The Miss Illinois USA pageant is a competition that selects the representative for the state Illinois in the Miss USA pageant. It is directed by Vanbros and Associates and is previously directed by D&D Productions from 2001 to 2014 before becoming part of Vanbros organization in 2014, headquartered in Shawnee.[1]
| Formation | 1952 |
|---|---|
| Type | Beauty pageant |
| Headquarters | Shawnee |
| Location | |
| Membership | Miss USA |
Official language | English |
Key people | John M. Vannatta Jason Vannatta Jennifer Vannatta-Fisher, State Pageant Director |
| Website | Official website |
Illinois is one of the most successful states in the competition. It is one of only four states to have won four or more Miss USA titles and one of only four states to win two Miss USA titles in consecutive years. All four winners came from the early history of the competition, with their last Miss USA being Karen Morrison, who held the title in 1974. The pageant's most successful years were from 1984 to 1996, when all but two delegates made the cut at Miss USA. That period was followed by many years without a placement.
In 1986, sisters Tricia and Laura Bach won the title consecutively, the first occasion of this in the history of the Miss Universe organization.[2] Later on, in 1994, Kathleen Farrell, sister of Miss Florida USA 1988, won the title, making the state pageant the first to have two sisters compete in Miss USA.
Until 2013, no Illinois delegate had previously competed at Miss Illinois Teen USA but one was previously competed in Miss Illinois, Stacie Juris became the first former Teen titleholder to appear a crossover in Miss USA, the second-to-the last state to do so (Washington would make its first Teen to Miss crossover four years later). The most recent placement was Samantha Elliott placing Top 20 in 2023.
Grace Rodi of Hinsdale was crowned Miss Illinois USA 2024 on May 26, 2024, at Braden Auditorium in Normal. She will represent Illinois at Miss USA 2024.
Results summary
Placements
- Miss USAs: Myrna Hansen (1953), Marite Ozers (1963), Amanda Jones (1973), Karen Morrison (1974)
- 2nd runners-up: Laura Bach (1985), Nichole Holmes (1995), Stacie Juris (2013)
- 3rd runners-up: June Pickney (1958), Debra Niego (1979), Jill Gulseth (2005), Sydni Dion Bennett (2021)
- 4th runners-up: Celeste Ravel (1954), Angel Reyes (2022)
- Top 5/6: Lisa Morgan (1991), Whitney Wandland (2017)
- Top 10/12: Kathy Schmalen (1976), LaVonne Misselle (1984), Tricia Bach (1986), Joan Berge (1987), Gina Zordani (1988), Kelly Holub (1989), Carla Myers (1990), Kathleen Farrell (1994), Bernadette Przybycien (1996), Olivia Pura (2020)
- Top 15: Dianne Daniggelis (1955), Marianne Gaba (1957), Jean Donnelly (1962), Beverly Lacek (1967), Catherine Warren (2006), Renee Wronecki (2015)
- Top 20: Samantha Elliott (2023), Grace Rodi (2024)
Illinois holds a record of 33 placements at Miss USA.
Awards
- Miss Photogenic: Elizabeth Curran (1977), Nichole Holmes (1995), Angel Reyes (2022)
- Best State Costume: Kelly Holub (1989)
Titleholders
- Color key
- Declared as Winner
- Ended as runner-up
- Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
| Year | Name | Hometown | Age[a] | Local title | Placement at Miss USA | Special awards at Miss USA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Grace Rodi | Hinsdale | 23 | Miss Dupage County | Top 20 | ||
| 2023 | Samantha Elliott | Freeport | 22 | Miss Freeport | Top 20 | ||
| 2022 | Angeliz "Angel" Reyes | Chicago | 25 | Miss Hermosa | 4th runner-up | Miss Photogenic | |
| 2021 | Sydni Dion Bennett | Algonquin | 20 | Miss Greater Midwest | 3rd runner-up |
| |
| 2020 | Olivia Pura | Deer Park | 22 | Miss North Shore | Top 10 |
| |
| 2019 | Alexandra Plotz | Geneva | 24 | Miss Geneva |
| ||
| 2018 | Karolina Jasko | Franklin Park | 20 | Miss Franklin Park |
| ||
| 2017 | Whitney Wandland | Chicago | 24 | Miss Greater Chicago | Top 5 | Chicago Bulls Luvabull | |
| 2016 | Zena Malak | Carol Stream | 23 | Miss Carol Stream |
| ||
| 2015 | Renee Wronecki | Burbank | 22 | Miss Burbank | Top 15 | ||
| 2014 | Lexi Atkins | Champaign | 21 |
| |||
| 2013 | Stacie Juris | Tinley Park | 22 | 2nd runner-up |
| ||
| 2012 | Ashley Hooks | Flossmoor | 25 | ||||
| 2011 | Angela Sparrow | Chicago | 26 | Indiana Pacers Pacemate | |||
| 2010 | Ashley Bradarich | Homer Glen | 23 | Sister of Carlyn Bradarich, Miss Iowa USA 2014 | |||
| 2009 | Ashley Bond | Oswego | 24 | Chicago Bulls Luvabull | |||
| 2008 | Shanon Lersch | Chicago | 25 | Chicago Bulls Luvabull | |||
| 2007 | Mia Heaston | Chicago | 25 | ||||
| 2006 | Catherine Warren | Lake Forest | 23 | Top 15 | Contestant on The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman | ||
| 2005 | Jill Gulseth | Geneva | 21 | 3rd runner-up | |||
| 2004 | Molly Graham | Montgomery | 24 | ||||
| 2003 | Agnieszka Zakreta | Rolling Meadows | 24 |
| |||
| 2002 | Amanda Reynolds | Marion | 23 | Contestant at National Sweetheart 2001 | |||
| 2001 | Rebecca Ambrosi | Chicago | 24 | ||||
| 2000 | Constance Stoetzer | Abingdon | 26 | ||||
| 1999 | Christina Lam | Makanda | 19 |
| |||
| 1998 | Mandy Lane | Elizabethtown | 21 | Contestant in Fear Factor USA Christmas Edition (4th place) & Fear Factor USA Second Chance Episode (2nd place) | |||
| 1997 | Jennifer Salinas | South Holland | 21 | ||||
| 1996 | Bernadette Przybycien | Chicago | 24 | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1995 | Nichole Holmes | Marion | 20 | 2nd runner-up | Miss Photogenic | ||
| 1994 | Kathleen Farrell | Chicago | 24 | Top 10 Semi-finalist |
| ||
| 1993 | Susie Park | Chicago | 25 | First Asian American to win the title of Miss Illinois USA | |||
| 1992 | Leilani Magnussen | Glendale Heights | 21 | ||||
| 1991 | Lisa Morgan | Inverness | 21 | Top 6 |
| ||
| 1990 | Karla Myers | Chicago | 22 | Top 12 | |||
| 1989 | Kelly Holub | Buffalo Grove | 22 | Semi-finalist | Best State Costume award | ||
| 1988 | Gina Zordani | Palos Heights | 23 | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1987 | Joan Berge | Arlington Heights | 21 | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1986 | Tricia Bach | Elmhurst | 22 | Semi-finalist |
| ||
| 1985 | Laura Bach | Elmhurst | 23 | 2nd Runner-up |
| ||
| 1984 | LaVonne Misselle | Toluca | 19 | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1983 | Vanessa Romine | Rockford | 24 | ||||
| 1982 | Carla Danielson | Chicago | 21 | ||||
| 1981 | Leslie Renfrow | Chicago | 21 |
| |||
| 1980 | Karen Groat | Princeton | 18 | ||||
| 1979 | Debra Niego | Oak Lawn | 20 | 3rd Runner-up |
| ||
| 1978 | Suzanne Piché | Lombard | 22 | Represented Illinois at Miss World USA 1974. | |||
| 1977 | Elizabeth Curran | Park Ridge | 21 | Miss Photogenic | |||
| 1976 | Kathy Schmalen | Oak Lawn | 18 | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1975 | Connie Reif | Wheeling | 18 | ||||
| 1974 | Melinda Staiger | Aurora | 19 | Succeeded Karen Morrison as Miss Illinois USA | |||
| 1974 | Karen Morrison | St. Charles | 19 | Miss USA 1974 | Semifinalist at Miss Universe 1974 | ||
| 1973 | Deanna Hanson[5] | Aurora | 19 | Succeeded Amanda Jones as Miss Illinois USA | |||
| 1973 | Amanda Jones | Evanston | 22 | Miss USA 1973 |
| ||
| 1972 | Jani Hall | Big Rock | 21 | ||||
| 1971 | Paulette Breen | Chicago | 24 | ||||
| 1970 | Carol Pepoon | Skokie | 18 | ||||
| 1969 | Christine Jalloway | Chicago | 23 | ||||
| 1968 | Sandra Wolsfeld | Wheaton | 21 |
| |||
| 1967 | Beverly Lacek | Chicago | 23 | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1966 | Cheryl Setser | Woodstock | 19 | ||||
| 1965 | Diane Gortz | Schiller Park | 18 | ||||
| 1964 | Karen Wiesbrook | Wheaton | 18 | ||||
| 1963 | Marite Ozers | Chicago | 19 | Miss USA 1963 |
| ||
| 1962 | Jean Donnelly | Dekalb | 20 | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1961 | Dianne Duffey | Elmhurst | 19 | ||||
| 1960 | Patricia Thompson | Chicago | |||||
| 1959 | Arlene Kaye | Western Springs | 19 | ||||
| 1958 | June Pickney | Chicago | 22 | 3rd Runner-up | |||
| 1957 | Marianne Gaba | Chicago | 18 | Semi-finalist | Playboy playmate September 1959 | ||
| 1956 | Muriel Blair | Chicago | 23 | ||||
| 1955 | Diane Daniggelis[6] | Chicago | 18 | Semi-finalist | Winner of the 1955 National Press Photographers Pageant | ||
| 1954 | Celeste Ravel | Chicago | 23 | 4th Runner-up | |||
| 1953 | Myrna Hansen | Chicago | 17 | Miss USA 1953 |
| ||
| 1952 | Sherri Matulis[7] | Peoria | 20[7] |
- ^ Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant
References
- ^ "Contact - MISS ILLINOIS USA® and MISS ILLINOIS TEEN USA®". www.missillinoisusa.com. Retrieved 2024-01-20.
- ^ "Sisters reign, Bach to Bach". Chicago Sun-Times. 1986-02-25. p. 24.
- ^ "Karolina Jasko - Miss Illinois USA 2018". Pageant Update. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
- ^ Purdom, Candace (21 April 1991). C-h-e-e-r-s, Chicago Tribune
- ^ "The New Miss Illinois". Chicago Tribune. 7 June 1973. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- ^ "Here's Official List of Miss Universe Charmers". Long Beach Press-Telegram. 17 July 1955. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- ^ a b "U.S. Beauty List". Long Beach Independent. 22 June 1952. Retrieved 20 May 2023.