Miss Minnesota USA

The Miss Minnesota USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Minnesota in the Miss USA pageant. It is directed by Future Productions based in Savage, Minnesota since its inception in 1995, which also directs the state pageants for Colorado, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.[1]

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

Miss Minnesota USA
Formation1952 (1952)
TypeBeauty pageant
HeadquartersMinneapolis
Location
Membership
Miss USA
Official language
English
Key people
Denise Wallace
Craig Heitkamp
WebsiteOfficial website
Kalie Wright, Miss Minnesota USA 2018
Kaylee Unverzagt, Miss Minnesota USA 2008

Barbara Elaine Peterson was the first Miss Minnesota USA to be crowned Miss USA (in 1976), and was also the first Miss USA to not place in the Miss Universe pageant. Her sister, Polly Peterson Bowles, was Miss Minnesota USA 1981.[2]

In 2016, Halima Aden became the first contestant to compete wearing a burkini, and the first to wear a hijab the entire time.[3] In 2017, Mikayla Holmgren was the first woman with Down syndrome to compete in a statewide Miss USA pageant.[4]

The current titleholder is Madeline Helget of Clearwater was crowned on May 29, 2022, at Ames Center in Burnsville. She represented Minnesota for the title of Miss USA 2022, placed in the top 12.

Results summary

Placements
  • Miss USA: Barbara Peterson (1976)
  • 2nd runners-up: Deborah Cossette (1977), Meridith Gould (2017)
  • 3rd runners-up: Lanore Van Buren (2002)
  • 4th runners-up: Kari Lee Johnson (1985)
  • Top 6: Angelique de Maison (1995)
  • Top 10/12: Jodell Stirmlinger (1952), Carla Reid Peterson (1980), Jolene Stavrakis (1994), Madeline Helget (2022)
  • Top 15/19/20: Mary Ann Papke (1953), Dawn Joyce (1954), Kaylee Unverzagt (2008), Erica Nego (2009), Haley O'Brien (2014), Cat Stanley (2019)

Minnesota holds a record of 16 placements at Miss USA.

Awards
  • Miss Congeniality: Elizabeth Jane Carroll (1965), Janet Tveita (1990), Dottie Cannon (2006), Amber Davis (2020)
  • Miss Photogenic: Paige Swenson (2000), Sarah Cahill (2003)

Winners
Color key
  •   Declared as Winner
  •   Ended as runner-up
  •   Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
Year Name Hometown Age1 Placement Special awards Notes
2023 Sarah Anderson Maple Grove 20
2022 Madeline Helget Clearwater 24 Top 12
2021 Katarina Spasojevic Minnetonka 20 Shortest reigning Miss Minnesota USA (9 months and 28 days)
2020 Taylor Fondie Ham Lake 22
2019 Catherine "Cat" Stanley Bloomington 23 Top 15 Previously Miss Minnesota Teen USA 2014
2018 Kalie Wright[4] Eagle Bend 24
2017 Meridith Gould Minneapolis 22 2nd Runner-Up
2016 Bridget Jacobs Maple Grove 20
2015 Jessica Scheu Prior Lake 23
2014 Haley O'Brien Excelsior 21 Top 20
2013 Danielle Hooper Inver Grove Heights 20
2012 Nitaya Panemalaythong Savage 26 Born in Thailand
2011 Brittany Thelemann Plymouth 23 Cousin of Olivia Herbert, Miss Minnesota Teen USA 2019
2010 Courtney Basara Duluth 20
2009 Erica Nego Plymouth 24 Top 15 (12th place) Later Miss Universe Ghana 2011
2008 Kaylee Unverzagt Eagan 20 Top 15 (15th place)
2007 Alla Ilushka Eden Prairie 22 Miss Minnesota Teen USA 2002 and Top 10 at Miss Teen USA 2002
2006 Dottie Cannon[7] Eagan 22 Miss Congeniality
2005 Carrie Lee Sebeka 25
2004 Jessica Dereschuk Stacy 20
2003 Sarah Cahill Waseca 24 Miss Photogenic 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 23
2000 Paige Swenson Fridley Miss Photogenic Miss Minnesota Teen USA 1994
1999 Crystal Vandenberg[8] Brooklyn Center 19
1998 Josan Hengen Eden Prairie 19
1997 Melissa Hall Minneapolis
1996 Karin Smith Brooklyn Park 25
1995 Angelique de Maison St. Louis Park Finalist (5th place)
1994 Jolene Stravrakis Burnsville Semifinalist (10th place)
1993 Kristi Bennecke[9] Anoka
1992 Amber Rue Minneapolis
1991 April Ann Herke Eden Prairie
1990 Janet Tveita Minneapolis Miss Congeniality
1989 Julie Knutson Crystal 22
1988 Sue Bolich Mound N/A2
Jolene Stavrakis Apple Valley N/A2
Julie Nelson Bloomington
1987 Christine Rosenberger South St. Paul
1986 Cynthia Jane 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 sister of Miss USA 1976 Barbara Peterson
1980 Carla Peterson Albert Lea Semifinalist (12th place)
1979 Cynthia Sue Lee St. Paul
1978 Janey Gohl St. Cloud
1977 Deborah Cossette Minneapolis 2nd Runner-Up
1976 Barbara Elaine Peterson Edina Miss USA 1976 Non-semi-finalist at Miss Universe 1976
1975 Dawn Lamotte St. Paul
1974 Gayle Johnson Minneapolis
1973 Cyndi James
1972 Darlene Koskiniemi Roseville
1971 Shirley Kittleson Sherburn
1970 Sally Strickland St. Paul
1969 Laureen Darling Minneapolis
1968 Arlene Larson
1967 Betty Ann Brewer Richfield
1966 Patricia Thatcher Austin
1965 Elizabeth Jane Carroll Bloomington Miss Congeniality
1960-64 No Representative
1959 Muriel Fairbanks Minneapolis
1958 Sue Bouchard
1957 Mary Margaret Ford
1956 Marilyn Johnson
1955 Sally Ann Colombo Stillwater
1954 Dawn Joyce Minneapolis Semifinalist (Top 19)
1953 Mary Ann Papke Semifinalist (Top 20)
1952 Jodell Stirmlinger St. Paul Semifinalist (Top 10)

1 Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant
2 Contestant resigned title before the Miss USA pageant

References
  1. "Future Productions, LLC State Directors". Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  2. 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.
  3. "Halima Aden Breaks Ground as First Somali-American to Compete for Miss Minnesota USA". 17 November 2016.
  4. Divine, Mary (November 27, 2017). "Standing ovations for first woman with Down syndrome to compete in Miss Minnesota USA". Twin Cities Pioneer Press.
  5. Dunlap, Tetona (September 7, 2014). "Your Neighbor: The Kimberly Woman Crowned Miss National Sweetheart". Times-News. Twin Falls, ID: Lee Enterprises.
  6. "Kimberly Native Crowned 'Miss Idaho'". magicvalley.com. June 23, 2015.
  7. 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.
  8. "New Miss Minnesota-USA, Miss Minnesota Teen USA crowned" (Press release). Associated Press. 1998-11-30.
  9. 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.
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