# Miss Kansas USA

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. McCarty's win makes Wichita, Kansas the only state to host one Miss USA and Miss Teen USA to win in their home state. This included two first runners-up, including Danielle Boatwright, winner of Survivor: Guatemala, one second runner-up, one third runner-up, and one fourth runner-up, among others. The most recent placement was Elyse Noe, placing Top 12.
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).
Bella Whitlock of Leavenworth was crowned Miss Kansas USA 2024 on June 15, 2024, at Polsky Theater in Overland Park. She will represent Kansas at Miss USA 2024.

## Gallery of titleholders

* Kelli McCarty, Miss Kansas USA 1991 & Miss USA 1991
* Danielle Boatwright, Miss Kansas USA 1996
* Alexis Railsback, Miss Kansas USA 2015

## 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

* Declared as Winner
* Ended as runner-up
* Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
| Year | Name | Hometown | Age | Local title | Placement at Miss USA | Special awards at Miss USA | Notes |
| 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 |
| 2022 | Elyse Noe | Lawrence | 23 | Miss Lawrence | Top 12 | | |
| 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 |
| 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 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 | 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 |
| 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 | | | |
| 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 | | | | |
| 2002 | Lindsay Douglas | Lawrence | 23 | | 1st Runner-up | | |
| 2001 | Kristie Knox | Hutchinson | 25 | | | | |
| 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 |
| 1998 | Cammie Morisseau | Wichita | 18 | | | | |
| 1997 | Kathryn Taylor | Overland Park | 24 | | | | |
| 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 | | | | |
| 1994 | Carol Hovenkamp | Overland Park | 19 | | Top 12 Semi-finalist, finishing in 11th Place | | |
| 1993 | Tavia Shackles | Shawnee | 21 | | 2nd Runner-up | 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 |
| 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 |
| 1991 | Kelli McCarty | Liberal | 21 | | Miss USA 1991 | | 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 Boyd | Wichita | | | | | |
| 1979 | Linda Shields | Lawrence | | | | | |
| 1978 | Mary Bell | Wichita | | | | | |
| 1977 | Sherry Brane | Wichita | | | | | |
| 1976 | Deborah Vitera | Ottawa | | | | | |
| 1975 | Robbin Loomas | Overland Park | | | | | |
| 1974 | Lorraine Breckenridge | Wichita | | | | | |
| 1973 | Brenda Kopmeyer | Overland Park | | | Semi-finalist | | |
| 1972 | Mona Guesnier | Great Bend | | | | | |
| 1971 | Nancy Bishop | Overland Park | | | | | |
| 1970 | Norma 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 | No national representative | No national representative | No national representative | No national representative | No national representative | No national representative | No national representative |
| 1954 | Sue Ravenscroft | Liberal | 18 | | | | |
| 1953 | No national representative | No national representative | No national representative | No national representative | No national representative | No national representative | No national representative |
| 1952 | Bette Renick | | | | | | |