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Miss Kansas USA

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For the state pageant affiliated with Miss America, see Miss Kansas.

Miss Kansas USA
Formation1952
TypeBeauty pageant
HeadquartersShawnee
Location
Membership
Miss USA
Official language
English
Key people
John M. Vannatta
Jason Vannatta
Jennifer Vannatta-Fisher, State Pageant Director
WebsiteOfficial website
At the conclusion of the Miss Kansas USA and Miss Kansas Teen USA 2008 pageant held in Lawrence, Kansas in December 2007, Michelle Gillespie is crowned by Cara Gorges (left)

The Miss Kansas USA pageant is a competition that selects the representative for the state of Kansas in the Miss USA pageant. The pageant is directed by Vanbros and Associates, headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas. In 1992, the state joined the Vanbros group, under the directorship of Miss Kansas 1998 Jennifer Vannatta-Fisher.

Kansas did not place at Miss USA until 1973, the third-to-last state to make their first placement. From then, no delegate from Kansas made the cut until 1991, when Kelli McCarty won the crown. McCarty's win makes Wichita, Kansas the only state to host one Miss USA and Miss Teen USA to win in their home state. This included two first runners-up, including Danielle Boatwright, winner of Survivor: Guatemala, one second runner-up, one third runner-up, and one fourth runner-up, among others. The most recent placement was Elyse Noe, placing Top 12.

Seven former Miss Kansas Teen USAs went on to win the Miss title, and also two Miss Missouri Teen USAs (Missouri is also a Vanbros state).

Bella Whitlock of Leavenworth was crowned Miss Kansas USA 2024 on June 15, 2024, at Polsky Theater in Overland Park. She will represent Kansas at Miss USA 2024.

Results summary

Placements

  • Miss USAs: Kelli McCarty (1991)
  • 1st runners-up: Danielle Boatwright (1996), Lindsay Douglas (2002)
  • 2nd runners-up: Tavia Shackles (1993), Cara Gorges (2007)
  • Top 5/6: Kimberlee Girrens (1992), Tiffany Meyer (2000)
  • Top 10/12: Brenda Kopmeyer (1973), Carol Hovenkamp (1994), Alyssa Klinzing (2019), Elyse Noe (2022)
  • Top 15/16: Bethany Gerber (2010), Gracie Hunt (2021)
  • Top 20: Bella Whitlock (2024)

Kansas holds a record of 14 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

  • Best State Costume: Tavia Shackles (1993)
  • Most Beautiful Eyes: Tavia Shackles (1993)
  • Best in Swimsuit: Danielle Boatwright (1996)

Titleholders

Color key
  •   Declared as Winner
  •   Ended as runner-up
  •   Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
Year Name Hometown Age[a] Local title Placement at Miss USA Special awards at Miss USA Notes
2024 Bella Whitlock Leavenworth 19 Miss Leavenworth Top 20
2023 Haley Berger Lawrence 22 Miss Lawrence Daughter of Prathumrat Woramali Berger, Miss Thailand World 1989
2022 Elyse Noe Lawrence 23 Miss Lawrence Top 12
2021 Gracie Hunt Overland Park 22 Miss Kansas City Top 16
2020 Hayden Brax Leawood 20 Miss Kansas City Cousin of Hope Driskill, Miss Missouri USA 2011
2019 Alyssa Klinzing Olathe 20 Miss Conway Top 10
2018 Melanie Shaner Overland Park 20 Miss Johnson County
2017 Catherine Carmichael Manhattan 25 Miss Lawrence
2016 Victoria Wiggins Junction City 24 Miss Milford Lake
2015 Alexis Railsback Shawnee 19 Miss Shawnee
2014 Audrey Banach Kansas City 22 Miss Wildcat
2013 Staci Klinginsmith[citation needed] Lenexa 26 Miss Lenexa
2012 Gentry Miller Kansas City 24 Miss Kansas City
2011 Jaymie Stokes Lenexa 20 Miss Lenexa
2010 Bethany Gerber Winfield 21 Miss Cowley County Top 15, finishing in 13th Place Featured in January 2011 issue of Industrial Engineer about her titleholding role
2009 Courtney Courter Olathe 23
2008 Michelle Gillespie Mission Hills 22 Miss Kansas City
2007 Cara Gorges Clearwater 19 2nd runner-up
2006 Ashley Aull Lansing 20
2005 Rachel Saunders Tonganoxie 21
2004 Lisa Forbes Overland Park 22
2003 Alicia Cabrera Leawood 23
2002 Lindsay Douglas Lawrence 23 1st Runner-up
2001 Kristie Knox Hutchinson 25
2000 Tiffany Meyer 25 Top 5 (4th)
1999 Amanda Carraway Manhattan 21
1998 Cammie Morisseau Wichita 18
1997 Kathryn Taylor Overland Park 24
1996 Danielle Boatwright Tonganoxie 20 1st Runner-up Best in Swimsuit
1995 Deborah Daulton Salina 18
1994 Carol Hovenkamp Overland Park 19 Top 12 Semi-finalist, finishing in 11th Place
1993 Tavia Shackles[2] Shawnee[2] 21[2] 2nd Runner-up[2] Best State Costume & Most Beautiful Eyes Award
1992 Kimberlee Girrens Wichita 26 Top 6 Finalist, Finishing in 5th Place
1991 Kelli McCarty Liberal 21 Miss USA 1991
1990 Rebecca Porter Wichita
1989 Nancy Burris Colby
1988 Cynthia Decker Manhattan
1987 Martina Castle Overland Park
1986 Audra Ockerman Wichita Mother of Claire-Bailey Lee, Miss Kansas Teen USA 2014
1985 Jill Denzin Leawood
1984 Elizabeth Johnson Prairie View
1983 Renee Ruch Mission
1982 Stefani Larson Overland Park
1981 Missy Kaser Wichita
1980 Lisa Boyd Wichita
1979 Linda Shields Lawrence
1978 Mary Bell Wichita
1977 Sherry Brane Wichita
1976 Deborah Vitera Ottawa
1975 Robbin Loomas Overland Park
1974 Lorraine Breckenridge Wichita
1973 Brenda Kopmeyer Overland Park Semi-finalist
1972 Mona Guesnier Great Bend
1971 Nancy Bishop Overland Park
1970 Norma Decker Tecumseh
1969 Molly McGugin Frankfurt
1968 Anne Layton Baldwin City
1967 Regina Wolfe
1966 Pat Ravenscroft Overland Park
1965 Linda Bergsten
1964 Barbara Ford
1963 Diane Victoria Stalker
1962 Linda Light
1961 Dixie Cook
1960 Peggy Patterson
1955–59 No national representative
1954 Sue Ravenscroft[4] Liberal 18
1953 No national representative
1952 Bette Renick

Notes

  1. ^ Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

References

  1. ^ "Miss Teen Earth USA". Miss Earth USA. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d "Miss Michigan becomes second black Miss USA". Florida Today. 20 February 1993.
  3. ^ "2004 Mrs America". Archived from the original on June 24, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  4. ^ "Official List Shows How Beauties Measure Up". Long Beach Press-Telegram. 18 July 1954. Retrieved 21 June 2023.


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