Miss Kentucky USA
| Formation | 1952 |
|---|---|
| Type | Beauty pageant |
| Headquarters | Louisville |
| Location | |
Membership | Miss USA |
Official language | English |
| Website | Miss Kentucky USA official website |
The Miss Kentucky USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Kentucky in the Miss USA pageant. The current director for the Miss Kentucky USA and Miss Kentucky Teen USA titles is Connie Clark Harrison. Harrison is former Miss Kentucky USA 1976 who was the only representative for Kentucky to win the Miss Congeniality award at the national level.
Three Miss Kentucky USA titleholders have also held the Miss Kentucky Teen USA title and competed at Miss Teen USA. Two Miss Kentucky USA titleholders have also competed at Miss America, with one representing Wyoming.
Media coverage
In 2006, it was reported that Miss Kentucky USA 2002, Elizabeth Arnold was in a relationship with celebrity Nick Lachey.[1][2] That same year Tara Conner became the first Miss Kentucky USA to win the Miss USA title, putting Kentucky in the top five for the second consecutive year, after Kristen Johnson placed 2nd runner-up in 2005. She later came under intense scrutiny when it was revealed that she had been drinking underage, tested positive for the use of cocaine, and kissed Miss Teen USA Katie Blair, among other things.[3] Conner was allowed to keep her title, but was ordered into rehab for one month. After her rehab session she resumed her reign until her year was completed.
In 2008, Miss Kentucky USA Alysha Harris was involved in a scandal involving racy photos, in which she was photographed dancing in a sexually suggestive manner with NFL's New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss.[4][5][6]
Results summary
Placements
- Winners: Tara Conner (2006)
- Second runners-up: Kristen Johnson (2005)
- Third runners-up: Julie Andrus (1965)
- Fourth runners-up: Johanna Reid (1964), Patricia Barnstable (1971), Lisa Devillez (1980), Kristina Chapman (1982), Maria Montgomery (2009)
- Top 6: Tiffany Tenfelde (1990), Angela Hines (1992)
- Top 11: Katie George (2015)
- Top 12: Carol Wallace (1975), Mitzi Jones (1995)
- Top 15: Mary Ann Stice (1953), Marcia Chumbler (1961)
Awards
- Miss Congeniality: June Pinkley (1968), Connie Clark (1976), Kia Hampton (2011)
- Miss Photogenic: Robin Overby (1985)
- Best State Costume: Charlesy Gulick (1974)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
| 2016 | Kyle Hornback | Louisville | 20 | |||
| 2015 | Katie George | Louisville | 21 | Top 11 | Originally ended as the Top 15, but saved by the public for the top 11 | |
| 2014 | Destin Kincer | Whitesburg | 21 | |||
| 2013 | Allie Leggett[7] | Whitley City | 19 | |||
| 2012 | Amanda Mertz | Louisville | 25 | |||
| 2011 | Kia Hampton | Louisville | 21 | Miss Congeniality | Later became Pussycat Dolls member | |
| 2010 | Kindra Clark | Mt. Washington | 19 | Allure Bridal Model | ||
| 2009 | Maria Elizabeth Montgomery | Danville | 19 | 4th runner-up | Signed with FORD Models & Wilhelminia-LA. CMA Trophy Presenter; Lead girl in Tim McGraw & Josh Groban Music Videos | |
| 2008 | Alysha Harris | Carrollton | 20 | First African American woman to win the state pageant | ||
| 2007 | Michelle Banzer | Carrollton | 24 | First minority woman to win state pageant[8] | ||
| 2006 | Tara Conner | Russell Springs | 20 | Miss USA 2006 | Previously Miss Kentucky Teen USA 2002 (2nd runner-up & Best in Swimsuit at Miss Teen USA 2002) and 4th Runner up at Miss Universe 2006 | |
| 2005 | Kristen Johnson | Slaughters | 23 | 2nd runner-up | Previously Miss Kentucky Teen USA 2000 (2nd runner-up & Miss Photogenic at Miss Teen USA 2000) / Was contestant on Fear Factor in 2005 on the Miss USA episode #5.29 | |
| 2004 | Lauren Stengel | Louisville | 22 | |||
| 2003 | Lori Mitchell | Scottsville | 21 | |||
| 2002 | Elizabeth Arnold | Columbia | 24 |
| ||
| 2001 | Jo Pritchard | Hardin | 20 | |||
| 2000 | Jolene Youngster | Glasgow | 18 | |||
| 1999 | Lori Menshouse | Ashland | Previously Miss Kentucky 1997 | |||
| 1998 | Nancy Bradley | Franklin | ||||
| 1997 | Rachyl Hoskins | Liberty | 22 | |||
| 1996 | Lorie West | Campbellsville | 22 | |||
| 1995 | Mitzi Jones | White Plains | Semi-finalist, Finishing in 8th Place | |||
| 1994 | Kim Buford | Paducah | ||||
| 1993 | Karen Gibson | Kevil | ||||
| 1992 | Angela Hines | Maysville | Finalist, Finishing in 5th place | |||
| 1991 | Susan Farris | Benton | First runner-up State costume competition | |||
| 1990 | Tiffany Tenfelde | Lakeside Park | Finalist, Finishing in 6th place | |||
| 1989 | Veronica Hensley | Danville | ||||
| 1988 | Suzanne Pitman | Murray | ||||
| 1987 | Beth Clark | Mayfield | ||||
| 1986 | Jackie Taylor | Paducah | ||||
| 1985 | Robin Overby | Calvert City | Miss Photogenic | 1st runner up at Miss World USA 1979 | ||
| 1984 | Tammy Melendez | Murray | ||||
| 1983 | Lee Ann Austin | Benton | ||||
| 1982 | Kristina Chapman | Owensboro | 19 | 4th runner-up | ||
| 1981 | Denise Gibbs | Paducah | ||||
| 1980 | Lisa Devillez | Owensboro | 4th runner-up | |||
| 1979 | Linda Passmore | Hopkinsville | ||||
| 1978 | Linda Woodruff | Louisville | ||||
| 1977 | Sandy Smith | Princeton | ||||
| 1976 | Connie Clark | Benton | Miss Congeniality | Current director of the Miss Kentucky USA and Miss Kentucky Teen USA pageants under her married name, Connie Clark-Harrison | ||
| 1975 | Carol June Wallace | Somerset | Semi-finalist | Later Miss Wyoming 1976,[9] mother of Miss Kentucky 2002, Mary Catherine Correll | ||
| 1974 | Charlesy Gulick | Williamstown | Best State Costume | |||
| 1973 | Nancy Coplen | Mayfield | ||||
| 1972 | Tamara Branstetter | Summer Shade | ||||
| 1971 | Patricia Barnstable | Louisville | 4th runner-up | |||
| 1970 | Joanna Smith | Morgantown | ||||
| 1969 | Regina Pryor | |||||
| 1968 | June Pinkley | Miss Congeniality | ||||
| 1967 | Debbie Dibble | |||||
| 1966 | Jennifer Burcham | |||||
| 1965 | Julie Andrus | 3rd runner-up | ||||
| 1964 | Johanna Reid | 4th runner-up | ||||
| 1963 | Mary Ann Arnold | |||||
| 1962 | Sally Margaret Carter | Lowes | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1961 | Marcia Chumbler | Mayfield | Semi-finalist | competed in the 1962 Miss Dixie Pageant | ||
| 1960 | Barbara Joan Lovins | |||||
| 1959 | Sherree Owens | |||||
| 1958 | Shannon Beasley | |||||
| 1955-57 | Did Not Compete | |||||
| 1954 | Nikki Horner | |||||
| 1953 | Mary Stice | Semi-finalist | ||||
| 1952 | Jean Tingle |
1 Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant
References
- ↑ STAR'S WORLD EXCLUSIVE: THE FATHER OF NICK LACHEY'S NEW GIRL SAYS SHE AND NICK ARE "VERY CLOSE", Star Magazine (accessed 6 May 2006)
- ↑ Nick Lachey: poster boy for the brokenhearted, Houston Chronicle, 28 April 2006 (accessed 6 May 2006)
- ↑ Piazza, Jo. "Queen is way out of line". NY Daily News. Archived from the original on 2007-01-28. Retrieved 2007-10-27.
- ↑ "Randy Moss Drafts Wide Receiver - TMZ.com".
- ↑ "C.J.: Randy Moss' naughty dance moves photographed at Derby party". Minneapolis Star-Tribune. 2008-05-07. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
- ↑ Clarke, Norm (2008-05-08). "'Idol' contestant set to go country". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
- ↑ "Allie Leggett Crowned Miss Kentucky USA 2013". Beauty Pageant News. January 20, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
- ↑ Shastry, Tejas (2007-03-20). "Cardinal to compete for Miss USA crown". The Louisville Cardinal. Retrieved 2008-05-10.
- ↑ "Home state girls hard to find". Kingman Daily Miner. 1976-09-10. p. 7.