Miss South Carolina USA
| Formation | 1952 |
|---|---|
| Type | Beauty pageant |
| Headquarters | Columbia |
| Location | |
Membership | Miss USA |
Official language | English |
| Website | Official website |
The Miss South Carolina USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state South Carolina in the Miss USA pageant. The pageant has been produced by RPM Productions since 1980.
Miriam Stevenson, South Carolina's first Miss USA, and the United States' first Miss Universe was also the first Miss USA winner to have competed at Miss America. She was the first woman to have competed at Miss America, Miss USA and Miss Universe. RPM's first winner was Shawn Weatherly, who also won Miss USA and went on to win Miss Universe.
Four Miss South Carolina USAs have also held the Miss South Carolina Teen USA title and competed at Miss Teen USA. Two have also competed at Miss America.
Miss South Carolina USA titleholders have also competed at two other major international pageants. Gina Tolleson, first runner-up at Miss USA 1990, went on to win the Miss World crown that year, and Miss South Carolina USA 2004, Amanda Pennekamp has also competed at the Miss Earth 2006 pageant where she made the top 16.
The current titleholder is Leah Lawson of Laurens who was crowned on the evening of November 21, 2015
Results summary
- Winners: Miriam Stevenson (1954), Shawn Weatherly (1980), Lu Parker (1994)
- 1st runners-up: Betty Cherry (1956), Vickie Chesser (1970), Gina Tolleson (1990), Amanda Pennekamp (2004)
- 2nd runners-up: Eva Engle (1969), Allison Grisso (1983), Audra Wallace (1992)
- 3rd runner-up: Virginia Murray (1976)
- 5th runner-up: Megan Pinckney (2013)
- Top 5: Lauren Poppell (1999)
- Top 8: Courtney Turner (2011)
- Top 10: Maribeth Curry (1986), April Abel (1988), Lisa Rabon (2000), Anna Hanks (2003), Lacie Lybrand (2006), Stephanie Murray Smith (2009), Christina Zapolski (2014)
- Top 12: Kelli Gosnell (1993), Ashley Williams (2002)
- Top 15: Susan Anthony Day (1953), Sara Stone (1955), Jean Spotts (1957), Patricia Ann Moss (1958), Cecelia Yoder (1963), Vicki Harrison (1965), Susan Gordon (1972), Ashley Zais (2007), Jamie Hill (2008)
- Top 16: Erika Powell (2012)
Awards
- Miss Congeniality: Kiki Kirkland (1973)
- Photogenic: Sonja Glenn (1998)
- Best State Costume: Vicki Chesser (1970), Virginia Murray (1976)
- Best in Swimsuit: Lauren Poppell (1999)
Winners
- Color key
- Declared as Winner
- Ended as runner-up
- Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
| Year | Name | Hometown | Age1 | Placement at Miss USA | Special awards at Miss USA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Leah Lawson | Laurens | 21 | TBA | ||
| 2015 | Sarah Weishuhn | Goose Creek | 20 | |||
| 2014 | Christina Zapolski | Charleston | 22 | Top 10 | ||
| 2013 | Megan Pinckney | North Charleston | 21 | 5th runner-up | Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2010 | |
| 2012 | Erika Powell | Easley | 26 | Top 16 | Previously Miss South Carolina 2005, Top 10 at Miss America 2006; former nanny of Hugh Jackman | |
| 2011 | Courtney Turner | North Augusta | 20 | Top 8 | Previously Miss United States Teen 2009 | |
| 2010 | Rachel Law | Greenville | 21 | |||
| 2009 | Stephanie Murray Smith | Goose Creek | 21 | Top 10 | Contestant on The Amazing Race 17 | |
| 2008 | Jamie Hill | Columbia | 24 | Top 15 | Contestant on The Amazing Race 10 | |
| 2007 | Ashley Zais | Newberry | 20 | Top 15 | ||
| 2006 | Lacie Lybrand | Lexington | 23 | Top 10 | Miss United States 2002 | |
| 2005 | Sarah Medley | North Charleston | 18 | Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2001 | ||
| 2004 | Amanda Pennekamp | Columbia | 22 | 1st runner-up | Later Miss Earth USA 2006 and top 16 semifinalist at Miss Earth 2006 | |
| 2003 | Anna Hanks | Belton | 21 | Top 10 | Miss United States 2005 | |
| 2002 | Ashley Williams | Little Mountain | 20 | Top 10 | ||
| 2001 | Candace Richards | Fountain Inn | 21 | |||
| 2000 | Lisa Rabon | Myrtle Beach | 21 | Top 10 | ||
| 1999 | Lauren Poppell | Rock Hill | 23 | Top 5 | Best in Swimsuit | Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 1993, Top 12 at Miss Teen USA 1993 |
| 1998 | Sonja Glenn | Chesnee | 21 | Miss Photogenic | ||
| 1997 | Casey Mizell | Irmo | 22 | |||
| 1996 | Lysa Jackson | Charleston | ||||
| 1995 | Danielle Corley | Lexington | 18 | |||
| 1994 | Lu Parker | Charleston | 26 | Miss USA 1994 | Top 6 finalist at Miss Universe 1994 | |
| 1993 | Kelli Gosnell | Pacolet | 22 | Semi-finalist | ||
| 1992 | Audra Wallace | Charleston | 22 | 2nd Runner-up | 2nd runner up at Miss World USA 1993 | |
| 1991 | Traci Rufty | Columbia | 21 | |||
| 1990 | Gina Tolleson | Spartanburg | 20 | 1st Runner-up | Later Miss World USA 1990 and Miss World 1990 | |
| 1989 | Angela Shuler | Rock Hill | 21 | Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 1986 | ||
| 1988 | April Abel | Johnston | 20 | Semi-finalist | ||
| 1987 | Elizabeth Woodard | Aiken | 21 | Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 1983 | ||
| 1986 | Maribeth Curry[1] | Greenville | 20 | Semi-finalist | ||
| 1985 | Ann Margarete Hughes | Charleston | ||||
| 1984 | Ginger Greer | Lugoff | ||||
| 1983 | Allison Grisso | Columbia | 2nd Runner-up | |||
| 1982 | Margo Wood | Columbia | ||||
| 1981 | Zade Turner[2] | Myrtle Beach | 21 | |||
| 1980 | Shawn Weatherly | Sumter | Miss USA 1980 | Miss Universe 1980 | ||
| 1979 | Janice McDonald | Myrtle Beach | Co-founder of RPM Productions with her sister Paula Miles | |||
| 1978 | Kathryn Threatt | Pickens | ||||
| 1977 | Pam Hoover | Florence | ||||
| 1976 | Virginia Murray | Chester | 3rd Runner-up | Best Costume | ||
| 1975 | Robin Morris | Columbia | ||||
| 1974 | Carol Lynn Hollis | Rock Hill | ||||
| 1973 | Kiki Kirkland | Columbia | Miss Amity | |||
| 1972 | Susan Gordon | Rock Hill | Semi-finalist | Non-finalist at Miss World USA 1970 representing South Carolina | ||
| 1971 | Eunice Campbell | |||||
| 1970 | Vicki Chesser[3] | Mt. Pleasant | 19 | 1st Runner-up | Best Costume | |
| 1969 | Eva Engle | Columbia | 2nd Runner-up | |||
| 1968 | Kathryn Knoy | |||||
| 1967 | Hope Patterson | |||||
| 1966 | Joselyn Alarie | |||||
| 1965 | Vicki Harrison | Semi-finalist | ||||
| 1964 | Judy Kennedy | |||||
| 1963 | Cecelia Yoder | Semifinalist | Represented South Carolina in Miss World USA 1963 but did not place. | |||
| 1962 | Judy Clyburn | |||||
| 1961 | Yvonne Quick | |||||
| 1960 | Margaret Thompson | |||||
| 1959 | Mary Powell | |||||
| 1958 | Patricia Ann Moss | Semi-finalist | ||||
| 1957 | Jean Spotts | Semi-finalist | ||||
| 1956 | Betty Cherry | Columbia | 1st Runner-up | Later Miss World United States 1956, 1st runner up at Miss World 1956. | ||
| 1955 | Sara Stone | Semi-finalist | ||||
| 1954 | Miriam Stevenson | Winnsboro | Miss USA 1954 | Miss Universe 1954 Previously Miss South Carolina 1953 | ||
| 1953 | Susan Anthony Day | Semi-finalist | ||||
| 1952 | Margie Allen |
1 Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant
References
- ^ Norman, Diane (1986-03-23). "Golden Thread is Common Theme for Miss South Carolina USA". Herald-Journal.
- ^ "Miss South Carolina-USA likes Baryshnikov". The Rock Hill Herald. 1981-02-07.
- ^ "Bishopville Beauty Runner-up in Contest". The Sumter Daily Item. 1970-03-21.