# Miss USA 2011

Miss USA 2011 was the 60th Anniversary of the Miss USA pageant, held at the Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 19, 2011. Rima Fakih of Michigan crowned her successor, Alyssa Campanella of California, at the end of this event. This was California's sixth Miss USA title and the first title since 1992. Campanella represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2011 pageant in São Paulo, Brazil on September 12, 2011.
This pageant gained attention on the internet, when a video of all the contestant's answers to the question, whether evolution should be taught in school, was put on YouTube. Only two contestants affirmed that it should be taught, with the others confusing the question with the debate on evolution of species vs. creationism, or stating that both should be taught.

## Background
### Selection of participants

Delegates from 50 states and the District of Columbia were selected in state pageants which began in July 2010 and concluded in January 2011. The first state pageant was Florida, held on July 10, 2010, while the final pageant was Arkansas, held on January 9, 2011. Initially, eight of these delegates were former Miss Teen USA state winners but the number increased to nine after one titleholder resigned and former Teen USA delegate succeeded her, and one former Miss America state winner.
Two state titleholders were appointed as a replacements after the original titleholders were unable to compete. Emily Johnson, the original Miss Maine USA 2011, resigned on April 17, 2011 due to attending her sister's wedding on the day of the pageant. She was replaced by Ashley Marble, who was the first runner-up of the Miss Maine USA 2011 pageant, and Shaletta Tawanna Porterfield, the original Miss Wisconsin USA 2011, resigned on May 12, 2011 after was being charged in Dane County Circuit Court of three felony theft charges. She was replaced by Jordan Morkin, who was the first runner-up of the Miss Wisconsin USA 2011 pageant.

## Delegates

| State/district | Contestant | Hometown | Age | Height | Placement | Notes |
| Alabama | Madeline Mitchell | Russellville | 22 | 5'9" | 2nd runner-up | Later Mrs. America 2015 |
| Alaska | Jessica Chuckran | Anchorage | 24 | 5'7" | | |
| Arizona | Brittany Brannon | Paradise Valley | 22 | 5'6" | Top 16 | |
| Arkansas | Lakynn McBride | White Hall | 20 | 5'6" | | |
| California | Alyssa Campanella | Los Angeles | 21 | 5'9" | Miss USA 2011 | Previously Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2007 |
| Colorado | Blair Griffith | Denver | 23 | 5'6" | | Previously Miss Colorado Teen USA 2006 Later Top 20 Miss Grand International 2013 |
| Connecticut | Regina Turner | Hartford | 21 | 5'7" | | |
| Delaware | Katie Hanson | Newark | 20 | 5'7" | | Contestant of Survivor: Philippines |
| District of Columbia | Heather Swann | Washington, D.C. | 23 | 5'7" | | |
| Florida | Lissette Garcia | Miami | 26 | 5'11" | Top 16 | |
| Georgia | Kaylin Reque | Suwanee | 22 | 5'10" | Top 16 | |
| Hawaii | Angela Byrd | Honolulu | 23 | 5'10" | Top 8 | |
| Idaho | Erza Haliti | Meridian | 20 | 5'6" | | |
| Illinois | Angela Sparrow | Chicago | 25 | 5'7" | | |
| Indiana | Jillian Wunderlich | Kokomo | 20 | 5'6" | Top 16 | Previously Miss Florida Teen USA 2008 |
| Iowa | Rebecca Goldsmith | Chariton | 26 | 5'9" | | |
| Kansas | Jaymie Stokes | Lenexa | 20 | 5'11" | | Previously Miss Kansas Teen USA 2007 |
| Kentucky | Kia Hampton | Louisville | 22 | 5'5" | | |
| Louisiana | Page Pennock | Shreveport | 21 | 5'9" | | |
| Maine | Ashley Lynn Marble | Topsfield | 27 | 5'10" | Top 8 | Previously Miss Maine Teen USA 2000 Originally first runner-up, assumed the title after winner Emily Johnson resigned in April 2011 due to attending the latter's sister's wedding. |
| Maryland | Allyn Rose | Newburg | 22 | 5'8" | Top 8 | Later Miss District of Columbia 2012 |
| Massachusetts | Alida D'Angona | Boston | 24 | 5'8" | | |
| Michigan | Channing Pierce | Royal Oak | 24 | 5'9" | | |
| Minnesota | Brittany Lee Thelemann | Plymouth | 24 | 5'9" | | |
| Mississippi | Keeley Patterson | Starkville | 20 | 5'7" | | |
| Missouri | Hope Driskill | Jefferson City | 22 | 5'9" | Top 16 | Contestant of Survivor: Caramoan |
| Montana | Brittany Wiser | Bozeman | 23 | 5'9" | | Previously Miss Montana 2009 |
| Nebraska | Haley Herold | Omaha | 23 | 5'7" | | |
| Nevada | Sarah Chapman | Henderson | 27 | 5'10" | | Sister of Ellen Chapman, Miss California USA 2004 |
| New Hampshire | LacyJane Folger | Farmington | 22 | 5'6" | | |
| New Jersey | Julianna White | Haddon Township | 22 | 5'7" | | Previously Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2006 |
| New Mexico | Brittany Toll | Las Cruces | 24 | 5'9" | Top 16 | Previously Miss New Mexico Teen USA 2005 |
| New York | Amber Collins | Manhattan | 26 | 5'9" | Top 16 | |
| North Carolina | Brittany Leigh York | Wilmington | 21 | 5'6" | | |
| North Dakota | Brandi Schoenberg | Bismarck | 26 | 5'10" | | |
| Ohio | Ashley Caldwell | Gallipolis | 24 | 5'8" | | |
| Oklahoma | Kaitlyn Smith | Norman | 22 | 5'9" | | |
| Oregon | Anna Prosser | Portland | 26 | 5'8" | | Contestant at National Sweetheart 2008 |
| Pennsylvania | Amber-Joi Watkins | Philadelphia | 26 | 5'7" | | |
| Rhode Island | Kate McCaughey | Lincoln | 23 | 5'4" | | |
| South Carolina | Courtney Hope Turner | North Augusta | 21 | 5'7" | Top 8 | |
| South Dakota | Chandra Burnham | Highmore | 23 | 5'3" | | |
| Tennessee | Ashley Durham | Adamsville | 21 | 5'8" | 1st runner-up | Previously Miss Tennessee Teen USA 2006 |
| Texas | Ana Rodriguez | Laredo | 25 | 5'8" | 3rd runner-up | |
| Utah | Jamie Crandall | Salt Lake City | 23 | 5'8" | Top 16 | |
| Vermont | Lauren Carter | Burlington | 21 | 5'8" | | |
| Virginia | Nikki Poteet | Richmond | 24 | 5'10" | | |
| Washington | Angelina Kayyalaynen | Orchards | 21 | 5'8" | | |
| West Virginia | Whitney Veach | Petersburg | 24 | 5'6" | | Previously Miss West Virginia Teen USA 2003 |
| Wisconsin | Jordan Morkin | Green Bay | 21 | 5'4" | | |
| Wyoming | Kaitlyn Davis | Laramie | 20 | 5'9" | | |

## Television ratings

* In the first hour of the pageant, it earned NBC 6.6 million viewers, winning the timeslot. In the second hour, viewership rose to 7.8 million, also winning its timeslot. Both hours were the leader in the 18-49 demographic.