Miss Utah USA

Miss Utah USA
Formation1952
TypeBeauty pageant
HeadquartersSalt Lake City
Location
Official language
English
Exec. Director
Shanna Moakler
AffiliationsMiss USA
WebsiteOfficial website

The Miss Utah USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Utah for the Miss USA pageant. From 2001 to 2007, it was produced by Red Curtain Productions. Casting Crowns Productions directed the pageant from 2007 to 2018 under the directorship of former Miss Missouri USA Britt Boyse. Smoak Productions became the new director for Miss and Teen pageants in 2019 under executive director and Miss USA 1995 Shanna Moakler.[1]

Utah has been successful at Miss USA, with 20 placements as of 2009. The most consistent period was in the 1950s and 1960s. Utah has produced two Miss USA winners, in 1960 (Linda Bement, who went on to win the Miss Universe 1960 title) and in 2023. Miss Utah USA 1957, Charlotte Sheffield, also won the Miss USA 1957 crown after the original titleholder (Leona Gage, Miss Maryland USA) was dethroned. Utah has a strong recent record, having placed in four out of five pageants between 2005 and 2009. The most recent placement and win was Venezuelan-American Noelia Voigt in 2023.[citation needed]

Five Miss Utah USAs are former Miss Utah Teen USAs who competed at Miss Teen USA. Three placed at Miss USA, which eclipsed their Teen performances. They are also very similar to the Miss North Carolina USA titleholders who also placed at Miss USA rather than Miss Teen USA. Two also competed in Miss Utah.

The current titleholder is Alyssa Chandler of American Fork, was crowned Miss Utah USA 2024 on July 6, 2024, at Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center Jeanné Wagner Theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah. She will represent Utah at Miss USA 2024.

Results summary

Placements

  • Miss USA: Linda Bement (1960), Noelia Voigt (2023)
  • 1st runners-up: Charlotte Sheffield (1957)[a]
  • 2nd runners-up: Susan Gasser (1982)
  • 3rd runners-up: Janet Joy Erikson (1964), Laura Chukanov (2009), Marissa Powell (2013)
  • 4th runners-up: Shauna Wood (1953)
  • Top 5/6: Temple Taggert (1997), Melissa Leigh Anderson (1998)
  • Top 10/12: Tracy Kennick (1996), Margo Flynn (1978), Heather Anderson (2007)
  • Top 15/16: Cheryl Brown (1956), Sandra Puch (1958), Janet Marie Hawley (1961), Patricia Profaizer (1962), Janice Sadler (1965), Denice Blair (1966), Marin Poole (2005), Julia Bachison (2008), Jamie Crandall (2011), JessiKate Riley (2021)

Utah holds a record of 23 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

  • Miss Congeniality: Peggy Moore (1972)
  • Miss Photogenic: Marissa Powell (2013)
  • Best State Costume 2nd Place: JessiKate Riley (2021)

Winners

Color key
  •   Declared the Winner
  •   Finished as a runner-up
  •   Finished as one of the finalists or semifinalists
Year Name Hometown Age[b] Local title Placement at Miss USA Special awards at Miss USA Notes
2024 Alyssa Chandler American Fork 21 Miss Timpanogos
2023 Mariluz Cook Salt Lake City 25 Miss Salt Lake Originally 1st runner-up, later assumed title after Voight win Miss USA
Noelia Voigt Park City 23 Miss Park City Miss USA 2023 Top 20 in Miss Universe 2023
2022 Madison Jonely Salt Lake City 25 Miss Topaz State Originally 1st runner-up, later assumed title after Bradley resigned
Elisabeth Bradley 27 Miss Utah County Resigned
2021 JessiKate Riley Beaver 24 Miss Utah County Top 16 Best State Costume – 2nd Place
2020 Rachel Slawson Park City 25 Miss Park City
  • Previously Miss Utah Earth 2019
  • First openly LGBT person to compete in Miss USA
  • Longest reigning Miss Utah USA at 1 year, 7 months and 3 days
  • Later Miss Grand Ireland 2023
2019 Amanda Renée Giroux[citation needed] Riverdale 22 Miss Riverdale
2018 Narine Ishhanov Bluffdale 24 Miss Utah County
2017 Baylee Lynn Jensen South Jordan 22 Miss South Jordan
2016 Teale Shawn Murdock Salt Lake City 26 Miss City Creek
  • Joining under the Miss USA system on her 9th consecutive year, including 1 appearance in Miss Texas Teen USA and 8 straight appearances in Utah as Miss, before winning the title in 2016
2015 Nicol Elizabeth Powell Salt Lake City 21 Miss Mount Olympus
  • Sister of Marissa Powell, Miss Utah USA 2013
2014 Angelia Nichole Layton Salt Lake City 22 Miss Salt Lake
2013 Marissa Powell[citation needed] Salt Lake City 20[4] Miss Mount Olympus 3rd runner-up Miss Photogenic
2012 Kendyl Carol Bell Sandy 25 Miss Sandy
2011 Jamie Lynn Crandall Salt Lake City 23 Miss Salt Lake County Top 16
2010 Katya Dmitrievna Feinstein Centerville 19 Miss Davis County
2009 Laura Chukanov Salt Lake City 22 Miss Sandy 3rd runner-up
2008 Julia Marie Bachison North Ogden 24 Miss North Ogden Top 15
  • Previously Miss Utah 2005 and Preliminary Swimsuit Winner at Miss America
2007 Heather Anderson Sandy 26 Top 10 Top 10 in Miss Utah MAO 2001
2006 Soben Huon Provo 23
2005 Marin Poole Provo 21 Top 15
2004 Kyla Faye Dickerson Midvale 23
2003 Kelly Chapman South Jordan 24
2002 Abbie Jane Smith West Jordan 19
2001 Tiffany Seaman Salt Lake City 21
2000 Keri Hatfield Bountiful 22
1999 Rachel Rasmussen Salt Lake City 21
1998 Melissa Leigh Anderson Provo 24 Top 5
1997 Temple Taggart Centerville 21 Top 6
1996 Tracy Kennick Price 24 Top 10
1995 Melanie Mitton Salt Lake City 21
1994 Vanessa Munns Provo 23
1993 Natalie Pyper Salt Lake City 24
1992 Nichelle Mickelson West Valley City 26
1991 Patti Jo Bender Sandy 26
1990 Debra Linn Tingey Centerville 25
1989 Zanetta van Zyverden South Jordan 24
1988 Suzie Lundell Park City 20
1987 Patty Thorpe Clawson 20
1986 Stephanie Reber Salt Lake City 23 Mother of Jessica Richards, Miss Utah's Outstanding Teen 2013[5]
1985 Kim Thompson Salt Lake City 19
1984 Michele Lynn Brown Roy 18
1983 Launa Lewis Heber City 18
1982 Susan L. Gasser Salt Lake City 22 2nd runner-up
1981 Tonya Anderson Orem 19
1980 Tamara Parsons Salt Lake City 20
1979 Victoria Scott Salt Lake City 25
1978 Margo Flynn Salt Lake City 25 Semi-finalist
1977 Michele Miner Provo 23
1976 Debbie Drecksel Salt Lake City 22
1975 Andrea Felt Logan 24
1974 Halene Petersen Riverton 20
1973 Julia Nebeker Nephi 20
1972 Peggy Moore Provo 21 Miss Congeniality
1971 Janey Montgomery Hooper 19
1970 Tamina Roark Salt Lake City 25
1969 Anne Meuller Salt Lake City 23
1968 Shelle Cannon Salt Lake City 24
1967 Marilyn Christiansen Salt Lake City 19
1966 Denice Blair Salt Lake City 19 Semi-finalist
1965 Janis Sadler Salt Lake City 18 Semi-finalist
1964 Janet Joy Erikson Salt Lake City 22 3rd runner-up
1963 Carla Ann Dinius Salt Lake City 22
1962 Patricia Profaizer Salt Lake City 26 Semi-finalist
1961 Janet Marie Hawley Salt Lake City 25 Semi-finalist
1960 Linda Bement Salt Lake City 18 "Miss USA 1960"
1959 Melanie Canfield Salt Lake City 20
1958 Sandra Puch Salt Lake City 19 Semi-finalist
1957 Charlotte Sheffield Salt Lake City 20 1st runner-up
1956 Cheryl Brown Salt Lake City 24 Semi-finalist
1955 Myrna J. Rasmussen Salt Lake City 21
1954 Laverna Laub Salt Lake City 22
1953 Shauna Wood Salt Lake City 23 4th runner-up
1952 Carol Jean Isbell Salt Lake City 20

Notes

  1. ^ Charlotte Sheffield was 1st runner-up at Miss USA, but succeeded the title when Mary Leona Gage was dethroned.
  2. ^ Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

References

  1. ^ "Smoak Productions is pleased to welcome @ShannaMoakler as the 2019 #MissUtahUSA & #MissUtahTeenUSA Executive Director! #MissUSA #MissTeenUSA". Miss Utah USA on Twitter. April 7, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  2. ^ "BYU Senior JessiKate Riley crowned Miss Utah 2017". KSL.com. June 18, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2021. Riley was crowned Miss Utah's Outstanding Teen — the little sister program to the Miss America Organization — in 2014.
  3. ^ "Winners of 2017 Miss Utah". KUTV.com. June 17, 2017. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  4. ^ "KUTV2 News "Person 2 Person": Marissa Powell". October 14, 2013. Retrieved January 28, 2013.
  5. ^ "Miss Outstanding Teen chasing national dream".