Competing for the crown! 52 of America's most gorgeous women strut their stuff in skimpy swimwear and glamorous evening gowns at the Miss USA prelims as they vie for a spot in the pageant finals

Fifty-two of the most beautiful women in the country will compete for the title of Miss USA this weekend, but on Wednesday night, the contestants vied to win America's hearts during the preliminary pageant.

Miss USA 2015 Olivia Jordan hosted this week's swimsuit and evening gown competition alongside pageant choreographer Stephani Kammer and Nashville-based pageant aficionado Nick Teplitz at the at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

All 52 contestants strutted down the runway in their gowns and bikinis in the hopes of being becoming one of the 15 finalists who will be highlighted on Sunday's telecast, which is being hosted by Terrence Jenkins and Julianne Hough. 

Strutting their stuff: Abby Floyd, 19, of Arkansas and Sibahn Doxey, 23, of Montana were just two of the 52 contestants who competed in the Miss USA preliminary swimsuit and evening gown competition on Wednesday evening 

Showing off: Miss Kentucky, 20-year-old Kyle Hornback, Miss Michigan, 26-year-old Susie Leica, and Miss Massachusetts, 21-year-old Whitney Sharpe, all opted for bikinis for the competition, which was held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada

Great minds: Peyton Brown, 22, of Alabama and Leah Lawson, 22, of South Carolina wore the same cleavage-enhancing suit but in different patterns 

Model Ashley Graham will also be co-hosting the event backstage, while the Backstreet Boys and Chris Young are slated to perform. 

During the preliminary pageant, which was live streamed on Facebook, YouTube, and the Miss USA site, Olivia looked stunning in a showstopping a hot pink strapless gown featuring a thigh-high slit and an embellished crystal belt around her waist. 

As for the contestants, the ladies opted for a variety of styles when it came to choosing the gowns they hoped would launch them straight into the top 15. 

Miss Oklahoma, 24-year-old Taylor Gorton, wore a jaw-dropping velvet gown with a plunging neckline, while Miss California, 20-year-old Nadia Mejia looked breezy and elegant in a peach, chiffon gown. 

Ready for summer: Daniella Rodriguez, 19, of Texas and Kate Redeker, 19, of Wisconsin modeled patterned bikinis of their choosing 

Get it girl: Chelsea Hardin, 24, of Hawaii, Victoria Wiggins, 26, of Kansas, and Alissa Morrison, 24, of Iowa were all smiles as they strut their stuff in front of the enthusiastic audience 

Personal style: Miss South Dakota, 21-year-old Madison McKeown showed off her trim figure in white, while Miss California, 20-year-old Nadia Mejia, opted for a playful pattern 

White was a popular choice at last night's competition, and Miss Hawaii, 24-year-old Chelsea Hardin, wowed in a white floral gown featuring strategically placed see-through cutouts.

Many of the contestants also opted for vibrant shades of red including, 22-year-old Naomie Germain of New Mexico, 23-year-old Devin Gant of North Carolina, and 26-year-old Desi Williams of Virginia. 

During the swimsuit competition, bikinis were the swimwear of choice, although the women modeled a variety of different styles during the live stream. 

Miss Alabama, 22-year-old Peyton Brown, chose a playful pink and and orange pattered bikini with cutouts, while 19-year-old Abby Floyd of Arkansas modeled a white knit suit that hugged her figure. 

And Miss North Carolina was one of the women who stayed on trend with a fringe top and string bottoms.

Modern looks: Miss North Carolina, 23-year-old Devin Gant, and Miss New Mexico, 22-year-old Naomie Germain, stayed on trend with fringe and colorful patterns 

Lucky girl: Oklahoma City native Alexandra Miller was named the winner of the #FindingMiss52 contest last week, and the 26-year-old was all smiles when she joined the other contestants on stage on Wednesday evening as she prepared to compete for the crown

Wine lovers: Taylor Gorton, 24, of Oklahoma and Jessica Strohm, 25, of New Hampshire both chose velvet dresses with plunging necklines for the preliminary evening gown competition on Wednesday evening 

In April, the Miss Universe Organization launched a nation wide search for a woman to join Miss USA's 51 contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, giving the lucky lady a once in a lifetime chance to be crowned the winner. 

Oklahoma City native Alexandra Miller was named the winner of the #FindingMiss52 contest last week, and the 26-year-old was all smiles when she joined the other contestants on stage on Wednesday evening. 

Alexandra, who has been first runner-up twice at the Miss Oklahoma USA competition, told the organization that those moments 'allowed her to become comfortable with the woman she is today'. 

The Miss Universe Organization, which was previously owned by Donald Trump, is also allowing fans to vote for one of the 52 contestants to help her make it into the top 15.  

In the details: Miss Arkansas, Miss Hawaii, and Texas were just a few of the 52 contestants who chose white dresses for the competition 

Little Miss Sunshine: Miss Kentucky and Miss California stood out in bright shades of yellow and orange, respectively 

One of a kind: Miss South Dakota stood out in a white caped gown featuring a blue ombre pattern at the bottom. Meanwhile, Deshauna Barber, 26, of District of Columbia wowed in a gold dress featuring an ethereal bustle

Fans have the option of voting for their favorite contestant on the Miss U app, the Miss USA website, or on Twitter using the hashtag Miss USA along with a contestant specific hashtag before the Saturday deadline. 

Unsurprisingly, thousands of people have already flocked to Twitter following the preliminary swimsuit and evening gown competitions to gush about their favorites. 

'So elegant & so poised! Nothing beats a beautiful girl, humble with a HUGE heart!!! Let's go #TEXAS! #MissUSA [sic],' Veronica Seca wrote about 19-year-old Daniella Rodriguez.

And Leticia Serna added: '#MissUSA #Texas @RealMissTXUSA slay slay slay [sic].'

Jennifer Sipple tweeted that is voting for Miss Ohio, 26-year-old Megan Wise, and Teresa Alvarez lent her support to Miss Virginia.  

The preliminary competition will continue on Thursday night during the interview portion, which will not be made public.

Scarlet letter: Miss New Mexico, Miss North Carolina, and Miss Virginia, 26-year-old Desi Williams, chose red gowns for their time in the spotlight 

Evening attire: Maaliyah Papillion, 21, of Louisiana wore a stunning black halter gown featuring a see-through bottom, while Haley Sowers, 22, of Mississippi looked pretty in pink sequins

Winner's duties: Miss USA 2015 Olivia Jordan (right) co-hosted the preliminary swimsuit and evening gown competition alongside Nick Teplitz (left)