- Miss Minnesota USA
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For the state pageant affiliated with Miss America, see Miss Minnesota.
Kaylee Unverzagt, Miss Minnesota USA 2008
The Miss Minnesota USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Minnesota in the Miss USA pageant.
Despite a strong start in the first three years of competition at Miss USA, Minnesota has been largely unsuccessful overall. In more recent years Minnesota has twice received recognition with the Miss Photogenic award.
Barbara Peterson was the first Miss Minnesota USA to be crowned Miss USA (in 1976), and was also the first Miss USA to be unplaced at Miss Universe. Her sister Polly Peterson was Miss Minnesota USA 1981.[1]
Contents
Results summary
Placements
- Winners: Barbara Peterson (1976)
- 2nd runners-up: Deborah Cossette (1977)
- 3rd runners-up: Lanore Van Buren (2002)
- 4th runners-up: Kari Lee Johnson (1985)
- Top 6: Angelique de Maison (1995)
- Top 10: Carla Peterson (1980)
- 'Top 11/12: Jolene Stravrakis (1994)
- Top 15: Jodell Stirmlinger (1952), Mary Ann Papke (1953), Dawn Joyce (1954), Kaylee Unverzagt (2008), Erica Nego (2009)
Awards
- Miss Congeniality: Elizabeth Jane Carroll (1965), Janet Tveita (1990), Dottie Cannon (2006)
- Miss Photogenic: Paige Swenson (2000), Sarah Cahill (2003)
Winners
Year Name Hometown Age1 Placement at Miss USA Special awards at Miss USA Notes 2011 Brittany Thelemann Plymouth 23 Voted Miss Congeniality at Miss Minnesota USA 2011 2010 Courtney Basara Duluth 20 2009 Erica Nego Plymouth 24 Top 15, finishing in 12th place Later Miss Universe Ghana 2011 2008 Kaylee Unverzagt Eagan 20 Top 15, finishing in 15th place 2007 Alla Ilushka Eden Prairie 22 Previously Miss Minnesota Teen USA 2002, top 10 at Miss Teen USA 2002 2006 Dottie Cannon[2] Eagan 22 Miss Congeniality 2005 Carrie Lee Sebeka 25 2004 Jessica Dereschuk Stacy 20 2003 Sarah Cahill Waseca 24 Miss Photogenic Previously Miss Minnesota Teen USA 1996 2002 Lanore Van Buren Edina 26 3rd runner-up Bluepoint Apparel Swimsuit and Fitness Award 2001 Anne Marie Clausen Golden Valley 2000 Paige Swenson Fridley Miss Photogenic Previously Miss Minnesota Teen USA 1994, placed 13th at Nationals 1999 Crystal Vandenberg[3] Brooklyn Center 19 1998 Josan Hengen Eden Prairie/Circle Pines, Minnesota 19 1997 Melissa Hall Minneapolis Later Mrs. Minnesota America 2004 and Top 10 semi-finalist at Mrs. America 2004 under her married name, Melissa Young.[4] 1996 Karin Smith Brooklyn Park 25 Contestant on ABC-TV "The Bachelor" 1995 Angelique de Maison St. Louis Park Top 6 Finalist, finishing in 5th place 1994 Jolene Stravrakis Burnsville Semifinalist, finishing in 10th place Five years after briefly holding the title in 1988, Stravraki won the title again in her last year of eligibility after having her criminal record expunged.[5] 1993 Kristi Bennecke[6] Anoka 1992 Amber Rue Minneapolis Completed her reign amid publicity about a "public lovers' quarrel involving allegations of coerced sex, extortion, fraud and defamation of character".[7] 1991 April Herke Eden Prairie 4th runner up in Miss Oktoberfest 1990 1990 Janet Tveita Minneapolis Miss Congeniality 1989 Julie Knutson Crystal 1988 Julie Nelson Bloomington Second runner-up to Bolich, replaced Stavrakis. She was crowned less than a month before she competed in the Miss USA pageant.[1] Jolene Stavrakis Apple Valley Bolich's first runner-up and replacement. Resigned days later after she too revealed she had pleaded guilty to shoplifting in 1986.[8] Sue Bolich Mound Reigned from November 1987 - February 1988, resigned after she was arrested for shoplifting.[9] 1987 Christine Rosenberger South St. Paul 1986 Cynthia Peterson Edina 1985 Kari Lee Johnson Minneapolis 4th runner-up 1984 Martha Mork Edina 1983 Carolyn Mattson New Hope 1982 Lori Kmetz New Brighton 1981 Polly Peterson Edina 1980 Carla Peterson Albert Lea Semi-finalist, finishing in 12th place 1979 Cynthia Sue Lee St. Paul 1978 Janey Gohl St. Cloud 1977 Deborah Cossette Minneapolis 2nd runner-up 1976 Barbara Peterson Edina Winner Non semifinalist at Miss Universe 1976 1975 Dawn Lamotte St. Paul 1974 Gayle Johnson Minneapolis 1973 Cyndi James Minneapolis 1972 Darlene Koskiniemi Roseville 1971 Shirley Kittleson Minneapolis 1970 Sally Strickland St. Paul 1969 Laureen Darling Minneapolis 1968 Arlene Larson Minneapolis 1967 Betty Ann Brewer Richfield 1966 Patricia Thatcher 1965 Elizabeth Jane Carroll Bloomington Miss Congeniality 1960-64 No Representative 1959 Muriel Fairbanks Minneapolis 1958 Sue Bouchard Minneapolis 1957 Mary Margaret Ford Minneapolis 1956 Marilyn Johnson Minneapolis 1955 Sally Ann Colombo Stillwater 1954 Dawn Joyce Minneapolis Semi-finalist 1953 Mary Ann Papke Minneapolis Semi-finalist 1952 Jodell Stirmlinger St. Paul Semi-finalist 1 Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant
References
- ^ a b Furst, Randy (1988-02-11). "3rd Miss Minnesota-USA has `nothing to hide'". Star-Tribune Newspaper of the Twin Cities Mpls.-St. Paul. p. 01A.
- ^ Francis, Delma (2006-04-17). "Ambition takes local woman to Baltimore; Miss Minnesota USA, Dottie Cannon of Eagan, is competing Friday in the Miss USA pageant.". Star-Tribune. p. 10E.
- ^ "New Miss Minnesota-USA, Miss Minnesota Teen USA crowned" (Press release). Associated Press. 1998-11-30.
- ^ "2004 Mrs America". http://www.tftj.com/db/delegates.htm/33/Mrs/2004. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
- ^ Blake, Laurie (1993-11-11). "Miss Minnesota USA reaches crown and glory again // Five years ago she had to forfeit her title". Star-Tribune Newspaper of the Twin Cities Mpls.-St. Paul. p. 03B.
- ^ Freeborn, Dan (1992-11-19). "She's got her cap set for an education // `No. 1 priority is school,' says Miss Minnesota USA". Star-Tribune Newspaper of the Twin Cities Mpls.-St. Paul. p. 07B.
- ^ McAuliffe, Bill (1992-11-02). "Public lovers' quarrel mars Miss Minnesota USA's reign // Couple traded lawsuits alleging coerced sex, extortion". Star-Tribune Newspaper of the Twin Cities Mpls.-St. Paul. p. 01B.
- ^ Krattenmaker, Tom (1988-02-10). "Second Beauty Queen Withdraws Over Shoplifting". Associated Press.
- ^ "Shoplifting Suspect Won't Be Miss USA". San Francisco Chronicle. 1988-02-09. p. A2.
External links
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Categories:- Miss USA state pageants
- Minnesota culture
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