Wikipedia
Miss Pennsylvania USA
The Miss Pennsylvania USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Pennsylvania in the Miss USA pageant. It has been previously known as Miss Pennsylvania Universe.[1] This pageant is independently conducted and produced by Proctor Productions based in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was produced by Sanders & Associates, Inc., dba- Pageant Associates based in Buckhannon, West Virginia from 2001 to 2020.[2]
| Formation | 1952 |
|---|---|
| Type | Beauty pageant |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia |
| Location | |
Membership | Miss USA |
Official language | English |
Key people | Melissa Proctor-Pitchford, State Pageant Director |
| Website | Official website |
The annual competition is currently held in Johnstown and has previously been hosted by Harrisburg, Greensburg, Monroeville, and Pittsburgh.[1][3][4]
Michele McDonald, Miss USA 1971, is the only woman from Pennsylvania to win the Miss USA title.[5] At just eighteen, she was the youngest competitor ever to win the crown.[6] Their most recent placement came in 2019 when Kailyn Marie Perez reached in the Top 15.
The current titleholder is Billie LaRaé Owens of Phoenixville was crowned on April 24, 2022 at Richland Performing Arts Center in Johnstown. She represented Pennsylvania for the title of Miss USA 2022.
Gallery of titleholders
Kimmarie Johnson, Miss Pennsylvania USA 1993
Tanya Lehman, Miss Pennsylvania USA 2006
Lindsey Nelsen, Miss Pennsylvania USA 2009
Results summary
- Miss USA: Michele McDonald (1971)
- 4th runners-up: LauRen Merola (2008)
- Top 6: Kimmarie Johnson (1993)
- Top 10/12: Sandy Dell (1978), Julie Page (1983), Denise Epps (1989), Brenda Brabham (2005)
- Top 15/16/20: Jeri Bauer (1953), Margaret Lineman (1962), Barbara Ann Woronko (1967), Gina Cerilli (2010), Jessica Billings (2013), Valerie Gatto (2014), Kailyn Marie Perez (2019)
Pennsylvania holds a record of 14 placements at Miss USA.
Awards
- Best State Costume: Julie Page (1983)
- Best in Swimsuit: Barbara Ann Woronko (1967)
- Miss Photogenic: Sydney Robertson (2021)
Winners
- Color key
- Winner
- Runner-up or Finalist
- Semifinalist
| Year | Name | City | Age[a] | Placement at Miss USA | Special awards at Miss USA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | ||
| 2022 | Billie LaRaé Owens | Phoenixville | 25 | Daughter of former basketball player Billy Owens | ||
| 2021 | Sydney Robertson | Williamsport | 23 | Miss Photogenic |
| |
| 2020 | Victoria Piekut | Irwin | 23 |
| ||
| 2019 | Kailyn Marie Perez | Camp Hill | 27 | Top 15 |
| |
| 2018 | Olivia Ann Suchko[9] | Belle Vernon[9] | 21[9] | |||
| 2017 | Cassandra Lee Angst | Philadelphia | 22 | |||
| 2016 | Elena Flora LaQuatra[10] | Pittsburgh | 23 | Triple crown winner; deaf since age 4 due to bacterial meningitis[11][12]
| ||
| 2015 | Elizabeth Lee Cardillo[15] | Pittsburgh | 24 | |||
| 2014 | Valerie Gatto[16] | Pittsburgh | 24 | Top 20[16] | ||
| 2013 | Jessica Billings | Berwyn | 26 | Top 15 | ||
| Title vacant | ||||||
| 2012 | Sheena Monnin | Pittsburgh | 26 | |||
| 2011 | Amber-Joi Watkins | Philadelphia | 26 | Former Sixers Dancer | ||
| 2010 | Gina Domenica Cerilli | Greensburg | 23 | Top 15 | Former Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader | |
| 2009 | Lindsey Nelsen | Stewartstown | 21 | |||
| 2008 | LauRen Merola | Pittsburgh | 23 | 4th runner-up | Former Miami Dolphins Cheerleader | |
| 2007 | Samantha Johnson | Philadelphia | 22 | |||
| 2006 | Tanya Lehman | York | 22 | |||
| 2005 | Brenda Brabham | Philadelphia | 24 | Top 10 | ||
| 2004 | Nicole Georghalli | East Stroudsburg | 25 | |||
| 2003 | Camille Young | Philadelphia | 23 | |||
| 2002 | Nicole Bigham | Belle Vernon | 25 | Previously Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA 1994 top 12 at Miss Teen USA 1994 | ||
| 2001 | Jennifer Ann Watkins | Monongahela | ||||
| 2000 | Angela Patla | Sweet Valley | 26 | |||
| 1999 | Melissa Godshall | Philadelphia | 25 | |||
| 1998 | Kimberly Jaycox[18] | Indiana[18] | ||||
| 1997 | Cara Bernosky | Whitehall | ||||
| 1996 | Susan Barnett | Levittown | Previously Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA 1990, top 12 at Miss Teen USA 1990 | |||
| 1995 | Stephanie Fallat | Murrysville | ||||
| 1994 | Linda Chiaraluna[3] | Evans City[3] | 23[3] | |||
| 1993 | Kimmarie Johnson | Pittsburgh | Top 6 | |||
| 1992 | Catherine Weber | Philadelphia | ||||
| 1991 | Adrienne Romano | Philadelphia | ||||
| 1990 | Elizabeth Cebak[19][20] | Ross[19] | 23[19] | 4th runner up at Miss World USA 1992 | ||
| 1989 | Denise Epps[21][22] | Lansdale[22] | 22[22] | Semi-finalist | ||
| 1988 | Susan Gray[23] | Lansdale[23] | 20[23] | |||
| 1987 | Lisa Rynkiewicz | Clarksville | ||||
| 1986 | Sherri Fitzpatrick | Quakertown | 23 | 1983 & 1984 Professional Cheerleader for the USFL Philadelphia Stars Football Team; 1985 Professional Cheerleader for the Philadelphia Eagles | ||
| 1985 | Sandra Ferguson[24][25] | Pittsburgh | 18 | Played Amanda Cory on Another World[26] | ||
| 1984 | Tina Albright | Lansford | ||||
| 1983 | Julie Page[27][28] | Belle Vernon[27] | 18[27] | Semi-finalist | Best State Costume | |
| 1982 | Theresa Rosa[29] | North Versailles[29] | ||||
| 1981 | Nena Stone[30] | Bethel Park[30] | 21[30] | |||
| 1980 | Andrea Patrick[31] | Connellsville[31] | Later Miss West Virginia 1983. Married Fabian in 1998[32] | |||
| 1979 | Maureen Starinsky[33] | Monongahela[33] | 23[33] | |||
| 1978 | Sandy Dell[34] | Latrobe[34] | 22[34] | Semi-finalist | ||
| 1977 | Lorraine Lincoski | Daisytown | ||||
| 1976 | Marcy Zambelli | Newcastle | ||||
| 1975 | Pat Hurley | Wilkes-Barre | ||||
| 1974 | Dorisann Gatalski | Bethel Park | ||||
| 1973 | Jill Unbewust | Benton | ||||
| 1972 | Jeanie Zadrozny | Pittsburgh | ||||
| 1971 | Michele McDonald | Butler | Miss USA 1971 | Semi-finalist at Miss Universe 1971 Michele Marlene McDonald-Boeke died in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania on January 23, 2020 at age 67 from complications stemming from a 2018 double-lung transplant surgery. | ||
| 1970 | Carol Cerully | Altoona | ||||
| 1969 | Marlene Vaughn | Philadelphia | 21 | |||
| 1968 | Barbara Verlander[35] | White Oak | 20[35] | |||
| 1967 | Barbara Ann Woronko | Edwardsville | 17 | Semifinalist | Swimsuit Winner | Former Radio City Rockette. |
| 1966 | Susan Joanne Fennell | Philadelphia | ||||
| 1965 | Beverly Rudolph | Philadelphia | ||||
| 1964 | Maryann Reilly | Philadelphia | ||||
| 1963 | Deborah Cardonick | Philadelphia | ||||
| 1962 | Margaret Lineman | Philadelphia | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1961 | Gayle Nelson | Philadelphia | ||||
| 1960 | Betsy Reeves | Philadelphia | ||||
| 1959 | Rhoda Mae Kachilo | Philadelphia | ||||
| 1958 | Natalie Dee | Philadelphia | ||||
| 1957 | Rosalie Culp | Philadelphia | ||||
| 1956 | Serena Kifer | Philadelphia | ||||
| 1955 | Marianne Marcus | Philadelphia | ||||
| 1954 | Helen Vidovich | Philadelphia | ||||
| 1953 | Jeri Bauer | Philadelphia | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1952 | Miriam Smith | Philadelphia | ||||
- Notes
- ^ Age at the time of the crowning
References
- ^ a b "Miss Pennsylvania Pageant to be Held in Harrisburg". The Daily Notes. 9 March 1967. p. 3.
- ^ "Who We Are: Pageant Associates". Miss Pennsylvania USA® & Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA®. Retrieved 2019-07-15.
- ^ a b c d "Deadline Set for Miss PA USA Entrants". The Titusville Herald. 7 December 1993. p. 7.
- ^ "Deadline Set for Pageant Applications". The Daily News. 22 November 1980. p. 12.
- ^ "First push from mother helps teen-age winner". The Manhattan Mercury. 24 May 1971.
- ^ Koteski, Rena Lynn (3 July 1971). "'I still feel the same', Michelle: Miss Saxonburg to Miss USA". North Hills News Record.
- ^ "Williamsport Native named Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA 2014". Williamsport Sun Gazette. January 19, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ Larussa, Tony (September 23, 2015). "North Huntingdon's Piekut wins international title". Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Pittsburgh-Area Natives Named Miss Pa. USA, Miss Pa. Teen USA". CBS Pittsburgh. 3 December 2017.
- ^ McDermott, Maeve (5 June 2016). "This Miss USA contestant overcame losing her hearing to compete for the crown". USA Today.
- ^ a b Wiggin, Sally (December 7, 2015). "4 the 412 team member Elena LaQuatra wins Miss Pennsylvania USA". WTAE News.
As a teenager, she won Miss Pennsylvania Outstanding Teen, a pageant that is part of the Miss America system. LaQuatra finished as second runner-up in the national contest.
- ^ Niederberger, Mary (2007-07-26). "Deaf teen tapping her way to fame". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
- ^ Zapf, Karen (2007-08-02). . Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Archived from the original on 2007-12-05. Retrieved 2007-08-02.
- ^ Pennello, Toni (December 24, 2015). "Elena LaQuatra is the new Miss Pennsylvania USA". The Almanac.
- ^ Ganster, Kathleen (8 January 2015). "Resume: A newsmaker you should know / Hampton alumnae Elizabeth Cardillo named Miss Pennsylvania USA". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ^ a b Glover, Sarah (8 June 2014). "Miss Pennsylvania USA Says She's a Product of Rape". NBC Pittsburgh.
- ^ Krupnick, Ellie (2012-06-05). "Miss Pennsylvania USA 2012 Resigns Over Alleged Pageant Fraud". Huffington Post.
- ^ a b McAndrew, Meghan (14 March 1997). "Miss Pennsylvania USA Entered Pageant on a Whim". Indiana Gazette.
- ^ a b c Opalka, William (9 February 1990). "Crowning Glory: Pitt student set for Miss USA pageant". News Record. p. 1.
- ^ "Ross model wins state pageant". North Hills News Record. 14 March 1989.
- ^ "Miss Pennsylvania-USA selected". The Harrisburg Patriot. 1988-03-07. p. B3.
- ^ a b c Fricker, Dan (16 April 1988). "Giving IUP Friend a Ride Leads to Beauty Title". Indiana Gazette.
- ^ a b c "Lansdale coed new Miss PA". Indiana Gazette. 6 April 1987. p. 8.
- ^ Stefanik, Regis M. (March 11, 1985). "Senior here wins beauty pageant". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 5. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ Novakovich, Lilana (1988-03-14). "Ex-teen queen looks like Ivory gal". The Toronto Star. p. C8.
- ^ Bianco, Robert (June 19, 1987). "If children's TV turns you off, try 'Kids America' on radio". The Pittsburgh Press. p. D7. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Miss Pennsylvania Crowned". The Gettysburg Times. 7 March 1983. p. 10.
- ^ "Belle Vernon teen wins Miss Pennsylvania title". Indiana Gazette. 7 March 1983. p. 27.
- ^ a b "Rosa wins beauty pageant". The Gettysburg Times. 1 March 1982. p. 13.
- ^ a b c "Miss Pennsylvania USA Leads Exercise Program and Models". Indiana Evening Gazette. 5 May 1981.
- ^ a b "Dancer becomes Miss PA". Indiana Evening Gazette. 4 March 1980. p. 4.
- ^ Bryant, Jean (1998-09-22). "Connellsville Beauty Queen weds Fabian". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. G1.
- ^ a b c "State police typist wins Miss Pennsylvania pageant". Indiana Evening Gazette. 6 March 1979.
- ^ a b c "New Miss Pennsylvania chosen from 77 contestants". The Kane Republican. 6 March 1978. p. 7.
- ^ a b "Pitt coed wins Queen contest". The Oil City Derrick. 29 April 1968.
External links
- Official website