Miss Marianas Universe

Miss Marianas Universe is the national pageant of the Northern Marianas that sends representatives to the Miss Universe and Miss International pageants. It is organized by the non-profit beauty and talent group Stellar Marianas.

The current Miss Marianas Universe is Sorene Maratita of Kagman, Saipan, who won the title at the Palms Resort Saipan on November 29, 2008. The first runner-up was Winona Chance Camacho who is also from Saipan. Sorene also took home the Miss Photogenic and Best in Native Costume award. Due to a lack of funding and sponsorship, she was unable to compete at Miss Universe 2009 in the Bahamas. However, Sorene competed at Miss International. She was handed the title by MMU 2005 Shequita DLG. Bennett-Sanchez because of the three-year absence of a titleholder, respectively.

Winners

Year	Contestant	Village Represented	Placement
1976	Candelaria Flores Borja	As Teo
1977	Margarita Benavente Camacho	San Vicente
1978	Julia Salas Concepcion	Chalan Kanoa Dist.#1
1979	Barbara Torres	Chalan Kanoa Dist #3
1980	Angelina Camacho Chong	Garapan
1981	Juanita Masga Mendiola	Tinian	Did not compete
1982	Sheryl Sonoda Sizemore	Chalan Kanoa Dist #1
1983	Thelma Mafnas	Sadog Tasi
1984	Porsche Salas	Chalan Kanoa Dist#4
1985	Antoinette Marie Flores	Susupe
1986	Christine Guerrero	Capitol Hill
1987	Luciana Seman Ada	Fina Sisu
1988	Ruby Jean Hamilton	Gualo Rai
1989	Teresa Wamar	San Antonio	Did not compete
1990	Edwina Taitano Menzies	Tinian
1991	Sharon Rosario	Chalan Lau Lau
1992	Imelda Antonio	Puerto Rico
1993	Victoria Taisakan Tudela	San Jose
1994	Elizabeth Tomokane	Gualo Rai
1995	Karah Kirschenheiter	Capitol Hill
1996	Kathleen Williams	Garapan	won all categories but won miss intl.
1997	Melanie Sibetang	Oleai
1998	Helene Yun Lizama	Dan Dan
1999	Cherlyn Cabrera	Chalan Kanoa Dist#1
2001	Janet Han King	Tinian
2002	Virginia Ann Gridley	Chalan Kanoa
2003	Kimberly Castro Reyes	Gualo Rai	Did not compete
2004	Tracy Lynn Del Rosario	Koblerville	Did not compete
2006	Shequita Deleon Guerrero Bennett	Kagman
2009	Sorene Aldan Maratita	Kagman	Did not compete

NOTES:

• In 1981, the newly crowned queen, Juanita Masga Mendiola relinquished her title to further education. Her successor is unknown as of this time.
• In 1989, newly crowned queen Soreen Villanueva was dethroned for reasons undisclosed, and eventually was succeeded by Teresa Wamar who competed at the Miss International Pageant.
• For the competing years 2000, 2005, 2007 and 2008 no pageant was held.
• In 2003, Kimberly Castro Reyes was crowned Miss Marianas Universe of that year. Eventually however, she was unable to compete at the national competition in Panama City, Panama that year due to a miscommunication between the pageant's then-organization The Northern Marianas Beauty Pageant Association (NMBPA) and Miss Universe. Outrage and protest had resulted from this by the community and the winning contestant's family and friends. Instead, she was eventually sent to compete at Miss World 2003 in Sanya, the People's Republic of China.
• In 2004, Tracy Del Rosario was crowned Miss Marianas World for that year. It was the only time since the U.S. territory's pageant participation, that a winner of the pageant would be crowned a different title other than Miss Marianas Universe. The year before, crowned Miss Marianas Universe-winner Reyes had been expected to compete at its national pageant but was instead sent to Miss World. This was the last year the NMBPA held the pageant license for its competing territory. They disbanded quickly after the year's pageant.
• Since 2005, a new non-profit pageant and talent organization Stellar Marianas currently directs and holds the license to the Miss Marianas Universe.
• Sorene Maratita, Miss Marianas Universe 2009, did not compete in Miss Universe 2009 due to lack of sponsorship and funding. She will only compete in Miss International.