Miss Kentucky

For the state pageant affiliated with Miss USA, see Miss Kentucky USA.

Mallory Ervin, Miss Kentucky 2009 at the Apple Festival in Bedford, Kentucky

The Miss Kentucky competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Kentucky in the Miss America pageant. Kentucky has once won the Miss America crown.

Winners

Year	Name	Hometown	Age	Local Title	Miss America Talent	Placement at Miss America	Special scholarships at Miss America	Notes
2011	Ann-Blair Thornton	Bowling Green	21	Miss Bowling Green	Piano			Previously Miss Kentucky's Outstanding Teen 2007, 4th runner-up at Miss America's Outstanding Teen; 1st runner-up to National Sweetheart 2010
2010	Djuan Trent	Columbus, GA	23	Miss Berea Area	Vocal "A Change Is Gonna Come"	Top 10		Eligible to compete at Miss Kentucky as a Berea College student; Voted into the Top 15 as a "Contestants' Choice" finalist by her fellow contestants
2009	Mallory Ervin	Morganfield	24	Miss Bowling Green	Vocal "On My Own" from Les Misérables	4th Runner-up at Miss America 2010	Quality of Life Finalist	Was selected as one of three "America's Choice" contestants in the top 15 voted by TV viewers; The Amazing Race 17 Contestant
2008	Emily Cox	Campbellsville	22	Miss Bowling Green	Classical Piano "Impromptu in C Sharp Minor" by Hugo Reinhold	Top 12 at Miss America 2009	Quality of Life Award winner	Contestant at National Sweetheart 2005; Niece of Miss Kentucky 1990- Nancy Cox; Daughter of Ricky Lee Cox
2007	Kaitlynne Postel	Lexington	21	Miss Monticello	Vocal "So Much Better" from Legally Blonde			Daughter of Miss Maryland 1982- Lynne Carol Graham; Niece (by marriage) of Miss Kentucky 1978- Marcia Bell
2006	Rachelle Phillips	Princeton	24	Miss Heartland	Vocal "Cry Me a River"
2005	Kerri Mitchell	Barbourville	21	Miss Jeffersontown	Vocal "Born to Fly"
2004	Maria Maldonado	Lexington	22	Miss Heart of the South	Vocal "Your Daddy's Son" from Ragtime		Non-finalist Interview Award
2003	MacKenzie Mayes	Lexington	23	Miss Monticello	Vocal "I Surrender"		1st runner-up Quality of Life award; Non-finalist Talent	Former National Sweetheart 2000; Former Kentucky's Junior Miss 1998
2002	Mary Catherine Correll	Somerset	21	Miss Maysville Area	Vocal "The Prayer"		Quality of Life Award Finalist, Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship	Daughter of Miss Kentucky USA 1975 and Miss Wyoming 1976, Carol June Wallace
2001	Monica Hardin	Louisville	20	Miss Jeffersontown	Vocal "If You Believe" from The Wiz
2000	Whitney Boyles	Louisville	22	Miss Northern Kentucky	Vocal "In His Eyes" from Jekyll & Hyde	4th Runner-up	Preliminary Swimsuit Award, Quality of Life Award Finalist
1999	Shanna Kari Moore¹	Marion		Miss Jeffersontown	Classical Piano			4th runner-up (1998) & 3rd runner-up (1999) to National Sweetheart
	Heather French	Maysville	24	Miss Louisville	Vocal "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Boulevard	Winner	Quality of Life 1st runner-up; Preliminary Swimsuit Award
1998	Chera-Lyn Cook	London	21	Miss Lexington	Vocal "When a Man Loves a Woman"	4th Runner-up	Preliminary Talent Award	Former National Sweetheart 1997
1997	Lori Menshouse	Ashland	24	Miss Ashland Area	Piano "Revolutionary Etude"			Future Miss Kentucky USA 1999
1996	Veronica Duka	Campbellsville	19	Miss Campbellsville	Vocal "Somewhere"		Top 10 Semifinalist
1995	Kristie Hicks	Bardstown	23	Miss Jeffersontown	Vocal "Stormy Weather"		Konica Visual Arts Scholarship	Former Miss Kentucky Teen USA 1989, 1st Runner-Up to Miss Teen USA 1989
1994	Laura Sue Humphress	Campbellsville	22	Miss Heart of the Bluegrass	Classical Piano "Khachaturian's Toccata"
1993	Tonya Virgin	Oldtown	24	Miss East Kentucky	Country Vocal "If I Could Only Be Like You"		Non-Finalist Talent
1992	Tawnya Mullins	Kimper	25	Miss Heart of Kentucky	Contemporary Clogging "Banjo Fantasy"	Top 10 Semi-finalist	Preliminary Swimsuit Award
1991	Sheri Plambeck	Lexington	23	Miss Heart of the Bluegrass	Tap Dance "The Joint Is Jumpin'"
1990	Nancy Cox	Campbellsville	23	Miss Bowling Green	Popular Vocal "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue"			Currently Nancy Cox-Kenny, WLEX TV Personality in Lexington, Kentucky. Sister of Ricky Lee Cox; Aunt of Miss Kentucky 2008- Emily Cox
1989	Melanie Glasscock	Leitchfield	21	Miss Green River Valley	Baton Twirling "If My Friends Could See Me Now"			Was also Kentucky's Junior Miss in 1986
1988	Mikka Darby	Salyersville	19	Miss East Kentucky	Middle Eastern Dance
1987	Elizabeth McDowell	Prospect	21	Miss Jefferson County	Semi-Classical Vocal "Falling in Love with Love"
1986	Melinda Cumberledge	Lexington	23	Miss Bluegrass Area	Semi-Classical Vocal "Till There Was You"		Non-Finalist Talent
1985	Laurie Janine Keller	Nippa	21	Miss Floyd County	Vocal / Ballet en Pointe "Don't Cry For Me Argentina"	Top 10 Semi-finalist		Toured with 1986 Miss America Gillette Show Troupe
1984	Kelly Lin Brumagen	Lexington	22	Miss Fayette County	Vocal "Le Jazz Hot" from Victor/Victoria	Top 10 Semi-finalist	Allman Medical Scholarship recipient
1983	Lynn Thompson	Lexington	24	Miss Bluegrass Area	Popular Vocal "Yesterday When I Was Young"	Top 10 Semi-finalist
1982	Gwendolyn Whitten	Vine Grove	23	Miss Louisville	Semi-Classical Vocal "And This Is My Beloved"	Top 10 Semi-finalist	Preliminary Talent Award
1981	Sheri Copeland	Benton	20	Miss Bluegrass Area	Popular Vocal "Out Here On My Own" from Fame
1980	Daphne Cochran	Louisville	21	Miss Fairdale	Popular Vocal "Bridges"
1979	Kathryn Parker	Wilmore	21	Miss Lexington	Flute Solo "The Swiss Shepherd's Song"
1978	Marcia Bell	Lexington	21	Miss Lake Cumberland	Popular Vocal "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"	Top 10 Semi-finalist		Aunt (by marriage) of Miss Kentucky 2007- Kaitlynne Postel
1977	Karen Gordon	Benton	21	Miss Murray State University	Chalk Drawing with Narration "Mark Twain"
1976	Victoria Harned	Leitchfield	21	Miss Lake Cumberland	Popular Vocal "Send In the Clowns"		Nonfinalist Talent Award	Miss America USO Troupe
1975	Marsha Griffith	Greenup	22	Miss Ashland Area	Vocal / Trumpet "I Can See Clearly Now"		Nonfinalist Talent Award	Miss America USO Troupe
1974	Darlene Compton	Louisville	25	Miss Louisville	Vocal "Mira" from Carnival!	3rd runner-up	Preliminary Talent Award
1973	Lyda Lewis	Louisville	24	Miss Louisville	Vocal "Sweet Inspiration" & "Where You Lead"			Participated in Miss America USO Troupe
1972	Diana Moore	Louisville		Miss Louisville				Successor to crown
	Carolyn Walters	Louisville	19	Miss University of Louisville	Vocal "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody"			Represented Kentucky in the Miss America 1973 Pageant but was later relieved of her duties
1971	Robbie Halcomb	Scottsville	19	Miss Jeffersontown	Semi-Classical Vocal "Italian Street Song"
1970	Cynthia Bostick	Owensboro	18	Miss Owensboro	Vocal "Life Is a One Way Street"			actress, appeared on As the World Turns
1969	Louisa Flook	Richmond	20	Miss Richmond	Dramatic Monologue from "Little Moon of Alban" by James Costigan
1968	Janet Hatfield	Jeffersontown	18	Miss Jeffersontown	Vocal "I'm Glad There Is You"			Participated in Miss America USO Troupe
1967	Jo-Anne Clark	Louisville	19	Miss Jeffersontown	Vocal / Guitar "Unchained Melody"
1966	Janie Olmstead	New Castle	22	Miss New Castle	Modern Ballet Dance "Peter Gunn Theme"
1965	Rebecca Snyder	Owensboro	20	Miss Lexington	Dramatic Monologue "Portrayal of the Sphinx"
1964	Linda Sawyer	Louisville	21	Miss Louisville	Vocal & Speech "Stephen Foster Medley"	Top 10 Semi-finalist		Was also Kentucky's Junior Miss in 1961 and 1st runner-up to America's Junior Miss, older sister of newscaster Diane Sawyer
1963	Nell Owen	Bowling Green		Miss Bowling Green	Fashion Design			Former mayor of Prospect, Kentucky
1962	Nanci Bowling	Campbellsville	21	Miss Harlan	Piano Solo
1961	Lee Grigsby	Bardstown	18	Miss Louisville	Vocal "Summertime"			competed in the 1962 Miss Dixie Pageant
1960	Alice Chumbley	Jamestown	21	Miss Bowling Green	Dramatic Monologue from "The Country Girl"
1959	Carol Brown	Whitesburg	19	Miss Eastern State Teacher's College	Dramatic Reading			1st runner-up in the 1960 Miss Dixie Pageant
1958	Sandra Smith	Harlan			Pantomime/Dance "Tweedle Dee"			Competed in the 1959 Miss Dixie Pageant
1957	Jane Brock	Liberty			Piano		Non-Finalist Talent
1956	Janene Simpson	Louisville			Piano
1955	Ann Gillock	Carrollton			Organ
1954	Margaret Diane Hunt	Lexington			Dance
1953	Emily Rucker	Berea			Vocal
1952	Joy Williams	Louisville			Dance
1951	Dottye Nuckols	Bowling Green			Vocal
1950	Mary Osborne	Wheelwright			Drama
1949	Betty Haverstock	Louisville
1948	Mildred Joanne Hollinger	Louisville						competed as Miss Louisville in the Miss America Pageant
1947	Evelyn Murray	Louisville			Samba	Top 10 Semi-finalist	Preliminary Swimsuit Award
	Margaret Allen Hill	Louisville			Vocal/Piano "It Had to Be You"			Competed as Miss Louisville in the Miss America Pageant.
1946	Mary Madonna Smith	Jenkins
	Patricia Alden Fenton	Louisville			Artistic Exhibition & Sketch	Semi-Finalist		Competed as Miss Louisville in the Miss America Pageant.
1941	Dorothy Slatten	Lexington				Semi-Finalist
1940	Dorothy Slatten	Lexington				4th runner-up	Preliminary Swimsuit Award
1939	Louise Holman	Pineville						Dorothy Slatten was the original winner but was disqualified due to being underage at that time[citation needed]
	Mattigene Palmore	Lexington						Competed as Miss Lexington in the Miss America Pageant.
1938	Evelyn Cooper	Mt. Healthy			Vocal "A-Tisket, A-Tasket"
1937	Audrey Flaig	Bellevue
1936	Charlet Hiteman	Newport				Semi-Finalist		Model, appeared in shows in New York
	Jean Megerle	Fort Thomas	19			Semi-Finalist		Competed as Miss Blue Grass in the pageant that year.
1935	Jean Megerle	Fort Thomas	18		Vocal / Acrobatic Dance "I'll Never Say Never Again"	2nd runner-up
1933	Lucille Rader	Berea	14			Semi-Finalist
1926	No Miss Kentucky							Gladys Imogene King competed as Miss Louisville
1925	No Miss Kentucky							Madeline O'Laughlin competed as Miss Louisville and placed as a Finalist
1924	No Miss Kentucky							Kathleen McElroy competed as Miss Paducah and there was also a Miss Louisville whose name is not known
1923	No Miss Kentucky							A Miss Louisville competed in the Miss America Pageant but her name is not known.
1922	No Miss Kentucky							Dorothy Heick competed as Miss Louisville in the Miss America Pageant

Notes

¹ Shanna Moore assumed the duties of Miss Kentucky when Heather French was named Miss America.

References

External links

• Miss Kentucky official website