Miss South Carolina USA explained

Miss South Carolina USA
Formation:	1952
Type:	Beauty pageant
Headquarters:	Aiken
Location:	South Carolina
Membership:	Miss USA
Language:	English
Key People:	Janice McDonald Paula Miles
Website:	Official website

The Miss South Carolina USA competition, previously known as Miss South Carolina Universe,^{[1] [2]} is the pageant that selects the representative for the state South Carolina in the Miss USA pageant, and the name of the title held by that winner. The pageant has been produced by Paula Miles, the sister of Miss South Carolina USA 1979, Janice McDonald, since 1980, and it has been directed by RPM Productions.^[3]

Miriam Stevenson, South Carolina's first Miss USA and the United States' first Miss Universe, was also the first Miss USA winner to have competed at Miss America. She was the first woman to have competed at Miss America, Miss USA, and Miss Universe. South Carolina's second Miss USA was Shawn Weatherly, who also went on to win Miss Universe.^[4]

Nine Miss South Carolina USAs have also held the Miss South Carolina Teen USA title and competed at Miss Teen USA. Two have also competed at Miss America.

Miss South Carolina USA titleholders have also competed at two other major international pageants. Gina Tolleson, first runner-up at Miss USA 1990, went on to win the Miss World crown that year, and Miss South Carolina USA 2004, Amanda Pennekamp, has also competed at the Miss Earth 2006 pageant where she made the top 16.^[5]

Gracen Grainger of Clemson was crowned Miss South Carolina USA 2024 on June 15, 2024, at North Charleston Coliseum & Performing Arts Center in North Charleston. She will represent South Carolina for the title of Miss USA 2024.

Results summary

• Miss USAs: Miriam Stevenson (1954), Shawn Weatherly (1980), Lu Parker (1994)
• 1st runners-up: Mary Kemp Griffin (1953), Betty Cherry (1956), Vickie Chesser (1970), Gina Tolleson (1990), Amanda Pennekamp (2004)
• 2nd runners-up: Eva Engle (1969), Allison Grisso (1983), Audra Wallace (1992)
• 3rd runner-up: Virginia Murray (1976)
• 5th runner-up: Megan Pinckney (2013)
• Top 5/8: Lauren Poppell (1999), Courtney Turner (2011), Megan Gordon (2017), Marley Stokes (2021)
• Top 10/12: Susan Gordon (1972), Maribeth Curry (1986), April Abel (1988), Kelli Gosnell (1993), Lisa Rabon (2000), Ashley Williams (2002), Anna Hanks (2003), Lacie Lybrand (2006), Stephanie Murray Smith (2009), Christina Zapolski (2014)
• Top 15/16/19: Susan Anthony Day (1953), Sara Stone (1955), Jean Spotts (1957), Patricia Ann Moss (1958), Cecelia Yoder (1963), Vicki Harrison (1965), Ashley Zais (2007), Jamie Hill (2008), Erika Powell (2012), Leah Lawson (2016), Kirby Elizabeth Self (2023)

South Carolina holds a record of 38 placements at Miss USA third overall behind Texas and California.

Awards

• Miss Congeniality: Kiki Kirkland (1973)
• Miss Photogenic: Sonja Glenn (1998)
• Best State Costume: Vicki Chesser (1970), Virginia Murray (1976)
• Best in Swimsuit: Lauren Poppell (1999)

Winners

Color key

• Declared as Winner
• Ended as runner-up
• Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists

width=5%	Year	width=15%	Name	width=12%	Hometown	width=3%	Age	width=12%	Local title	width=12%	Placement at Miss USA	width=12%	Special awards at Miss USA	width=31%	Notes
2024	Gracen Grainger	Clemson	22	Miss Golden Corner	Top 20		Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2020 Top 16 at Miss Teen USA 2020
2023	Kirby Elizabeth Self	Greenwood	23	Miss Upstate	Top 20		Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2018 First Runner-Up at Miss Teen USA 2018
2022	Meera Bhonslé	Lexington	25	Miss Upstate
2021	Marley Stokes^[6]	Lexington	23	Miss Golden Corner	Top 8		Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2016^[7] 2nd runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2016
2020	Hannah Jane Curry^[8]	Greer	20	Miss Greenville
2019	MaKenzie Divina	Anderson	21	Miss Upstate			Previously Miss South Carolina Teen United States 2016
2018	Tori Sizemore^[9]		22	Miss Golden Corner			Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2013 1st runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2013 Later Miss South Carolina Volunteer 2022
2017	Megan Gordon	North Augusta	23	Miss Upstate	Top 5		Later Miss South Carolina World 2019 Later 1st runner-up at Miss World America 2019
2016	Leah Lawson	Laurens	21	Miss Mountain Lakes	Top 15		Auditioned on American Idol season 14 and eliminated during Hollywood Week
2015	Sarah Weishuhn	Goose Creek	20	Miss Summerville
2014	Christina Zapolski	Charleston	22	Miss Isle of Palms	Top 10		Contestant on Hunted
2013	Megan Pinckney	North Charleston	21	Miss James Island	5th runner-up		Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2010
2012	Erika Powell		26		Top 16		Previously Miss South Carolina 2005 Top 10 at Miss America 2006 Former nanny of Hugh Jackman
2011	Courtney Turner		20		Top 8		Previously Miss United States Teen 2009
2010	Rachel Law	Greenville	21
2009	Stephanie Murray Smith	Goose Creek	21		Top 10		Contestant on The Amazing Race 17
2008	Jamie Hill	Columbia	24		Top 15		Contestant on The Amazing Race 10
2007	Ashley Zais	Newberry	20		Top 15
2006	Lacie Lybrand	Lexington	23		Top 10		Miss United States 2002
2005	Sarah Medley	North Charleston	18				Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2001
2004	Amanda Pennekamp	Columbia	22		1st runner-up		Later Miss Earth USA 2006 Top 16 semifinalist at Miss Earth 2006
2003	Anna Hanks	Belton	21		Top 10		Miss United States 2005
2002	Ashley Williams	Little Mountain	20		Top 12 (6th)
2001	Candace Richards^[10]	Fountain Inn	24
2000	Lisa Rabon	Myrtle Beach	21		Top 10 (9th)
1999	Lauren Poppell	Rock Hill	23		Top 5 (4th)	Best in Swimsuit	Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 1993 Top 12 at Miss Teen USA 1993
1998	Sonja Glenn^[11]	Chesnee	21			Miss Photogenic^[12]
1997	Casey Mizell	Irmo	22
1996	Lysa Jackson	Charleston	19
1995	Danielle Corley^[13]	Lexington	23
1994	Lu Parker	Charleston	26		Miss USA 1994		Top 6 finalist at Miss Universe 1994
1993	Kelli Gosnell	Pacolet	22		Semi-finalist
1992	Audra Wallace	Charleston	22		2nd Runner-up		2nd runner up at Miss World USA 1993
1991	Traci Rufty	Columbia	21
1990	Gina Tolleson^[14]	Spartanburg	20		1st Runner-up^[15]		Later Miss World America 1990 and Miss World 1990
1989	Angela Shuler	Rock Hill	21				Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 1986
1988	April Abel^[16]	Johnston	20		Semi-finalist
1987	Elizabeth Woodard^[17]	Aiken	21				Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 1983
1986	Maribeth Curry^[18]	Mauldin^[19]	20		Semi-finalist
1985	Ann Margarete Hughes	Charleston
1984	Ginger Greer	Lugoff
1983	Allison Grisso^[20]	Columbia	21		2nd Runner-up
1982	Margo Wood	Columbia
1981	Zade Turner^[21]	Myrtle Beach	21
1980	Shawn Weatherly	Sumter	20		Miss USA 1980		Miss Universe 1980
1979	Janice McDonald	Myrtle Beach					Co-founder of RPM Productions with her sister Paula Miles
1978	Kathryn Threatt	Pickens
1977	Pam Hoover	Florence
1976	Virginia Murray	Chester			3rd Runner-up^[22]	Best Costume	Flight attendant and survivor of United Airlines Flight 232
1975	Robin Morris^[23]	Greenville
1974	Carol Lynn Hollis^[24]	Rock Hill
1973	Kiki Kirkland^[25]	Newberry	21			Congeniality
1972	Susan Gordon	Rock Hill			Semi-finalist		Non-finalist at Miss World USA 1970 representing South Carolina
1971	Eunice Campbell^[26]	Eastover
1970	Vicki Chesser^[27] ^[28]	Mt. Pleasant	19		1st Runner-up	Best Costume
1969	Eva Engle	Columbia			2nd Runner-up
1968	Kathryn Knoy
1967	Hope Patterson
1966	Joselyn Alarie
1965	Vicki Harrison				Semi-finalist
1964	Judy Kennedy
1963	Cecelia Yoder				Semifinalist		Represented South Carolina in Miss USA World 1963 but did not place.
1962	Judy Clyburn
1961	Yvonne Quick
1960	Margaret Thompson
1959	Mary Powell
1958	Patricia Ann Moss				Semi-finalist
1957	Jean Spotts				Semi-finalist
1956	Betty Cherry	Columbia			1st Runner-up		Later Miss World United States 1956, 1st runner up at Miss World 1956.
1955	Sara Stone				Semi-finalist
1954	Miriam Stevenson	Winnsboro	20		Miss USA 1954		Miss Universe 1954 Previously Miss South Carolina 1953
1953	Mary Kemp Griffin				1st runner-up		She competed as Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, represented the US at Miss World 1953, and finished as 5th runner-up
	Susan Anthony Day				Semi-finalist
1952	Margie Allen

External links

• Official website

Notes and References

1. News: Limestone's Beauties. 27 June 1961. The Gaffney Ledger. 3. Newspapers.com.
2. News: Winthrop Girl wins state 'Universe' title. 20 June 1964. The Index-Journal. 10. Newspapers.com.
3. News: Woman responsible for share of Cinderellas. Price. Mark. 13 November 2006. The Desert Sun. D5.
4. News: Clemson co-ed hopes history will repeat itself at pageant. 29 November 1989. The Greenville News. 28. Newspapers.com.
5. News: A Different World. Lucas. Lynne. 24 November 1991. The Greenville News. 1. Newspapers.com.
6. Web site: Marley Stokes speaks with Good Morning Columbia after being crowned Miss South Carolina USA. WOLO-TV. Richardson. Claire. March 30, 2021. April 1, 2021.
7. Web site: Pageant crowns new Miss South Carolina USA. WCSC-TV. November 20, 2015. April 1, 2021.
8. Web site: Newberry College junior crowned Miss South Carolina USA 2020. WOLO-TV. Davis. Kimberlei. November 25, 2019. April 1, 2021.
9. Web site: The new Miss SC USA and Miss SC Teen USA have been crowned. November 18, 2017. The Post and Courier. Oyer. Kalyn.
10. News: Limestone College fund director is Miss South Carolina USA. Powell. Lynne. 15 November 2000. The Gaffney Ledger. 1. Newspapers.com.
11. News: Wofford Senior from Chesnee crowned Miss South Carolina USA. 5 November 1997. The Greenville News. Newspapers.com.
12. News: Miss Photogenic. 8 March 1998. The Greenville News. B1. Newspapers.com.
13. News: New Miss South Carolina USA crowned. 28 November 1994. The Greenville News. 2A. Newspapers.com.
14. News: Spartanburg woman wins state beauty title. 5 December 1989. The Greenville News. Newspapers.com.
15. News: Miss Michigan chosen Miss USA. 3 March 1990. The Gettysburg Times. 1.
16. News: Miss South Carolina USA. 9 November 1987. The Index-Journal. Newspapers.com.
17. News: Aiken student named Miss South Carolina. 1 December 1986. 3B. Newspapers.com.
18. News: Golden Thread is Common Theme for Miss South Carolina USA. Herald-Journal. 1986-03-23. Diane. Norman.
19. News: Mauldin Teen Crowned Miss South Carolina-USA. The Associated Press. 16 February 1986. The Greenville News. Newspapers.com.
20. News: Miss SC USA Crowned. 7 February 1983. The Index-Journals. 10. Newspapers.com.
21. News: Miss South Carolina-USA likes Baryshnikov. The Rock Hill Herald. 1981-02-07.
22. News: Five North Carolinians survive crash; 2 killed. The Associated Press. 21 July 1989. Asheville Citizen-Times. 1. Newspapers.com.
23. News: Greenville Girl wins SC-USA Title. 31 March 1975. The Aiken Standard. 1. Newspapers.com.
24. News: Rock Hill Woman wins Beauty Title. 1 April 1974. The Greenville News. 15. Newspapers.com.
25. News: Miss SC-USA Plans to Leave For Pageant in New York May 11. 2 May 1973. The Greenville News. 9. Newspapers.com.
26. News: New Queen. 22 March 1971. Florence Morning News. Newspapers.com.
27. News: Bishopville Beauty Runner-up in Contest. 21 March 1971. The Sumter Daily Item. 5B.
28. News: 2 Upstate Residents to Seek Title. 4 March 1971. The Greenville News. 33. Newspapers.com.