Miss Louisiana USA
| Formation | 1952 |
|---|---|
| Type | Beauty pageant |
| Headquarters | Baton Rouge |
| Location | |
Membership | Miss USA |
Official language | English |
| Website | Official website |
The Miss Louisiana USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Louisiana in the Miss USA pageant.
Louisiana is one of the most successful states at Miss USA and is one of only seven states to have three or more Miss USA winners (in 1958, 1961, and 1996).
Four Miss Louisiana USA titleholders previously held the Miss Louisiana Teen USA title, including Ali Landry, who became the third woman from Louisiana to be crowned Miss USA.
Jennifer Dupont, Miss Louisiana USA 2000, is one of only seven women who have competed in the Miss Teen USA, Miss USA and Miss America pageants.
Louisiana's future success at Miss USA would be evident in the state's first contestant, Jeanne Vaughn Thompson, Miss Louisiana USA 1952 and 1953. She is the only woman to ever compete twice in the history of Miss USA. Thompson also holds the distinction of being the only woman to outright win a Miss USA state title twice, and until 1996, was the only two-time Miss USA state titleholder (a 44-year record). Shanna Lyn Searles became the second and only other double state titleholder, upon winning the Miss California USA title outright in 1996, after inheriting the state's 1992 title as a result of Shannon Marketic being crowned Miss USA 1992.
Thompson's overall pageant success—winning the Miss Louisiana state title and competing at Miss America in 1951, winning the first two Miss Louisiana USA state titles, and competing in the first and second Miss USA national pageants (becoming the first-ever 1st runner-up in 1952, and a semi-finalist and the Miss Congeniality winner in 1953) -- prompted Miss USA organizers to create a rule only allowing a person to compete for the national title once.
Louisiana contestants accomplished another feat first, winning both the first-ever Miss Congeniality and Miss Photogenic awards given to a Miss USA state delegate. Thompson was the winner of the Miss Congeniality award given to the first Miss USA state contestant in 1953.
The second Miss Congeniality award given also went to another contestant from Louisiana, Judy Fletcher in 1960. That year, during the era when both Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants were held at the same time, Fletcher tied with a Miss Universe contestant from Burma for the award.
Sharon Brown, who represented Louisiana in 1961, won the first Miss Photogenic award given to a Miss USA state delegate. She also won the Miss USA title, the first Miss Photogenic winner to obtain that feat.
Louisiana is one of only two states (California the other) to have won both the Miss USA title and the Miss Photogenic award in the same year on two separate occasions (Brown in 1961 and Landry in 1996).
Miss Louisiana USA is produced by RPM Productions, which also produces the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA state pageants for Alabama, North Carolina, and South Carolina. RPM Productions' headquarters is in Aiken, South Carolina.
The current titleholder is Bethany Trahan, a native of Lake Charles.
Results summary
Placements
- Winners: Eurlyne Howell (1958), Sharon Brown (1961), Ali Landry (1996)
- 1st runners-up: Jeanne Thompson (1952)
- 2nd runners-up: Lisa Lynn Moss (1981)
- 3rd runners-up: Pamela Forrest (1983), Sarie Joubert (1985), Elizabeth Primm (1989), Brittany Guidry (2014)
- 4th runners-up: Robyn Sanders (1976)
- Top 6: Shirelle Hebert (1994), Elizabeth Coxe (1995)
- Top 10: Debbie Delhomme (1998), Kristen Girault (2013)
- Top 11: Candice Bennatt (2015)
- Top 12: Bonnie Martin (1972), Storm Hensley (1973), Karen Hoff (1974), Christy Saylor (1992), Anne-Katherine Lene (2002)
- Top 15: Mary Lobianco (1959), Judy Fletcher (1960), Elizabeth McNulty (2007)
- Top 16: Erin Edmiston (2012)
- Top 20: Jeanne Thompson (1953)
Awards
- Miss Photogenic: Sharon Renee Brown (1961), Kathy Hebert (1968), Elizabeth Primm (1989), Ali Landry (1996)
- Miss Congeniality: Jeanne Vaughn Thompson (1953) and Judy Rebecca Fletcher (1960)
- Best Costume: 2nd Place: Elizabeth Primm (1989)
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 | Bethany Trahan | Lake Charles | 21 | TBA | ||
| 2016 | Maaliyah Papillion | Lake Charles | 21 | |||
| 2015 | Candice Bennatt | New Orleans | 26 | Top 11 | Currently a student at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Previously won Miss New Mexico 2012. Placed 4th runner up at Miss Texas 2011. Former Houston Texans Cheerleader. Originally from Kingswood. | |
| 2014 | Brittany Guidry | Houma | 21 | 3rd runner-up | Previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2009 and 4th runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2009; one of few women to place in the top 5 at both Miss Teen USA and Miss USA
Cousin of Michelle Berthelot, Miss Louisiana USA 2008 | |
| 2013 | Kristen Girault[1] | Metairie | 21 | Top 10 (8th) | New Orleans Saints cheerleader | |
| 2012 | Erin Edmiston | Lafayette | 22 | Top 16 (12th) | ||
| 2011 | Page Pennock | Shreveport | 21 | |||
| 2010 | Sara Brooks | New Orleans | 22 | She won Louisiana state title while a student at University of Louisiana at Lafayette; originally from Houston. | ||
| 2009 | Lacey Minchew | Baton Rouge | 24 | Previously Miss Teen America 2002, representing Georgia. Originally from Marietta. | ||
| 2008 | Michelle Berthelot | Hammond | Cousin of Brittany Guidry, Miss Louisiana USA 2014 | |||
| 2007 | Elizabeth McNulty | Lafayette | 25 | Top 15 (12th) | ||
| 2006 | Christina Cuenca | Chalmette | 26 | |||
| 2005 | Candice Stewart | Metairie | 21 | Previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2002. Contestant on Big Brother 15. | ||
| 2004 | Melissa McConnell | Ruston | 27 | |||
| 2003 | Brittney Rogers | Shreveport | 20 |
| ||
| 2002 | Anne-Katherine Lene | Abbeville | Semi-finalist (7th) | |||
| 2001 | Heather Hayden | Amite | ||||
| 2000 | Jennifer Dupont | Bossier City | Previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 1998, Miss Louisiana 2004 and 1st runner up at Miss America 2005 | |||
| 1999 | Melissa Bongiovanni | Baton Rouge | ||||
| 1998 | Debbie Delhomme | Lafayette | Semi-finalist (7th) | |||
| 1997 | Nikole Viola | Walker | ||||
| 1996 | Ali Landry | Breaux Bridge | 22 | Miss USA 1996 | Miss Photogenic | Previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 1990 (Top 12 at Miss Teen USA 1990), Top 6 finalist at Miss Universe 1996 |
| 1995 | Elizabeth Coxe | Springfield | 24 | Finalist (6th) | ||
| 1994 | Shirelle Hebert | Arabi | Finalist (4th) | |||
| 1993 | Jennifer Mitchell | Leesville | ||||
| 1992 | Christy Saylor | Baton Rouge | Semi-finalist (12th) | |||
| 1991 | Melinda Murphy | West Monroe | ||||
| 1990 | Jeanne Burns | Baton Rouge | Currently evening news anchor for NBC affiliate WVLA in Baton Rouge. | |||
| 1989 | Elizabeth Primm | Houma | 3rd Runner-up | Miss Photogenic, 2nd Place Best Costume | Miss USA at Miss Asia Pacific 1989, did not place; Star Search 1990 Spokesmodel contestant. | |
| 1988 | Rhonda Vinson | Shreveport | ||||
| 1987 | Carol Carter | Shreveport | Previously Miss Louisiana 1985 | |||
| 1986 | Cecelia Brady | Olla | Now Cecelia Gonzalez of San Diego, California. Her father was Louisiana State Representative Thomas "Bud" Brady. | |||
| 1985 | Sarie Joubert | Shreveport | 3rd Runner-up | 1st runner up at Miss International 1985 as Miss USA. | ||
| 1984 | Rusanne Jourdan | Baton Rouge | ||||
| 1983 | Pamela Forrest | Baton Rouge | 3rd Runner-up | |||
| 1982 | Lisa Michael | Baton Rouge | ||||
| 1981 | Lisa Moss | Shreveport | 2nd Runner-up | Later Miss World USA 1981 and Top 5 finalist at Miss World 1981 | ||
| 1980 | Kelly Bonin | Baton Rouge | ||||
| 1979 | Lisa Anderson | Gretna | 19 | |||
| 1978 | Tauny Hanes] | Baton Rouge | ||||
| 1977 | Patti Rosenbalm | Bossier City | ||||
| 1976 | Robyn Sanders | Winnfield | 4th Runner-up | |||
| 1975 | Rhonda Shear | New Orleans | Television program host and actor, best known for her role as host of the USA Network's weekend movie show, USA Up All Night | |||
| 1974 | Karen Hoff | Bossier City | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1973 | Storm Hensley | Bossier City | Semi-finalist | Was a sergeant in the Air Force stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City | ||
| 1972 | Bonnie Martin | Ashland | 21 | Semi-finalist | ||
| 1971 | Diana Risenstein | Bossier City | ||||
| 1970 | Nadine Robertson | Bossier City | ||||
| 1969 | Patricia Dupre | Washington | ||||
| 1968 | Kathy Hebert | Miss Photogenic | ||||
| 1967 | Diane Madere | Houma | 21 | |||
| 1966 | Tanya Becnel | Ama | ||||
| 1965 | Terri Sommers | Shreveport | 19 | |||
| 1964 | Linda Graves | Shreveport | ||||
| 1963 | Peggy Romero | Kaplan | ||||
| 1962 | Diana Jane Smith | Oak Ridge | Semifinalist in Miss World USA 1962 | |||
| 1961 | Sharon Brown | Minden | Miss USA 1961 | Miss Photogenic | 4th runner up at Miss Universe 1961 | |
| 1960 | Judy Fletcher | Alexandria | Semi-finalist | Miss Congeniality | ||
| 1959 | Mary Margaret Lobianco | Semi-finalist | ||||
| 1958 | Eurlyne Howell | Bossier City | Miss USA 1958 | 3rd runner up at Miss Universe 1958 | ||
| 1957 | Earlyn Regouffre | New Orleans | ||||
| 1956 | Cecile Morris | Baton Rouge | 19 | |||
| 1955 | Merlin Garcia | Gretna | 19 | |||
| 1954 | Sadie Vinson | New Orleans | Finalist in the 1955 Miss Dixie Pageant | |||
| 1953 | Jeanne Thompson | Baton Rouge | Semi-finalist | Miss Congeniality | Only woman ever to compete in Miss USA pageant twice. Previously Miss Louisiana 1951. Also competed in the 1952 Maid of Cotton Pageant | |
| 1952 | 1st Runner-up |
1 Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant
References
- ↑ "Kristen Girault Crowned Miss Louisiana USA 2013". Beauty Pageant News. October 28, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2012.