# Miss USA 2012

Miss USA 2012 was the 61st Miss USA pageant, held on June 3, 2012, at The AXIS in Las Vegas, Nevada and it was televised live on NBC. Alyssa Campanella of California crowned her successor Olivia Culpo of Rhode Island at the end of the event. This was Rhode Island's first Miss USA title. Culpo represented the United States at Miss Universe 2012 six months later and went on to win the Miss Universe title, becoming the eighth American to do so.
After Olivia Culpo won Miss Universe 2012, as a customary, first runner-up Nana Meriwether of Maryland inherited the Miss USA title and was officially crowned on January 9, 2013. Meriwether became the second woman from Maryland to hold the Miss USA title; the first, Mary Leona Gage, was dethroned shortly after winning.
For the first time, a question was solicited from Twitter for the final question asked of one of the five finalists. That question picked by the pageant organizers - "Would you feel it would be fair that a transgender woman wins the Miss USA title over a natural-born woman?" - was answered by the winner, Culpo.

## Background
### Selection of contestants

One delegate from each state and the District of Columbia was chosen in state pageants held which began in July 2011 and ended in January 2012. The first state pageant was Florida, held on July 16, 2011 as scheduled. The final pageant was Nevada, held on January 29, 2012.
Eight delegates are former Miss Teen USA state winners, while one is a former Miss America state winner and the other one competed in Miss Earth United States.

### Preliminary round

Prior to the final telecast, the delegates competed in the preliminary competition, which involves private interviews with the judges and a presentation show where they compete in swimsuit and evening gown. The preliminary competition took place on May 30, 2012, at 10 pm (ET) hosted by Chet Buchanan and Alyssa Campanella, and was broadcast online over Xbox Live via their YouTube and MSN applications.

### Finals

During the final competition, the top sixteen competed in swimsuit, while the top ten competed evening gown, and the top five competed in the final question signed up by a panel of judges. The sixteenth semifinalist was determined by voting online.

## Results
### Placements

| Placement | Contestant |
| Miss USA 2012 | Rhode Island – Olivia Culpo |
| 1st Runner-Up | Maryland – Nana Meriwether ∞ |
| 2nd Runner-Up | Ohio – Audrey Bolte |
| 3rd Runner-Up | Nevada – Jade Kelsall |
| 4th Runner-Up | Georgia – Jazz Wilkins |
| Top 10 | Alabama – Katherine Webb  Colorado – Marybel Gonzalez  New Jersey – Michelle Leonardo  Oklahoma – Lauren Lundeen  Texas – Brittany Booker |
| Top 16 | Arkansas – Kelsey Dow ‡  Louisiana – Erin Edmiston  Maine – Rani Williamson  Michigan – Kristen Danyal  South Carolina – Erika Powell  Tennessee – Jessica Hibler |
‡ Voted into Top 16 as America's Choice via Internet
∞ Culpo won Miss Universe 2012. Due to protocol, Culpo resigns her title as Miss USA 2012. 1st runner-up, Nana Meriwether, replaces her as Miss USA.

## Delegates

| State/district | Contestant | Hometown | Age | Height | Placement | Notes |
| Alabama | Katherine Webb | Phenix City | 23 | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | Top 10 | Contestant in Splash |
| Alaska | Jessica Kazmierczak | Salcha | 22 | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | | |
| Arizona | Erika Frantzve | Scottsdale | 23 | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | | |
| Arkansas | Kelsey Dow | Jonesboro | 21 | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | Top 16 | |
| California | Natalie Pack | Palos Verdes | 23 | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | | Contestant on America's Next Top Model, Cycle 12 |
| Colorado | Marybel Gonzalez | Denver | 24 | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | Top 10 | |
| Connecticut | Marie Lynn Piscitelli | North Haven | 26 | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | | Previously Miss Connecticut Teen USA 2001 |
| Delaware | Krista Clausen | Georgetown | 19 | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | | |
| District of Columbia | Monique Tompkins | Washington | 23 | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | | |
| Florida | Karina Brez | Wellington | 23 | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | | |
| Georgia | Jasmyn "Jazz" Wilkins | Johns Creek | 21 | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | 4th runner-up | Daughter of former basketball player Gerald Wilkins and brother of Damien Wilkins |
| Hawaii | Brandie Cazimero | Kaneohe | 26 | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | | |
| Idaho | Erna Palic | Boise | 25 | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | | |
| Illinois | Ashley Hooks | Flossmoor | 25 | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | | |
| Indiana | Megan Myrehn | Carmel | 21 | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | | Previously Miss Virginia Teen USA 2008 |
| Iowa | Rebecca Hodge | Iowa City | 22 | 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) | | |
| Kansas | Gentry Miller | Overland Park | 24 | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | | Previously Miss Kansas Teen USA 2006 |
| Kentucky | Amanda Mertz | Louisville | 25 | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | | |
| Louisiana | Erin Edmiston | Lafayette | 22 | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | Top 16 | |
| Maine | Rani Williamson | Portland | 25 | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | Top 16 | Later resigned |
| Maryland | Nana Meriwether | Potomac | 27 | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | 1st runner-up | Later assumed Miss USA 2012 after Culpo won Miss Universe 2012 |
| Massachusetts | Natalie Pietrzak | Boston | 26 | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | | |
| Michigan | Kristen Danyal | Detroit | 21 | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | Top 16 | Previously Miss Michigan Teen USA 2009 |
| Minnesota | Nitaya Panemalaythong | Savage | 26 | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | | Born in Thailand |
| Mississippi | Myverick Garcia | Hattiesburg | 22 | 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) | | |
| Missouri | Katie Kearney | St. Louis | 23 | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | | |
| Montana | Autumn Muller | Billings | 25 | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | | Previously Miss Montana Teen USA 2004 |
| Nebraska | Amy Spilker | Malcolm | 22 | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | | |
| Nevada | Jade Kelsall | Eneterprise | 26 | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | 3rd runner-up | |
| New Hampshire | Ryanne Harms | Rochester | 23 | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | | |
| New Jersey | Michelle Leonardo | Tinton Falls | 20 | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | Top 10 | Previously Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2008 |
| New Mexico | Jessica Martin | Las Cruces | 21 | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | | Previously Miss New Mexico Earth 2010 |
| New York | Johanna Sambucini | Brooklyn | 25 | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | | |
| North Carolina | Sydney Perry | Wrightsville Beach | 21 | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | | Previously Miss Vermont Teen USA 2008 |
| North Dakota | Jaci Stofferahn | Fargo | 23 | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | | |
| Ohio | Audrey Bolte | Batavia | 23 | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | 2nd runner-up | |
| Oklahoma | Lauren Lundeen | Edmond | 20 | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | Top 10 | |
| Oregon | Alaina Bergsma | Eugene | 22 | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | | |
| Pennsylvania | Sheena Monnin | Cranberry Township | 27 | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | | Later resigned |
| Rhode Island | Olivia Culpo | Cranston | 20 | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | Miss USA 2012 | Later Miss Universe 2012 |
| South Carolina | Erika Powell | Greenville | 27 | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | Top 16 | Previously Miss South Carolina 2005 |
| South Dakota | Taylor Neisen | Rapid City | 20 | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) | | |
| Tennessee | Jessica Hibler | Nashville | 23 | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | Top 16 | |
| Texas | Brittany Booker | Houston | 21 | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | Top 10 | |
| Utah | Kendyl Bell | Sandy | 25 | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | | |
| Vermont | Jamie Dragon | Stowe | 26 | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | | |
| Virginia | Catherine Muldoon | Virginia Beach | 26 | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) | | Previously Miss New York Teen USA 2004 |
| Washington | Christina Clarke | Sammamish | 22 | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | | |
| West Virginia | Andrea Rogers | Martinsburg | 24 | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | | |
| Wisconsin | Emily Guerin | Monroe | 23 | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | | |
| Wyoming | Holly Allen | Lander | 24 | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | | Later a contestant on Big Brother 21 |