Miss Kansas USA

{{Short description|Beauty pageant competition}} {{for|the state pageant affiliated with Miss America|Miss Kansas}} {{pp-sock|small=yes}} {{Infobox organization |name = Miss Kansas USA |image = |image_border = |image_size = |caption = |map = |map_size = |map_caption = |formation = 1952 |type = Beauty pageant |headquarters = Shawnee |location = Kansas |membership = Miss USA |language = English |leader_title = |leader_name = |key_people = John M. Vannatta<br>Jason Vannatta<br>Jennifer Vannatta-Fisher, State Pageant Director |num_staff = |budget = |website = [http://www.misskansasusa.com/ Official website] }} [[Image:Miss Kansas USA and Miss Kansas Teen USA 2008.png|thumb|220px|At the conclusion of the Miss Kansas USA and Miss Kansas Teen USA 2008 pageant held in Lawrence, Kansas in December 2007, Michelle Gillespie is crowned by Cara Gorges (left)]] The ''' Miss Kansas USA''' pageant is a competition that selects the representative for the state of Kansas in the Miss USA pageant. The pageant is directed by Vanbros and Associates, headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas. In 1992, the state joined the Vanbros group, under the directorship of Miss Kansas 1998 Jennifer Vannatta-Fisher.

Kansas did not place at Miss USA until 1973, the third-to-last state to make their first placement. From then, no delegate from Kansas made the cut until 1991, when Kelli McCarty won the crown in Wichita. McCarty's win made Kansas the only state to host one Miss USA and Miss Teen USA to win in their home state, as Keylee Sue Sanders won Miss Teen USA 1995, which was also held in Wichita. Kansas also had two first runners-up, including Danielle Boatwright, who would later win ''Survivor: Guatemala'' in 2005, one second runner-up, one third runner-up, and one fourth runner-up, among others. The most recent placement was Bella Whitlock in 2024, placing Top 20.

Seven former Miss Kansas Teen USAs went on to win the Miss title, and also two Miss Missouri Teen USAs (Missouri is also a Vanbros state).

Asia Cymone Smith from Wichita was crowned Miss Kansas USA 2025 on March 23, 2025, at Polsky Theater in Overland Park. She represented Kansas at Miss USA 2025.

==Gallery of titleholders== <gallery mode="packed" heights="180px" style="text-align:left"> File:Kelli McCarty 2010.jpg|Kelli McCarty, Miss Kansas USA 1991 & Miss USA 1991 File:DanniBoatwright.jpg|Danielle Boatwright, Miss Kansas USA 1996 File:Alexis Railsback - Miss Kansas 2015.jpg|Alexis Railsback, Miss Kansas USA 2015 </gallery>

==Results summary== ===Placements=== *'''Miss USAs:''' Kelli McCarty (1991) *'''1st runners-up:''' Danielle Boatwright (1996), Lindsay Douglas (2002) *'''2nd runners-up:''' Tavia Shackles (1993), Cara Gorges (2007) *'''Top 5'''/'''6:''' Kimberlee Girrens (1992), Tiffany Meyer (2000) *'''Top 10'''/'''12:''' Brenda Kopmeyer (1973), Carol Hovenkamp (1994), Alyssa Klinzing (2019), Elyse Noe (2022) *'''Top 15'''/'''16:''' Bethany Gerber (2010), Gracie Hunt (2021) *'''Top 20:''' Bella Whitlock (2024)

'''Kansas''' holds a record of 14 placements at Miss USA.

===Awards=== *'''Best State Costume:''' Tavia Shackles (1993) *'''Most Beautiful Eyes:''' Tavia Shackles (1993) *'''Best in Swimsuit:''' Danielle Boatwright (1996)

==Titleholders==

;Color key {{plainlist| * {{Color box|gold|border=darkgray}} Declared as Winner * {{Color box|#FFFF66|border=darkgray}} Ended as runner-up * {{Color box|#FFFACD|border=darkgray}} Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists }} {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:90%;" |- ! width=5% | Year ! width=20%| Name ! width=10%| Hometown ! width=3%|Age{{efn|Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant}} ! width=12%| Local title ! width=14%| Placement at Miss USA ! width=17%| Special awards at Miss USA ! width=31%| Notes |- | 2025 | Asia Cymone Smith | Wichita | 26 | Miss East Wichita | | | |-style="background-color:#FFFACD;” | 2024 | Bella Whitlock | Leavenworth | 19 | Miss Leavenworth | Top 20 | | |- | 2023 | Haley Berger | Lawrence | 22 | Miss Lawrence | | | Daughter of Prathumrat Woramali Berger, Miss Thailand World 1989 |- |-style="background-color:#FFFACD" | 2022 | Elyse Noe | Lawrence | 23 | Miss Lawrence | Top 12 | | |-style="background-color:#FFFACD" | 2021 | Gracie Hunt | Overland Park | 22 | Miss Kansas City | Top 16 | | *Previously Miss Texas International 2018 *Daughter of Tavia Shackles, Miss Kansas USA 1993 and Miss Missouri Teen USA 1990 and Kansas City Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt *Granddaughter of Lamar Hunt |- | 2020 | Hayden Brax | Leawood | 20 | Miss Kansas City | | | Cousin of Hope Driskill, Miss Missouri USA 2011 |- |-style="background-color:#FFFACD;" | 2019 | Alyssa Klinzing | Olathe | 20 | Miss Conway | Top 10 | | *Previously Miss Kansas Teen USA 2013 **Top 16 finalist at Miss Teen USA 2013 *Previously '''Miss Teen Earth USA 2015'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.missearthunitedstates.com/teen|title=Miss Teen Earth USA|publisher=Miss Earth USA|access-date=July 25, 2019}}</ref> *Eligible as a student at Whittier College *Later Miss California Earth USA 2020 **Finished first runner-up at Miss Earth USA 2021 |- | 2018 | Melanie Shaner | Overland Park | 20 | Miss Johnson County | | | *Previously Miss Kansas Teen USA 2015 |- | 2017 | Catherine Carmichael | Manhattan | 25 | Miss Lawrence | | | *Previously Miss Kansas World 2015 **Top 12 at Miss World America 2015 |- | 2016 | Victoria Wiggins | Junction City | 24 | Miss Milford Lake | | | |- | 2015 | Alexis Railsback | Shawnee | 19 | Miss Shawnee | | | |- | 2014 | Audrey Banach | Kansas City | 22 | Miss Wildcat | | | |- | 2013 | Staci Klinginsmith{{citation needed|date=October 2023}} | Lenexa | 26 | Miss Lenexa | | | |- | 2012 | Gentry Miller | Kansas City | 24 | Miss Kansas City | | | *Previously Miss Kansas Teen USA 2006 **Top 10 finalist at Miss Teen USA 2006 |- | 2011 | Jaymie Stokes | Lenexa | 20 | Miss Lenexa | | | *Previously Miss Kansas Teen USA 2007 **Top 10 finalist at Miss Teen USA 2007 |- |-style="background-color:#FFFACD;" | 2010 | Bethany Gerber | Winfield | 21 | Miss Cowley County | Top 15, finishing in 13th Place | | Featured in January 2011 issue of ''Industrial Engineer'' about her titleholding role |- | 2009 | Courtney Courter | Olathe | 23 | | | | |- | 2008 | Michelle Gillespie | Mission Hills | 22 | Miss Kansas City | | | |- |-style="background-color:#FFFF66;" | 2007 | Cara Gorges | Clearwater | 19 | | 2nd runner-up | | |- | 2006 | Ashley Aull | Lansing | 20 | | | |- | 2005 | Rachel Saunders | Tonganoxie | 21 | | | | |- | 2004 | Lisa Forbes | Overland Park | 22 | | | | * Later Miss Earth USA 2007, USA representative to Miss Earth 2007. |- | 2003 | Alicia Cabrera | Leawood | 23 | | | | |- |-style="background-color:#FFFF66;" | 2002 | Lindsay Douglas | Lawrence | 23 | | 1st Runner-up | | |- | 2001 | Kristie Kay Knox | Hutchinson | 25 | | | | |-style="background-color:#FFFACD;" | 2000 | Tiffany Meyer | | 25 | | Top 5 (4th) | | *Previously Miss Missouri Teen USA 1994 **Top 6 at Miss Teen USA 1994 |- | 1999 | Amanda Carraway | Manhattan | 21 | | | | * Previously Miss Kansas Teen USA 1996 * Mother of Miss Teen USA 2025 Mailyn Marsh |- | 1998 | Cammie Morisseau | Wichita | 18 | | | | |- | 1997 | Kathryn Taylor | Overland Park | 24 | | | | |- |-style="background-color:#FFFF66;" | 1996 | Danielle Boatwright | Tonganoxie | 20 | | 1st Runner-up | Best in Swimsuit | *Previously Miss Kansas Teen USA 1992 **2nd runner-up at Miss Teen USA 1992 *Sports broadcaster and winner of ''Survivor: Guatemala'' |- | 1995 | Deborah Daulton | Salina | 18 | | | | |- |-style="background-color:#FFFACD;" | 1994 | Carol Hovenkamp | Overland Park | 19 | | Top 12 Semi-finalist, finishing in 11th Place | | |- |-style="background-color:#FFFF66;" | 1993 | Tavia Shackles<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15762927/florida_today/|title=Miss Michigan becomes second black Miss USA|date=20 February 1993|work=Florida Today}}</ref> | Shawnee<ref name=":0" /> | 21<ref name=":0" /> | | 2nd Runner-up<ref name=":0" /> | Best State Costume & Most Beautiful Eyes Award | *Previously Miss Missouri Teen USA 1990 **Top 12 at Miss Teen USA 1990 *Later married Kansas City Chiefs chairman and CEO Clark Hunt *Mother of Gracie Hunt, Miss Kansas USA 2021 *Daughter-in-law of Chiefs, AFL, and MLS founder Lamar Hunt |- |-style="background-color:#FFFACD;" | 1992 | Kimberlee Girrens | Wichita | 26 | | Top 6 Finalist, Finishing in 5th Place | | *Previously Miss Kansas Teen USA 1986 *Later Mrs. Kansas America 2004 under her married name, Kimberlee Easter<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tftj.com/db/delegates.htm/33/Mrs/2004 |title=2004 Mrs America |access-date=July 9, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624080946/http://www.tftj.com/db/delegates.htm/33/Mrs/2004 |archive-date=June 24, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |- |-style="background-color:GOLD;" | '''1991''' | '''Kelli McCarty''' | Liberal | 21 | | '''Miss USA 1991'''<ref>{{Cite news |date=24 February 1991 |title=People: Kansas communications student now wears new Miss USA crown |pages=B-5 |work=The Times-News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-news-kansas-communications-stu/129681199/ |access-date=12 March 2026 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> | | *Top 6 finalist at Miss Universe 1991 *Starred as Beth Wallace in the NBC show ''Passions'' |- | 1990 | Rebecca Porter | Wichita | | | | | |- | 1989 | Nancy Burris | Colby | | | | | |- | 1988 | Cynthia Decker | Manhattan | | | | | |- | 1987 | Martina Castle | Overland Park | | | | | |- | 1986 | Audra Ockerman | Wichita | | | | | Mother of Claire-Bailey Lee, Miss Kansas Teen USA 2014 |- | 1985 | Jill Denzin | Leawood | | | | | |- | 1984 | Elizabeth Johnson | Prairie View | | | | | |- | 1983 | Renee Ruch | Mission | | | | | |- | 1982 | Stefani Larson | Overland Park | | | | | |- | 1981 | Missy Kaser | Wichita | | | | | |- | 1980 | Lisa Lynn Boyd | Wichita | | | | | |- | 1979 | Linda Shields | Lawrence | | | | | |- | 1978 | Mary Bell | Wichita | | | | | |- | 1977 | Sherry Brane | Wichita | | | | | |- | 1976 | Deborah Vitera | Ottawa | | | | | |- | 1975 | Robbin Lea Loomas | Overland Park | | | | | |- | 1974 | Lorraine Breckenridge | Wichita | | | | | |- |-style="background-color:#FFFACD;" | 1973 | Brenda Kopmeyer | Overland Park | | | Semi-finalist | | |- | 1972 | Mona Guesnier | Great Bend | | | | | |- | 1971 | Nancy Bishop | Overland Park | | | | | |- | 1970 | Norma Lou Decker | Tecumseh | | | | | |- | 1969 | Molly McGugin | Frankfurt | | | | | |- | 1968 | Anne Layton | Baldwin City | | | | | |- | 1967 | Regina Wolfe | | | | | | |- | 1966 | Pat Ravenscroft | Overland Park | | | | | |- | 1965 | Linda Bergsten | | | | | | |- | 1964 | Barbara Ford | | | | | | |- | 1963 | Diane Victoria Stalker | | | | | | |- | 1962 | Linda Light | | | | | | |- | 1961 | Dixie Cook | | | | | | |- | 1960 | Peggy Patterson | | | | | | |- | 1955–59 | colspan="7" {{N/A|''No national representative''}} |- | 1954 | Sue Ravenscroft<ref>{{cite news |title=Official List Shows How Beauties Measure Up |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/long-beach-press-telegram-1954-contestan/126834714/ |access-date=21 June 2023 |publisher=Long Beach Press-Telegram |date=18 July 1954}}</ref> | Liberal | 18 | | | | |- | 1953 | colspan="7" {{N/A|''No national representative''}} |- | 1952 | Bette Renick | | | | | | |}

==Notes== {{notelist}}

==External links== *{{official website|http://www.misskansasusa.com/}}

==References== {{reflist}}

Kansas Category:Culture of Kansas Category:Women in Kansas Category:Recurring events established in 1952 Category:1952 establishments in Kansas Category:Annual events in Kansas Category:Long stubs with short prose