Miss USA 1979
| Miss USA 1979 | |
|---|---|
| File:Miss USA 1979 opening titles.jpg | |
| Date | April 30, 1979 |
| Presenters | |
| Entertainment | Leif Garrett |
| Venue | Gulf Coast Convention Center, Biloxi, Mississippi |
| Broadcaster | CBS, WJTV |
| Entrants | 51 |
| Placements | 12 |
| Winner | Mary Therese Friel New York |
| Congeniality |  Pam Williams |
| Photogenic |  Michele Sandoval |
Miss USA 1979, the 28th Miss USA pageant, was televised live by CBS from the Gulf Coast Convention Center in Biloxi, Mississippi on April 30, 1979.
The pageant was won by Mary Therese Friel of New York, who was crowned by outgoing titleholder Judi Andersen of Hawaii. Friel was the second woman from New York to win the Miss USA title, and went on to place as a semi-finalist at Miss Universe 1979.
Results
| Final Results | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss USA 1979 | |
| 1st Runner-Up |
|
| 2nd Runner-Up |
|
| 3rd Runner-Up |
|
| 4th Runner-Up |
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| Top 12 |
|
Final Competition
| State | Preliminary
Average |
Interview | Swimsuit | Evening Gown | Semifinal Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York - Mary Therese Friel
|
8.349 (2) | 8.621 (1) | 8.680 (1) | 8.467 (3) | 8.589 (2) |
 Washington - Tracey Goddard
|
8.190 (3) | 8.516 (3) | 8.298 (3) | 8.625 (2) | 8.480 (3) |
 Hawaii - Leialoha Ma'a
|
7.800 (8) | 8.215 (4) | 7.832 (5) | 7.905 (5) | 7.984 (4) |
 Illinois - Debra Niego
|
8.389 (1) | 8.531 (2) | 8.463 (2) | 8.854 (1) | 8.616 (1) |
 Mississippi - Laurie Kimbrough
|
7.902 (5) | 7.505 (8) | 8.040 (4) | 8.058 (3) | 7.868 (5) |
 Texas - Anne Hinnant
|
8.155 (4) | 7.773 (6) | 7.570 (8) | 7.855 (6) | 7.733 (6) |
 Virginia - Betsy Bott
|
7.806 (7) | 7.880 (5) | 7.614 (7) | 7.209 (11) | 7.568 (7) |
 Massachusetts - Monica Magnus
|
7.650 (10) | 7.741 (7) | 7.323 (9) | 7.518 (9) | 7.527 (8) |
 California - Linda Fogarty
|
7.749 (9) | 6.955 (11) | 7.636 (6) | 7.709 (8) | 7.433 (9) |
 Arizona - Ana Maria Rubert
|
7.624 (11) | 7.396 (10) | 7.100 (12) | 7.786 (7) | 7.427 (10) |
 North Carolina - Dianne Jamerson
|
7.826 (6) | 7.464 (9) | 7.127 (11) | 7.341 (10) | 7.311 (11) |
 Wisconsin - Kathryn Wituschek
|
7.623 (12) | 6.955 (11) | 7.164 (10) | 7.064 (12) | 7.061 (12) |
|
Special awards
| Award | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss Congeniality |
|
| Miss Photogenic |
|
Preliminary Swimsuit
| state | score | state | score | state | score | score | state | state | score | state | score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois
|
8.607 | Massachusetts
|
7.753 |  South Dakota
|
7.393 |  Iowa
|
7.094 | Wyoming
|
6.711 |  Maine
|
6.056 |
| Texas
|
8.365 | California
|
7.736 |  South Carolina
|
7.361 |  Ohio
|
7.050 |  New Jersey
|
6.708 | ||
 Mississippi
|
8.170 | New Mexico
|
7.656 |  Nevada
|
7.333 |  District of Columbia
|
7.027 |  Kansas
|
6.624 | ||
| Wisconsin
|
8.037 | Washington
|
7.653 |  Florida
|
7.323 |  Delaware
|
6.977 |  Louisiana
|
6.616 | ||
| North Carolina
|
8.017 |  Michigan
|
7.615 |  Pennsylvania
|
7.307 |  Maryland
|
6.971 |  Oregon
|
6.599 | ||
| Virginia
|
8.002 |  Georgia
|
7.586 |  Indiana
|
7.284 |  Connecticut
|
6.896 |  Colorado
|
6.536 | ||
 Minnesota
|
7.880 |  Oklahoma
|
7.487 |  Kentucky
|
7.228 |  Alabama
|
6.882 |  New Hampshire
|
6.532 | ||
| Hawaii
|
7.869 |  Rhode Island
|
7.459 |  Idaho
|
7.225 |  Arkansas
|
6.832 |  Alaska
|
6.438 | ||
| New York
|
7.827 |  West Virginia
|
7.448 |  Vermont
|
7.197 |  Missouri
|
6.792 |  Montana
|
6.323 | ||
 Utah
|
7.760 | Arizona
|
7.436 |  Tennessee
|
7.176 |  Nebraska
|
6.736 |  North Dakota
|
6.227 |
Historical significance
- New York wins competition for the second time.
- Washington earns the 1st runner-up position for the first time and reached its highest placement since Dorothy Anstett won in 1968.
- Hawaii earns the 2nd runner-up position for the first time and reached its highest placement since Judi Andersen won in the previous year.
- Illinois earns the 3rd runner-up position for the second time. The last time it placed this was in 1958. Also it was reached its highest placement since Karen Morrison won in 1974.
- Mississippi earns the 4th runner-up position for the first time and surpasses its previous highest placement in 1964, becoming its highest placement of the state.
- States that placed in semifinals the previous year were California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Texas and Virginia.
- California placed for the twenty-third consecutive year. This is the longest streak of placements that a state has hold ever.
- Texas placed for the fifth consecutive year.
- Hawaii and Virginia placed for the third consecutive year.
- Massachusetts made its second consecutive placement.
- Arizona last placed in 1977.
- Illinois and Washington last placed in 1976.
- North Carolina last placed in 1975.
- New York and Wisconsin last placed in 1974.
- Mississippi last placed in 1964.
- New Mexico breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 1976.
Delegates
The Miss USA 1979 delegates were:
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Judges
- Maud Adams
- Jim Davis
- Eileen Ford
- Alfred Allan Lewis
- Kimberly Tomes