# Miss USA 2014

Miss USA 2014 was the 63rd Miss USA pageant, held at the Baton Rouge River Center Arena in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on June 8, 2014. All fifty states and the District of Columbia competed. The preliminary competition was not webcast live for the first time in five years, but excerpts were distributed post-competition via website Hulu. The final night of competition was televised on NBC.
Erin Brady of Connecticut, crowned her successor Nia Sanchez of Nevada. This was Nevada's first Miss USA title. Sanchez represented the United States on home soil at Miss Universe 2014 and finished 1st Runner-Up.
The date and venue was revealed by Donald Trump, co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization, and Brady on March 13, 2014, during Today. However, it was reported that the delegates will be staying at the L'Auberge Casino and Hotel in Baton Rouge ahead of this announcement.
For the first time, the final telecast was three hours long, with the additional hour including a look at the top 20 (rather than 15) in their home states. The top 20 competed in swimsuits, then eliminated by the judges to a top ten. The top ten competed in evening gown, then judges eliminated to a final five, along with a sixth finalist selected from the remaining contestants in the top ten via a Twitter fan vote (texting #SAVETHEQUEEN).
This was the last Miss USA to be aired on NBC.

## Results
### Placements

| Placement | Contestant |
| Miss USA 2014 | Nevada – Nia Sanchez |
| 1st Runner-Up | North Dakota – Audra Mari |
| 2nd Runner-Up | Georgia – Tiana Griggs |
| 3rd Runner-Up | Louisiana – Brittany Guidry |
| 4th Runner-Up | Florida – Brittany Oldehoff |
| 5th Runner-Up | Iowa – Carlyn Bradarich § |
| Top 10 | California – Cassandra Kunze Maryland – Taylor Burton South Carolina – Christina Zapolski Wisconsin – Bishara Dorre |
| Top 20 | Alabama – Jesica Ahlberg Arizona – Jordan Wessel Indiana – Mekayla Diehl Minnesota – Haley O'Brien Nebraska – Amanda Soltero New Jersey – Emily Shah Oklahoma – Brooklynne Young Pennsylvania – Valerie Gatto Tennessee – Kristy Niedenfuer Virginia – Arielle Rosmarino |
§ Voted into Top 6 after the evening gown competition via Twitter

### Special awards

| Award | Contestant |
| Miss Congeniality | Rhode Island – Christina Palavra |
| Miss Photogenic | California – Cassandra Kunze |

## Contestants

51 contestants were confirmed. The information from Miss USA Official website
| State/district | Contestant | Hometown | Age | Height | Placement | Notes |
| Alabama | Jesica Warren Ahlberg | Birmingham | 24 | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | Top 20 | |
| Alaska | Kendall Bautista | Eagle River | 21 | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | | Later Miss Alaska 2016 |
| Arizona | Jordan Wessel | Phoenix | 20 | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | Top 20 | |
| Arkansas | Helen Wisner | Fayetteville | 25 | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | | |
| California | Cassandra Kunze | San Diego | 20 | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | Top 10 | Miss Photogenic |
| Colorado | Eleanna Livaditis | Centennial | 25 | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | | |
| Connecticut | Desirée Pérez | Stamford | 26 | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | | |
| Delaware | Kelsey Miller | Wilmington | 23 | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | | Previously Miss Delaware Teen USA 2009 |
| District of Columbia | Ciera Nicole Butts | Washington, D.C. | 23 | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | | Winner of Last Squad Standing |
| Florida | Brittany Oldehoff | Fort Lauderdale | 25 | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 4th Runner-Up | Model season 7 of Project Runway Contestant on The Amazing Race 28 with her teammate Jessica Versteeg |
| Georgia | Tiana Griggs | Monticello | 27 | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 2nd Runner Up | |
| Hawaii | Moani Hara | Honolulu | 24 | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | | Previously Miss Hawaii's Outstanding Teen 2007 |
| Idaho | Yvette Bennett | Boise | 23 | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | | |
| Illinois | Lexi Atkins | Champaign | 21 | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | | Previously Miss Illinois Teen USA 2010 |
| Indiana | Mekayla Diehl | Bristol | 25 | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | Top 20 | Later Mrs. America 2018 |
| Iowa | Carlyn Bradarich | Iowa City | 23 | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 5th Runner-Up | Sister of Ashlyn Bradarich, Miss Illinois USA 2010 Later Miss Illinois World 2015 |
| Kansas | Audrey Banach | Kansas City | 22 | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | | |
| Kentucky | Destin Kincer | Whitesburg | 21 | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | | |
| Louisiana | Brittany Guidry | Houma | 21 | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 3rd Runner-Up | Previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 2009 |
| Maine | Samantha Dahlborg | Gorham | 20 | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | | |
| Maryland | Taylor Burton | La Plata | 25 | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | Top 10 | |
| Massachusetts | Caroline Lunny | Holliston | 23 | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | | Previously Miss Massachusetts Teen USA 2008 Contestant on season 22 of The Bachelor (US) Contestant of season 5 of Bachelor in Paradise (US) Contestatnt of season 2 of Bachelor in Paradise Australia |
| Michigan | Elizabeth Ivezaj | Macomb | 24 | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | | |
| Minnesota | Haley O'Brien | Excelsior | 21 | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | Top 20 | Previously Miss Minnesota Teen USA 2010 |
| Mississippi | Chelsea Reardon | Southaven | 23 | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | | |
| Missouri | Erica Sturdefant | Springfield | 23 | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | | Previously Miss Missouri Teen USA 2010 |
| Montana | Kadie Latimer | Kalispell | 23 | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | | |
| Nebraska | Amanda Soltero | Columbus | 22 | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | Top 20 | Previously Miss Nebraska Teen USA 2010 |
| Nevada | Nia Sanchez | Las Vegas | 24 | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | Miss USA 2014 | |
| New Hampshire | Bridget Brunet | South Hampton | 26 | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | | |
| New Jersey | Emily Shah | Edison | 19 | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | Top 20 | |
| New Mexico | Kamryn Blackwood | Farmington | 22 | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | | |
| New York | Candace Kendall | Rochester | 25 | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | | Previously Miss New York Teen USA 2006 |
| North Carolina | Olivia Olvera | Fayetteville | 26 | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) | | |
| North Dakota | Audra Mari | Fargo | 20 | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 1st Runner-Up | Previously Miss North Dakota Teen USA 2011 Later Miss World America 2016 |
| Ohio | Madison Gesiotto | Massillon | 22 | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | | |
| Oklahoma | Brooklynne Young | Norman | 19 | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | Top 20 | |
| Oregon | Emma Pelett | Portland | 25 | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | | |
| Pennsylvania | Valerie Gatto | Pittsburgh | 24 | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) | Top 20 | |
| Rhode Island | Christina Palavra | Providence | 19 | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | | Miss Congeniality |
| South Carolina | Christina Zapolski | Charleston | 22 | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | Top 10 | Reality contestant of Hunted |
| South Dakota | Brittney Palmer | Brookings | 25 | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | | |
| Tennessee | Kristy Landers Niedenfuer | Nashville | 22 | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | Top 20 | Later Miss Louisiana World 2015 |
| Texas | Lauren Guzman | Laredo | 24 | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | | Previously Miss Texas Teen USA 2008 |
| Utah | Angelia Layton | Salt Lake City | 22 | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | | Previously Miss Utah Teen USA 2010 Contestant on Survivor: Philippines |
| Vermont | Gina Bernasconi | Colchester | 19 | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | | |
| Virginia | Arielle Rosmarino | Salem | 22 | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | Top 20 | Later Miss Virginia World 2015 |
| Washington | Allyson Rowe | Spokane | 25 | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | | |
| West Virginia | Charisse Haislop | Parkersburg | 24 | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | | |
| Wisconsin | Bishara Dorre | Milwaukee | 24 | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | Top 10 | Previously Miss Wisconsin Teen USA 2006 Previously Miss Wisconsin's Outstanding Teen 2007 |
| Wyoming | Lexi Hill | Gillette | 20 | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) | | |

## Judges

Preliminary judges:
* Bryce Townsend
* Carole Gist - Miss USA 1990 from Michigan
* Chantal "Taly" Russell
* Elise Zealand
* Fred Nelson
* Janna Ronert
* Jeanne Burns
* Scott Balber
Telecast Judges:
* Rumer Willis
* Allie LaForce - Miss Teen USA 2005 from Ohio
* Bárbara Palacios - Miss Universe 1986 from Venezuela
* Ian Ziering
* Randy Couture
* Melissa Peterman
* Lance Bass
* Karl Malone
* Dolvett Quince

## Background music

* Opening – "Iko Iko," "Take A Ride On A Riverboat," "Home," and "Hey Pocky A-Way" by Marc Broussard featuring Dirty Dozen Brass Band Horns (Live Performance)
* Swimsuit Competition – "Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line featuring Nelly (Live Performance)
* Evening Gown Competition – "Decidiste dejarme" and "Tu tiempo ya se fue" by Camila (Live Performance)
* Top 6 Final Look – "This Is How We Roll" by Florida Georgia Line (Live Performance)

## International broadcasters
### Television

* United States: NBC
* Africa: DSTV Mzansi Magic (delayed broadcast)
* Asia: Star World (delayed broadcast)