Miss Iowa USA

For the state pageant affiliated with Miss America, see Miss Iowa.

Miss Iowa USA
Formation1952
TypeBeauty pageant
HeadquartersSavage
Location
MembershipMiss USA
Official language
English
Key people
Denise Wallace
Craig Heitkamp
WebsiteOfficial website

The Miss Iowa USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Iowa in the Miss USA pageant. It is directed by Future Productions based in Savage, Minnesota since 2008.[1]

While Iowa has not been greatly successful in the past four decades, they were one of the most consistent states in the first decade of the pageant's existence. The second Miss USA to win the Miss Universe Crown was Carol Morris of Iowa in 1956. The most recent placement was Baylee Drezek in 2019, placing Top 15.

Jamie Solinger, Miss Teen USA 1992 and Miss Iowa USA 1998, crowned her sister Jaclyn Solinger as Miss Iowa USA 1999.

The current titleholder is McKenzie Ariana Kerry of Des Moines and was crowned on June 23, 2024 at The Ames Center, formerly Burnsville Performing Arts Center in Burnsville. She will represent Iowa for the title of Miss USA 2024.

Results summary

Placements

  • Miss USA: Carol Morris (1956)
  • 5th Runner-up: Carlyn Bradarich (2014)
  • Top 10/12: Jan Hoyer (1993), Jensie Grigsby (2000)
  • Top 14/15/19/20: Marilyn Shonka (1953), Ione Lucken (1954), Judy Hall (1957), Kay Nielson (1959), Trudy Shulkin (1960), Baylee Drezek (2019), McKenzie Ariana Kerry (2024)

Iowa holds a record of 11 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

  • Miss Congeniality: Dana Ruth Mintzer (1983), Rebecca Hodge (2012)

Winners

Color key
  •   Declared as Winner
  •   Ended as runner-up
  •   Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
Year Name Hometown Age1 Local title Placement at Miss USA Special awards at Miss USA Notes
2024 McKenzie Ariana Kerry Des Moines 26 Miss Des Moines Top 20 People's Choice
2023 Grace Keller Coralville 24 Miss Johnson County
2022 Randi Estabrook Mitchellville 24 Miss Central Iowa
2021 Katie Wadman Iowa City 21
2020 Morgan Kofoid Leon 22
  • Previously Miss Iowa Teen USA 2013
  • Longest reigning Miss Iowa USA at 1 year, 7 months and 2 days
2019 Baylee Drezek Davenport 21 Top 15
2018 Jenny Valliere Cedar Rapids 27 Joining Miss Iowa USA on her 8th consecutive year, before winning the title in 2018
2017 Kelsey Weier Des Moines 25 Later contestant on season 24 of The Bachelor and season 7 of Bachelor in Paradise.
2016 Alissa Morrison Davenport 24
2015 Taylor Even Jesup 21
2014 Carlyn Bradarich Iowa City 23 5th runner-up
2013 Richelle Orr[citation needed] Hampton 20
2012 Rebecca Hodge Iowa City 22 Miss Congeniality
2011 Rebecca Goldsmith Chariton 26
2010 Katherine Connors Bettendorf 20 Threw out the first pitch at a Washington Nationals baseball game following a joke by Nationals pitcher Miguel Batista at Miss Iowa's expense. Batista sent flowers, but declined Connors' challenge to "walk the runway in a swimsuit."
2009 Chelsea Gauger Ames 19
2008 Abbey Curran Davenport 20 First person born with a disability (cerebral palsy) to compete in Miss USA[2]
2007 Dani Reeves Hamburg 21
2006 Sarah Corpstein Anamosa 23
2005 Joy Robinson Altoona 25
2004 Brooke Hansen Fort Dodge 22
2003 Linsey Grams Urbandale 20
2002 Lauren Wilson Bettendorf 22
2001 Clarissa Kroese Pella 22
2000 Jensie Grigsby West Des Moines 26 Top 10, Finishing in 10th Place
1999 Jaclyn Solinger Altoona
1998 Jamie Solinger Altoona
1997 Shawn Marie Brogan New Hampton
1996 Jill Simon Burlington
1995 Angela Hearne Mount Vernon
1994 Callie Pandit Des Moines
1993 Jan Hoyer Fort Madison Top 12 Semi-finalist, Finishing in 8th Place
1992 Pam Patrick Ottumwa
1991 Heather Bowers Toddville
1990 Elizabeth Muelhaupt West Des Moines, Iowa
1989 Marcy Requist Red Oak
1988 Julie Kemmerling Hinsdale, IL
1987 Katy Magee Jefferson
1986 Holly Wilkins Clear Lake
1985 Karen North Ames
Devin Steinberg Manson Original winner, dethroned after she married during her reign.
1984 Michele Boisvert Decorah
1983 Dana Ruth Mintzer Des Moines Miss Congeniality
1982 Jeanne Hoyer Fort Madison Sister of Miss Iowa USA 1993 Jan Hoyer
1981 Jennifer Lynn Wimpey Iowa City
1980 Lori Kromminga Keystone
1979 Teri Rees Sioux City
1978 Michelle Daley West Des Moines
1977 Cindy Woodard Urbandale
1976 Sheri Davenport Storm Lake
1975 Kathleen Duggan Council Bluffs
1974 Susan Thompson Cedar Rapids
1973 Dyanne Roberts Oskaloosa
1972 Jennifer Owen Maxwell
1971 Cindy Helmers Sibley
1970 Jacqueline Jochims Carroll Miss Starling
1969 Becky Stoner Laurens
1968 Markie Anderson Sioux City
1967 Kathleen Solt Jefferson
1966 Janis Mieras Alta
1965 Mari Hardy Sioux City
1964 Barbara Rogers Perry
1963 Ramona Meylor Le Mars
1962 Regina Prusha Cedar Rapids Miss Cedar Rapids
1961 Deanne Ostermann Ocheyedan
1960 Trudy Shulkin Sioux City Miss Kmns Sioux City Semi-finalist
1959 Kay Nielson Council Bluffs Semi-finalist
1958 Sandra Olsen Sioux City
1957 Judy Hall Council Bluffs Semi-finalist
1956 Carol Morris Ottumwa 19 Miss USA 1956
1955 Jerri Cole Holstein
1954 Ione Lucken Le Mars Semi-finalist
1953 Marilyn Shonka Sioux City Semi-finalist

1 Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

References

  1. ^ "Future Productions, LLC State Directors". Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  2. ^ Johnson, Kristine (2008-04-10). "Beating The Odds: Beauty Queen With Cerebral Palsy". WCBS-TV. Archived from the original on 2008-04-14. Retrieved 2008-04-17.
  3. ^ "2004 Mrs America". Archived from the original on June 24, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2010.