Miss North Carolina USA explained

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

The Miss North Carolina USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state North Carolina in the Miss USA pageant. This state is part of the RPM Productions group since 1992.

In 2005, Miss North Carolina USA Chelsea Cooley won the Miss USA crown and placed in the top 10 at Miss Universe. Cooley is the first former Miss North Carolina Teen USA to win the Miss title, although not the first to have competed at Miss Teen USA. The second Miss North Carolina Teen USA to win the Miss title was Erin O'Kelley in 2007. She went on to place in the top 15 at Miss USA 2007. Similar to the Miss Utah USA titleholders, both Cooley and Kelley placed at Miss USA, eclipsing their teen performances. In 2009, Kristen Dalton became the second woman from North Carolina to be crowned Miss USA. In 2019, Cheslie Kryst became the third woman from the state to win Miss USA. In both occasions, they placed top 10 on their respective Miss Universe pageants. The most recent placement was Jordyn McKey placing Top 20 in 2023.

North Carolina is currently third tied with Idaho in number of former teens have competed in this pageant: eight, after Indiana and Virginia, including three competed at Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia, respectively. In addition, two others have also competed at Miss America.

In 2019 (billed as 2020 pageant), Madeline Delp was the first woman in a wheelchair to win the top 10 finalists in a statewide Miss USA pageant.[1]

McKenzie Hansley of Charlotte was crowned Miss North Carolina USA 2024 on June 15, 2024, at North Charleston Coliseum & Performing Arts Center in North Charleston. She will represent North Carolina at Miss USA 2024.

Results summary

Placements

North Carolina holds a record of 22 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

Winners

Color key
  • Declared as Winner
  • Ended as runner-up
  • Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
width=5% Yearwidth=20%Namewidth=10%Hometownwidth=3%Agewidth=12%Local titlewidth=14%Placement at Miss USAwidth=17%Special awards at Miss USAwidth=31%Notes
2024McKenzie HansleyCharlotte24Miss South ParkTop 20
2023Jordyn McKeyCharlotte25Miss UptownTop 20
2022Morgan RomanoConcord23Miss Queen City1st runner-up
2021Madison BryantFayetteville24Miss MetrolinaTop 8
2020Jane AxhojWaxhaw22Miss Lake Wylie
2019Laura Little[2] Charlotte23Miss Mount Holly
  • Originally first runner-up, assumed the title when Cheslie Kryst won Miss USA
  • Charlotte Honey Bees dancer
  • Sister of Courtney Little, Miss Teen North Carolina United States 2017
Cheslie KrystCharlotte27Miss MetrolinaMiss USA 2019
2018Caelynn Miller-KeyesAsheville22Miss Asheville1st runner-up
2017Kaitlin "Katie" CobleCharlotte26Miss Weddington
2016Devin GantCharlotte24Miss Harrisburg Originally 1st runner-up, assumed the title after Allie Dunn's resignation and competed in Miss USA[3]
Allison "Allie" DunnStallings21Miss StallingsResigned the title a couple of weeks before the Miss USA 2016 pageant due to illness
2015Julia DaltonWilmington23Miss Wilmington
2014Olivia OlveraFayetteville26Miss Fayetteville
2013Raleigh24Miss Raleigh DurhamTop 10
2012Sydney Perry21Miss Wilmington
2011Brittany York22
2010Nadia Moffett24
2009Kristen DaltonWilmington21Miss USA 2009
2008Andrea DukeHendersonville25Contestant at National Sweetheart 2006
2007Erin O'KelleyAsheville21Top 15
2006Samantha HolveyBuies Creek/
Glenville, WV
20On Oct. 14, 2016 Holvey told CNN that Donald Trump personally inspected each woman prior to the contest[4]
2005Chelsea CooleyCharlotte21Miss USA 2005
2004Ashley PuleoPinehurst252nd runner-upSister of Laura Puleo, Miss Virginia USA 2015
2003Kristen LunebergDurham22
2002Alison EnglishArchdale22
2001Monica PalumboCharlotte19Miss Congeniality
2000Portia JohnsonGreensboro24
1999Joy HallSanford24
1998Vera MorrisNashville23Miss Congeniality
1997Crystal McLaurin-ConeyDurham
1996Jessica McMinnTuxedo
1995Michelle MauneyStanley
1994Lynn JenkinsGastonia262nd runner-up
1993Christa TysonMonroe
1992Tess ElliottHigh Point20Top 11Died in a sky-diving accident only weeks after the conclusion of her reign[5]
1991Pat ArnoldChapel Hill21Top 6Miss Photogenic
1990Altman AllenShelby
1989Jacqueline PadgetteHobgood
1988Tammy TolarFayetteville
1987Donna WilsonDavidson
1986Rhonda NoblesFayetteville20Top 10
1985Kate KenneyRaleigh
1984Cookie NoakHickory23Top 10
1983Allison Payge PinsonMooresville
1982Jeannie BogerSanfordMother of Miss USA 2009 Kristen Dalton (Miss North Carolina USA 2009) and Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2008 Julia Dalton (second runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2008)
1981Lisa SwiftSouthport
1980Lori BoggsKannapolis
1979Dianne JamersonAsheville24Top 12
1978Kathryn NormanCharlotte
1977Vikki VerbylaLenoir
1976Dianne BowenWindsor
1975Constance DornKinston212nd runner-up
1974Marcia Patrice BurtonHickory214th runner-up
1973Vivian CraigStanley
1972Deborah FallsVale21Top 12
1971Mary RudroffWiston-Salem
1970Susan BodsfordRamseur
1969Faye BassDurham19Received United Artist Special Talent Award
1968Kelli MooreRaleigh
1967Patti EffronJacksonville
1966Brenda MoyeFountain
1965Sandra FarmerGreensboro
1964Did not compete
1963Trudy CauthenNewton
1962Brenda SmithCharlotte
1961Marie ClyburnCharlotte
1960Lyndia TarltonWingate193rd runner-up
1959Peggy BrownSunbury
1958Carol EdwardsElizabeth City
1957Peggy DennisLilesville
1956Shirley BagwellRaleigh18Top 15
1955Mary RatliffeWadesboro
1954Ann PickettCharlotte
1953Libby WalkerWilton
1952Doris StanleyGreensboro

Notes and References

  1. Web site: After surviving a coma, woman in wheelchair makes beauty pageant history. TODAY.com. 13 November 2019 . en. 2019-11-14.
  2. Web site: Miss USA returns to Charlotte, advocates for justice. WSOC. May 13, 2019. May 14, 2019.
  3. Web site: Illness for Miss North Carolina lands a Charlotte-area runner-up in her place days before the Miss USA Pageant. Charlotte Agenda. Levans. Katie. June 3, 2016. July 2, 2019.
  4. Scott Zamost, CNN, October 13, 2016, Ex-contestant: Trump inspected each woman before pageant, Retrieved October 14, 2016, "...He would step in front of each girl and look you over from head to toe like we were just meat ... You know when a gross guy at the bar is checking you out? It's that feeling..." -- Samantha Holvey
  5. News: 1992 Miss North Carolina USA Killed in Skydiving Accident . The Associated Press. 1992-09-22.