Every summer for the past seven decades, 50 high school seniors—one from every state—descend on Mobile, Alabama to take part in one of the country’s most lucrative scholarship competitions for teen girls.

The Competition takes you behind the scenes of the Distinguished Young Women (DYW) program, and follows seven girls as they experience the highs and lows of competing for two weeks, away from home and under the most high-stress circumstances. Some girls enter for the money, some for prestige. All of them are used to being the best and the brightest. But only one will walk away with the top prize.

Host Shima Oliaee (Dolly Parton’s America, Pink Card) was Nevada’s contestant in 2001. More than 20 years later, she returns to Alabama as a judge. What can two weeks with 50 of the country’s most ambitious teens tell us about girlhood in America?

Listen to The Competition on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes early and ad-free right now on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial by visiting Wondery.fm/The_Competition now.

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When Marty Tankleff was convicted for murdering his parents in 1990, some people still had their doubts about his guilt, including Jay Salpeter, a retired detective turned private investigator. Jay found a new witness who claimed he was the getaway driver for two hitmen who had been hired to murder the Tankleffs. After nearly two decades behind bars, Marty finally got another shot at freedom. In this season finale, Erin Moriarty and retired 48 Hours producer Gail Zimmerman discuss the conclusion of Marty Tankleff's wrongful conviction case and why it's one of the most memorable stories they've ever reported.

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On September 6, 1988, a wealthy couple, Seymour and Arlene Tankleff, were brutally attacked and killed in their home on Long Island, New York. The main suspect was their 17-year-old son, Marty, who was the sole survivor in the house. Detective James McCready was convinced Marty was to blame and prepared a written statement for him to admit he killed his parents. But the physical evidence at the crime scene didn't match the murder weapons described in Marty's so-called confession. Erin Moriarty and retired 48 Hours producer Gail Zimmerman go behind the scenes on a case that spanned nearly two decades and was one of the first wrongful conviction stories they worked on.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.