the finale, some judges focused an awful lot on Nik’s “bouncy” walk. Despite having more best photos and obvious editorial and commercial prospects, she still wasn’t the winner. Ford Models would later see her talent and sign her.

#2: Anya Rozova

Cycle 10

It was fantastic to see Whitney Thompson make history as the first plus-size winner of “Top Model.” However, fans had expected Anya Rozova to secure the win. She had a stronger record than Whitney during the competition. In all but one week, Anya was called before the winner. She also enjoyed five top placements compared to her competitor’s one. And while Whitney was in the bottom a whopping four times, Anya was never up for elimination. To top it all off, the judges sometimes had issues with Whitney’s personality. But Anya’s strong performance still wasn’t enough to overcome her fellow competitor. As entertaining as the show was, it could be downright frustrating for the clear frontrunner to miss out on the all-important title.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Natasha Galkina, Cycle 8

The Judges’ Repeated Praise Made Her a Credible Finalist

Samantha Potter, Cycle 11

Commercial Appeal and High-Fashion Photos Made Her Seriously Versatile

Laura Kirkpatrick, Cycle 13

Fan-Favorite Charm and Strong Runway Skills Made Her Hard to Dismiss

#1: Allison Harvard

Cycle 17

Fans can’t talk about contestants who were robbed on “Top Model” without talking about Allison.That first run established her distinctive wide-eyed look and wonderfully offbeat persona as one of the cycle’s most memorable presences.But she was edged out by the fantastic Teyona Anderson. So when Allison returned for the show’s only all-stars season, many viewers had high hopes — and she delivered. Lisa D’Amato, who was declared the winner after Angelea Preston’s controversial disqualification, had loads of personality but lacked both polish and consistency. Allison performed just as well as she did on her stellar first appearance on the show. It felt like an unusually cruel twist of fate for her to place as runner-up twice. Understandably, the model’s fans took issue with this all-important season’s outcome.

Which contestant had the best portfolio of the entire series? Drop your pick in the comments!