Miss Maryland USA

The Miss Maryland USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state Maryland in the Miss USA pageant. The pageant is directed by D&D Productions.

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

Miss Maryland USA
Formation1952
TypeBeauty pageant
HeadquartersBaltimore
Location
Membership
Miss USA
Official language
English
Key people
Deborah Miller
Cindy Provost
WebsiteOfficial website

The first Miss USA winner from Maryland, Mary Leona Gage, won Miss USA 1957. However, she was later discovered to be a mother of two sons and was therefore dethroned. In 2012, Nana Meriwether placed 1st runner-up, but became Miss USA 2012 when Olivia Culpo won Miss Universe 2012.

Six Maryland titleholders are former Miss Maryland Teen USAs. These four all reigned in the early 1990s, and in fact four out of six titleholders from 1990 to 1995 were former teens. Only four Miss Maryland USA has competed at Miss America.

From 2006 to 2008, each woman who won Miss Maryland USA was the previous year's first runner-up.

Savena Mushinge of Germantown was crowned Miss Maryland USA 2023 on April 2, 2023 at Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Rockville. She will represent Maryland for the title of Miss USA 2023.

  • Michaé Holloman, Miss Maryland USA 2007
    Michaé Holloman, Miss Maryland USA 2007
  • Casandra Tressler, Miss Maryland USA 2008
    Casandra Tressler, Miss Maryland USA 2008
  • Nana Meriwether, Miss Maryland USA 2012. She later assumed the Miss USA 2012 title after Olivia Culpo won Miss Universe 2012
    Nana Meriwether, Miss Maryland USA 2012. She later assumed the Miss USA 2012 title after Olivia Culpo won Miss Universe 2012
  • Taylor Dawson, Miss Maryland Teen USA 2015 and Mamé Adjei, Miss Maryland USA 2015 at an event for military families
    Taylor Dawson, Miss Maryland Teen USA 2015 and Mamé Adjei, Miss Maryland USA 2015 at an event for military families

Results summary

Miss USA placements
  • Miss USAs: Mary Leona Gage †(1957)[lower-alpha 1]
  • 1st runners-up: Paulette Reck (1968), Nana Meriwether (2012)[lower-alpha 2]
  • 4th runners-up: Betty Jo Grove (1973), Mamé Adjei (2015)
  • Top 8/10/12: Carol Theis (1971), Tonja Walker (1980), Linda Lambert (1981), Angie Boyer (1982), Rowann Brewer (1988), Jennifer Wilhoit (1995), Marina Harrison (2005), Allyn Rose (2011), Taylor Burton (2014), Mariela Pepin (2019), Layilah Nasser (2021)
  • Top 15/20: Barbara Eschenburg (1954), Charlene Holt (1956), Diane White (1959), Royette Tarry (1964), Roselaine Zetter (1966), Sandy Clevering (1967), Kasey Staniszewski (2013), Brittinay Nicolette (2018), Savena Mushinge (2023)

Maryland holds a record of 25 placements at Miss USA.

Awards
  • Miss Photogenic: Rowann Brewer (1988)
  • Style Award: Megan Gunning (2001)

Winners
Color key
  •   Declared as Winner
  •   Ended as runner-up
  •   Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
Year Name Hometown Age[lower-alpha 3] Placement at Miss USA Special awards at Miss USA Notes
2023 Savena Mushinge Germantown 26 Top 20 Previously Miss Supranational Zambia 2022
2022 Caleigh Shade Cumberland 22
2021 Layilah Nasser Montgomery Village 26 Top 8
2020 Taelyr Robinson Annapolis 27
  • Minor part in The Vineyard
  • Represented USA at Miss Model of the World 2016
  • Longest reigning Miss Maryland USA (1 year, 8 months, and 15 days)
2019 Mariela Pepin Severn 23 Top 10
2018 Brittinay Nicolette Fallston 26 Top 15
2017 Adrianna David Rockville 22
2016 Christina Denny Owings Mills 25
2015 Mamé Adjei Silver Spring 23 4th runner-up
2014 Taylor Burton La Plata 25 Top 10
2013 Kasey Staniszewski Annapolis 21 Top 15 Triple crown winner
2012 Nana Meriwether Potomac 27 1st runner-up
2011 Allyn Rose Newburg 22 Top 8
2010 Simone Feldman North Potomac 23
2009 Gabrielle Carlson Marion Station 24
2008 Casandra Tressler Damascus 22
2007 Michaé Holloman Fort Washington 25
2006 Melissa DiGiulian Bowie 20
2005 Marina Harrison[1] Severn 24 Top 10
2004 Tia Shorts Gaithersburg 24
2003 Jamie Kramer Pasadena
2002 Mistie Renee Adams Silver Spring
2001 Megan Gunning Fallston Style Award
2000 Christie S. Davis Silver Spring
  • Sister of Wendy Davis, Miss Maryland USA 1994[2]
1999 Kelly Donohue Union Bridge
1998 Maria Lynn Sheriff Bowie
1997 Ann Coale Baltimore
1996 Michele Michael Annapolis
1995 Jennifer Danielle Wilhoit Annapolis 22 Top 12
1994 Wendy Davis Silver Spring
  • Sister of Christy Davis, Miss Maryland USA 2000[2]
1993 Mary Ann Cimino Baltimore
1992 Renee Rebstock Pasadena
1991 Lisa Marie Lawson Crofton
1990 Julie Stanford Edgewater
1989 Jackie Carroll Gaithersburg
1988 Rowanne Brewer Silver Spring 23 Semi-finalist Miss Photogenic
1987 Michelle Snow Germantown
1986 Kelly Koehler Churchton
1985 Christine Marie Baldwin
1984 Betsy Cook* Bethesda
1983 Shawn Keller Ashton
1982 Angie Boyer Dunkirk 18 Semi-finalist
1981 Linda Susan Lambert Baltimore 22 Semi-finalist
1980 Tonja Walker Kingsville 19 Semi-finalist
  • Previously Miss Teen All American 1979
1979 Jean Bourne Silver Spring
1978 Rhonda Koch Brookeville Unplaced at Miss World USA 1976, as Miss District of Columbia World.
1977 Twyla Littleton Oxon Hill
1976 Linda Lee Potter Adelphi
1975 Ellen Bowie Templeville
1974 Mary Jo Ruppert College Park
1973 Betty Jo Grove College Park 19 4th runner-up
1972 Patty Townsend Silver Spring
1971 Carol Jeanne Theis Silver Spring 20 Semi-finalist
1970 Beckie Price Camp Springs
1969 Ardis Fowler Ellicott City
1968 Paulette Reck Perry Hall 20 1st runner-up
1967 Sandra Clevering Silver Spring 19 Semi-finalist
1966 Roselaine Zetter Bowie 22 Semi-finalist
1965 Barbara Kiefer Baltimore
1964 Royette Michele Tarry Baltimore 19 Semi-finalist
1963 Marsha Barbara Metrinko Laurel
1962 Shelda Farley Catonsville
1961 Gail Baxter High Point
1960 Jerri Fiorilli Baltimore
1959 Diane Dolores White Baltimore 24 Semi-finalist
1958 Patricia Vogts Silver Spring
1957 Mary Leona Gage* Glen Burnie 18 Miss USA 1957
  • Dethroned after it was discovered she was married and had two children[4]
1956 Charlene Holt* Annapolis 28 Semi-finalist
1955 Gloria Ruth King Baltimore
1954 Barbara Eschenburg Berlin Semi-finalist Disqualified (under age)
1953 Diane Gale Durham Silver Spring
1952 Did not compete

Notes
  1. Mary Leona Gage was later dethroned when she was discovered that she was married and had two children.
  2. Nana Meriwether was 1st runner-up at Miss USA, but succeeded the title when Olivia Culpo became Miss Universe.
  3. Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

References
  1. "Meade, UMd. Grad Crowned Miss Maryland USA". WBALTV. 7 December 2004.
  2. "University Senior Wins Miss Maryland USA Pageant". Howard University. 13 December 1999. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012.
  3. "Miss USA roots sister on in Miss America bid". Hartford Courant. 2 September 1963. p. 20A.
  4. Woestendiek, John (10 April 2005). "The long, unhappy pageant of Mary Leona Gage". The Baltimore Sun.
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