Wikipedia

Miss Virginia USA

(Redirected from Laura Puleo)
For the state pageant affiliated with Miss America, see Miss Virginia.

The Miss Virginia USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Virginia in the Miss USA pageant.

Miss Virginia USA
Formation1952
TypeBeauty pageant
HeadquartersRichmond
Location
Membership
Miss USA
Official language
English
Key people
Darrell Williams, Executive Director

Kyle Kelley, Assistant Director
Lacie Ross, Assistant Director

Sheatiel Carter, Assistant Director
WebsiteOfficial Website

Virginia has been only moderately successful in terms of number of semi-finalists. They have had two Miss USAs. They are one of only four states to have had two Miss USAs in succession (the others being Illinois, Texas, and District of Columbia). Virginia's greatest success came from the late 1960s to early 1980s. Virginia should have had the first Miss USA crown in 1954, as Ellen Whitehead finished 1st runner-up, and Miss USA 1954, Miriam Stevenson, became Miss Universe 1954. However, there was no rule until the 1960s that the 1st runner-up became Miss USA after the winner won Miss Universe. If that was true, 2nd runner-up, Miss New York USA, Karin Hultman would have become Miss USA 1954, as Whitehead was disqualified due to being underage.

Eleven Miss Virginia USA winners have previously held the Miss Virginia Teen USA title and competed at Miss Teen USA and three were previously competed in other states (Georgia, New Jersey and New York), at thirteen. Virginia also currently holds the record for the most Miss Teen USA state winners to win a Miss USA state title from the same state. Two Miss winners have also competed at Miss America.

The current titleholder is Himanvi Panidepu of Centreville was crowned on June 23, 2024, at Hilton Arlington Arlinngton National Landing in Arlington. She will represent Virginia for the title of Miss USA 2024.

  •  
    Donna Dixon (pictured in 1990), Miss Virginia USA 1976 and Miss District of Columbia World 1977
  •  
    Julie Laipply, Miss Virginia USA 2002
  •  
    Kristi Lauren Glakas, Miss Virginia USA 2004
  •  
    Amber Copley, Miss Virginia USA 2006
  •  
    Samantha Casey, Miss Virginia USA 2010
  •  
    Catherine Muldoon, Miss Virginia USA 2012
  •  
    Desiree Williams, Miss Virginia 2013 and Miss Virginia USA 2016

Results summary

  • Miss USAs: Wendy Dascomb (1969), Deborah Shelton (1970)
  • 1st runners-up: Ellen Whitehead (1954), Patricia Southall (1994)
  • 2nd runners-up: Samantha Casey (2010)
  • 4th runners-up: Sheryl Lynn Herring (1977)
  • Top 10: Meredith Blankenship (1998), Kellie Lightbourn (1999), Lauren Barnette (2007), Desiree Williams (2016), Himanvi Panidepu (2024)
  • Top 11/12: Brenda Joyce Miller (1971), Linda McKee (1975), Robin Shadle (1978), Betsy Bott (1979), Pam Hutchens (1981), Sondra Dee Jones (1982), Marsha Ralls (1987), Brandi Bottorff (1992)
  • Top 15/16/20: Elizabeth "Betty" Karen Kallmyer (1967), Laurie Burke (1968), Maegan Phillips (2009), Arielle Rosmarino (2014), Laura Puleo (2015), Christina Thompson (2021), Ashley Williams (2023)

Virginia holds a record of 26 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

  • Miss Congeniality: Kimberly Nicewonder (1989)
  • Miss Photogenic: Elizabeth "Betty" Karen Kallmyer (1967), Deborah Shelton (1970), Brenda Joyce Miller (1971), Sondra Dee Jones (1982), Patricia Southall (1994), Audra Wilks (1997)
  • Best in Swimsuit: Patricia Southall (1994)

Winners

Color key
  •   Declared as Winner
  •   Ended as runner-up
  •   Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
Year Name Hometown Age[a] Local title Placement at Miss USA Special awards at Miss USA Notes
2024 Himanvi Panidepu Centreville 23 Miss Shenandoah Top 10 Social Impact Award
2023 Ashley Williams Reston 24 Miss Reston Top 20 Former professional cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders
2022 Kailee Horvath Ashburn 23 Miss Shenandoah Valley
2021 Christina Thompson Leesburg 25 Miss Southwest Virginia Top 16
2020 Susie Evans Poquoson 26 Miss Williamsburg
2019 Courtney Lynne Smits Woodbridge 22 Miss Woodbridge
2018 Ashley Amanda Vollrath Blacksburg 22 Miss Blacksburg
2017 Jacqueline Carroll Stanardsville 22 Miss Greene County
2016 Desiree Janine Williams Newport News 26 Top 10
2015 Laura Jordan Puleo Lexington 25 Top 15
2014 Arielle Saige Rosmarino Salem 22 Top 20
2013 Shannon Kelli McAnally Arlington 23
2012 Catherine Muldoon Virginia Beach 26
2011 Nikki Poteet Richmond 24
2010 Samantha Casey Jeffersonton 21 2nd runner-up
2009 Maegan Phillips Quantico 22 Top 15
2008 Victoria "Tori" Marie Hall Midlothian 21
2007 Lauren Elizabeth Barnette Wise 21 Top 10
2006 Amber Copley Abingdon 20
2005 Jennifer Pitts Richmond 26
2004 Kristi Lauren Glakas Centreville 23
2003 Meron Mimi Abraham Alexandria 24
2002 Julie Marie Laipply Alexandria 24 Public speaker
2001 Kristel Jenkins Vinton 23
2000 Crystal Marie Jones Virginia Beach
1999 Kellie Lightbourn Vienna 21 Semi-finalist
1998 Meredith Blankenship Hurley 21 Semi-finalist
1997 Audra Wilks Richmond 24 Miss Photogenic
1996 Danielle Connors Forest
1995 Susan Elizabeth Robinson Lynchburg
1994 Patricia Southall Chesapeake 21 1st runner-up Miss Photogenic & Best in Swimsuit Married to Emmitt Smith
1993 Stephanie Satterfield Virginia Beach
1992 Brandi Bottrof Fairfax 21 Semi-finalist
1991 Traci Dority Fairfax
1990 Evelyn Green Richmond
1989 Kimberly Nicewonder Bristol Miss Congeniality Current director of the Miss Virginia USA and Miss Virginia Teen USA pageants under her married name, Kim Nicewonder-Johnson[4]
1988 Denise Adrain Smith Fairfax
1987 Marsha Ralls Alexandria 24 Semi-finalist
1986 Maureen McDonnell Alexandria Cheerleader for Notre Dame.
1985 Dana Bryant Richmond
  • Miss Teen All American 1984
1984 Leah Rush Leesburg
1983 Tai Collins Virginia Beach Model and actress whose credits include Baywatch and Playboy magazine, Television Writer and Producer whose credits include SAF3 and Baywatch
1982 Sondra Dee Jones Richmond 24 Semi-finalist Miss Photogenic
1981 Pamela Elizabeth Hutchens Newport News 22 Semi-finalist General District Court Judge in Virginia Beach, Virginia
1980 Kelly Humphrey Hampton
1979 Betsy Ann Bott Falls Church 26 Semi-finalist
1978 Robin Lee Shadle Springfield 22 Semi-finalist
1977 Sheryl Lynn Herring Fairfax 19 4th runner-up Actress best known for her role as Lucy Coe on General Hospital
1976 Donna Dixon Alexandria 18
1975 Linda McKee Alexandria 19 Semi-finalist
1974 Hazel Thomas Alexandria
1973 Brenda Childress Richmond
1972 Diane Elizabeth "Dede" Moore Radford
1971 Brenda Joyce Miller Norfolk 20 Semi-finalist Miss Photogenic
1970 Deborah Shelton Norfolk 21 Miss USA 1970 Miss Photogenic
1969 Wendy Dascomb Danville 19 Miss USA 1969
1968 Laurie Burke McLean 18 Semi-finalist
1967 Elizabeth "Betty" Karen Kallmyer Richmond 18 Semi-finalist Miss Photogenic
1966 Beverly Johnson Alexandria
1965 Mary Montgomery Martinsville
1964 Heidi Karen Smith Fort Lee Was Miss Richmond in 1964. German-born Heidi Karin Smith Long died on November 19, 2019, at 76.
1963 Did Not Compete
1962
1961 Bonnie Lea Jones Norfolk
1960 Elizabeth "Betty" Noreen Fulford Norfolk
1959 Pat Poindexter Salem
1958 Betty Marsh Lynchburg
1957 Patricia Bush Portsmouth
1956 Audra Stark Virginia Beach
1955 Jeannie Asble Portsmouth
1954 Ellen Whitehead Chatham 1st runner-up (later disqualified for being underage)
1953 Dorothy Lee Bailey Norfolk
1952 Elizabeth Glenn Roanoke
  1. ^ Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

References

  1. ^ "Pageant Staff". Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
  2. ^ "2010 Mrs America". Archived from the original on January 20, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  3. ^ "Mrs America 2010 Results". Mrs. America Pageant. Archived from the original on September 14, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
  4. ^ "Pageant Staff". Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
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