# Miss New Mexico USA

The Miss New Mexico USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of New Mexico in the Miss USA pageant. It is directed by Laura's Productions based in El Paso, Texas.
New Mexico achieved many placements in the 1960s to the '80s and produced one Miss USA, Mai Shanley in 1984. The most recent placement was Bianca Wright in 2023, placing in the Top 20.
Mackenzie Sydow of Albuquerque, New Mexico was crowned as Miss New Mexico USA 2024 on June 30, 2024 at the NMSU Center for the Arts in Las Cruces. She will represent New Mexico at Miss USA 2024.

## Gallery of titleholders

* Mai Shanley, Miss New Mexico & Miss USA 1984
* Onawa Lacy, Miss New Mexico USA 2006

## Results summary

* Miss USA: Mai Shanley (1984)
* 1st runners-up: Brenda Denton (1985), Alejandra Gonzalez (2019)
* 2nd runners-up: Judith Baldwin (1965)
* 4th runners-up: Bonnie Tafoya (1968), Marlena Garland (1978)
* Top 5: Michelle Rios (1999)
* Top 10/11/12: Donna Reel (1972), Jonelle Bergquist (1976), Denise Funderburk (1977), Kathy Dawn Patrick (1980), Kriston "Kiki" Killgore (1987), Alina Ogle (2003), Suzanne Perez (2022)
* Top 15/16/20: Joan Schwartz (1955), Sandra Fullingim (1963), Mary Gard (1969), Jenna Hardin (2004), Brittany Toll (2011), Bianca Wright (2023)
* New Mexico holds a record of 20 placements at Miss USA.

### Awards

* Miss Photogenic: Michele Sandoval (1979)
* Best State Costume: Kriston "Kiki" Killgore (1987)
* People's Choice & Fan Favorite: Brittany Toll (2011)

## Winners
### 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 | Mackenzie Sydow | Albuquerque | 22 | Miss Uptown | | | |
| 2023 | Bianca Wright | Anthony | 28 | Miss Anthony | Top 20 | | |
| 2022 | Suzanne Perez | Portales | 25 | Miss Portales | Top 12 | | First Filipino American Miss New Mexico USA |
| 2021 | Christa Schafer | Las Cruces | 26 | Miss Las Cruces | | | |
| 2020 | Cecilia Rodriguez | South Valley | 27 | Miss South Valley | | | Longest reigning Miss New Mexico USA at 1 year, 6 months and 20 days |
| 2019 | Alejandra Gonzalez | Las Cruces | 26 | Miss Las Cruces | 1st runner-up | | |
| 2018 | Kristen Leyva | Las Cruces | 23 | Miss Billy The Kid | | | New Mexico State University Graduate 2016, Mechanical Engineering |
| 2017 | Ashley Mora | Albuquerque | 25 | Miss Land of Enchantment | | | Previously Miss New Mexico World 2015 Top 22 at Miss World America 2015 |
| 2016 | Naomie Germain | Bernalillo | 22 | Miss Paradise Hills | | | |
| 2015 | Alexis Duprey | Alamogordo | 24 | Miss Mesilla Valley | | | Triple crown winner Previously Miss New Mexico Teen USA 2009 Previously Miss New Mexico 2013 |
| 2014 | Kamryn Blackwood | Farmington | 22 | Miss Farmington | | | |
| 2013 | Kathleen Elizabeth Danzer | Rio Rancho | 24 | Miss Rio Ancho | | | |
| 2012 | Jessica Martin | Las Cruces | 21 | Miss Las Cruces | | | |
| 2011 | Brittany Toll | Las Cruces | 22 | Miss Duke City | Top 16 | | People's Choice & Fan Favorite in Swimwear Competition Previously Miss New Mexico Teen USA 2005 and Top 10 at Miss Teen USA 2005 |
| 2010 | Rosanne Dene Aguilar | Sunland Park | 23 | Miss Sunland Park | | | Sister of Raelene Aguilar, Miss New Mexico USA 2008 & Miss New Mexico Teen USA 2000. |
| 2009 | Bianca Matamoros-Koonce | Albuquerque | 22 | Miss Zia | | | |
| 2008 | Raelene Aguilar | Sunland Park | 26 | Miss Sunland Park | | | Previously Miss New Mexico Teen USA 2000 |
| 2007 | Casey Messer | Alamogordo | 23 | Miss Land of Enchantment | | | |
| 2006 | Onawa Lacy | Gallup | 23 | Miss Highland | | |
| 2005 | Jacqueline Deaner | Las Cruces | 25 | | | | |
| 2004 | Jenna Hardin | Lovington | 21 | | Semi-finalist, Finishing in 13th Place | | |
| 2003 | Alina Ogle | Albuquerque | 21 | | Semi-finalist, Finishing in 6th Place | | Previously Miss New Mexico Teen USA 1999 |
| 2002 | Ellen Colyer | Farmington | | | | | |
| 2001 | Jennifer Adams | Las Cruces | | | | | |
| 2000 | Christina Ortega | Las Cruces | | | | | |
| 1999 | Michelle Rios | Santa Teresa | 23 | | Top 5, Finishing in 5th Place | | |
| 1998 | Maya Strunk | Farmington | | | | | |
| 1997 | Tanya Harris | Tatum | | | | | |
| 1996 | Layla Linn | | | | | | |
| 1995 | Jacqueline Grice | Albuquerque | | | | | |
| 1994 | Jill Vasquez | Albuquerque | 24 | | | | Previously Miss New Mexico Teen USA 1988 and top 10 at Miss Teen USA 1988; Former co-director of the Miss California USA and Miss California Teen USA pageants under her married name, Jill Vasquez-Foley, Former line captain of the NFL Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders |
| 1993 | Daniela Johnson | Albuquerque | | | | | Mother of Annika Bennion, Miss Montana's Outstanding Teen 2020–21, and Bronté Bennion, Miss Montana's Outstanding Teen 2022 |
| 1992 | Charlotte Holland | | | | | | |
| 1991 | Tiffany Danton | | | | | | |
| 1990 | Larissa Canaday | | | | | | |
| 1989 | Traci Brubaker | Alamogordo | | | | | 1st runner up in Miss Oktoberfest 1988 |
| 1988 | Stephanie Storrie | Clovis | | | | | 2nd runner up in Miss Oktoberfest 1987 |
| 1987 | Kriston "Kiki" Killgore | Albuquerque | 19 | | Semi-finalist, Finishing in 7th Place | Winner/1st Place - Best State Costume | |
| 1986 | Heather Howell | Farmington | | | | | |
| 1985 | Brenda Denton | Hobbs | 21 | | 1st runner-up | | Later Miss World USA 1985 & 2nd Runner-up at Miss World 1985, 1st runner up at Miss Oktoberfest 1984 as Miss Texas |
| 1984 | Mai Therese Shanley | Alamogordo | 21 | Miss Alamogordo | Miss USA 1984 | | Previously Miss New Mexico 1983 First Asian American Miss New Mexico USA Semi-finalist at Miss Universe 1984 |
| 1983 | Kristin Larsen | Santa Fe | | Miss Santa Fe | | | |
| 1982 | Lisa Allen | Las Cruces | | | | | |
| 1981 | Lise Gabrielle Dominique Thevenet | Las Cruces | 23 | | | | Graduated from New Mexico State University in 1979 and died at age 55 on August 2, 2013, in Greenwood Village, Colorado |
| 1980 | Kathy Patrick | Anthony | | | Semi-finalist, Finishing in 6th Place | | Miss Oktoberfest 1980 as Miss Texas |
| 1979 | Michele Sandoval | Albuquerque | | | | Miss Photogenic | |
| 1978 | Marlena Garland | Las Cruces | | | 4th runner-up | | |
| 1977 | Denise Funderburk | Albuquerque | | | Semi-finalist, Finishing in 12th Place | | |
| 1976 | Jonelle Bergquist | Albuquerque | | | Semi-finalist, Finishing in 10th Place | | |
| 1975 | Maxine Whisler | Albuquerque | | | | | |
| 1974 | Jan Nilsson | Los Alamos | | | | | |
| 1973 | Carolyn Cline | Albuquerque | 20 | | | | Later Miss Florida 1978 and then Miss America 1979 2nd runner up. |
| 1972 | Donna Reel | Albuquerque | | | Semi-finalist (Top 12), Finishing in 10th Place | | Later Miss New Mexico 1974 and top 10 at Miss America 1975. Miss New Mexico World 1973 and top 16 at Miss World USA 1973. |
| 1971 | Debbie Clary | | | | | | |
| 1970 | Theresa Phillips | Las Cruces | | | | | |
| 1969 | Mary Gard | | | | Semi-finalist, Finishing in 9th Place | | |
| 1968 | Bonnie Tafoya | Las Cruces | | | 4th runner-up | | |
| 1967 | Clydia Newell | | | | | | |
| 1966 | Susan Franz | Roswell | 19 | | | | |
| 1965 | Judith Baldwin | | | | 2nd runner-up | | |
| 1964 | Did Not Compete | | | | | | |
| 1963 | Sandra Fullingim | | | | Semi-finalist, Finishing in 11th Place | | |
| 1962 | Herma Loy Elliott | Portales | | | | | |
| 1961 | Georgi Edwards | | | | | | |
| 1960 | Kaye Smith | | | | | | |
| 1959 | Carol Jones | | | | | | |
| 1959 | Sue Ingersoll | | | | | | Withdrew admidst controversy over the Catholic church's regulations around swimsuit competitions. |
| 1958 | Sandi Bullis | | | | | | |
| 1957 | Patricia Stafford | | | | | | |
| 1956 | Jackie Brown | Albuquerque | | | | | |
| 1955 | Joan Schwartz | | | | Semi-finalist | | |
| 1953-1954 | Did Not Compete | | | | | | |
| 1952 | Kay Nail | | | | | | |
* ↑ Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant