# Miss Illinois Teen USA

The Miss Illinois Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Illinois in the Miss Teen USA pageant. It is directed by Vanbros and Associates and is previously directed by D&D Productions from 2001 to 2014 before becoming part of Vanbros organization in 2014, headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas.
Illinois is in the top fifteen states in terms of number and value of placements over the twenty-three years of the Miss Teen USA competition. Illinois ties with Florida and North Carolina for the most Miss Photogenic awards won at Miss Teen USA (3) and has won more awards than any other state. Like the Miss USA Pageant, Illinois went on to win the Miss Teen USA title in the second edition of the pageant.
Three Illinois teens have competed at Miss USA, although none won the Miss Illinois USA title. The first was Cherise Haugen, Illinois' only Miss Teen USA, who competed as Miss Teen USA at the 1985 pageant (the first few Miss Teen USAs were given this opportunity). Later two more would compete at the Miss USA pageant, representing Vanbros states: Terri Bollinger represented Missouri in 1999 and Anne-Marie Dixon Oklahoma in 1998. Vanbros is a pageant production company that owns the Miss Teen USA franchises for, and produces and directs, several state pageants in the Midwest. The Miss Illinois Teen USA Pageant has been the single largest official state preliminary competition with over 150 contestants every year since at least 2002 and has always ranked among the top ten largest state preliminary pageants.
Dawn Parks of Chicago was crowned Miss Illinois Teen USA 2022 on May 30, 2022, at Braden Auditorium in Normal. She will represent Illinois for the title of Miss Teen USA 2022.

## Results summary
### Placements

* Miss Teen USA: Cherise Haugen (1984)
* First runners-up: Autumn Waterbury (1997), Lexi Atkins (2010)
* Third runners-up: Kathleen McClelland (1988), Kelly Cruse (2005), Sydni Dion Bennett (2018)
* Top 6: Anne-Marie Dixon (1995)
* Top 10: Lisa Jessen (1985), Nicole Manske (1998)
* Top 12: Julee Kleffman (1992)
* Top 15: Victoria Davis (2007), Olivia Pura (2016), A’Maiya Allen (2019)
* Top 16: Alexandra Plotz (2012)
* Top 20: Vivica Lewandowski (2023)
Illinois holds a record of 15 placements at Miss Teen USA.

### Awards

* Miss Photogenic: Linda Burkholder (1983), Lisa Jessen (1985), Kathleen McClelland (1988)

## Winners

* Declared as Winner
* Ended as runner-up
* Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
| Year | Name | Hometown | Age$^1$ | Placement at Miss Teen USA | Special awards at Miss Teen USA | Notes |
| 2024 | Arianna Thompson | Central Illinois | TBA | Top 10 | | |
| 2023 | Vivica Lewandowski | Chicago | 18 | Top 20 | | |
| 2022 | Dawn Parks | Chicago | 18 | | | |
| 2021 | Gissell Bahena | Chicago | 17 | | | |
| 2020 | Victoria Blair Rhemrev | Long Grove | 17 | | | First Asian American Miss Illinois Teen USA |
| 2019 | A’Maiya Allen | Bolingbrook | 18 | Top 15 | | |
| 2018 | Sydni Dion Bennett | Algonquin | 16 | 3rd Runner-Up | | First African American Miss Illinois Teen USA; Later Miss Illinois USA 2021 and 3rd runner-up at Miss USA 2021 |
| 2017 | Olivia Bohleber | Carmi | 18 | | | |
| 2016 | Olivia Pura | Deer Park | 17 | Top 15 | | Later Miss Illinois USA 2020 and Top 10 at Miss USA 2020 |
| 2015 | Megan Riesner | Plainfield | 18 | | | |
| 2014 | Miranda Fenzau | Chicago | 17 | | | |
| 2013 | Grayson Hodgkiss | Downers Grove | 16 | | | |
| 2012 | Alexandra Plotz | Geneva | 17 | Top 16 | | Later Miss Illinois USA 2019 |
| 2011 | Paige Higgerson | Cutler | 19 | | | |
| 2010 | Lexi Atkins | Champaign | 18 | 1st runner-up | | Later Miss Illinois USA 2014 |
| 2009 | Stacie Juris | Tinley Park | 18 | | | Later Miss Illinois USA 2013; 2nd runner-up at Miss USA 2013. |
| 2008 | Nora Downs | Chicago | 16 | | | |
| 2007 | Victoria Davis | Thawville | 18 | Top 15 | | |
| 2006 | Ceitlyn Glenn | Effingham | 17 | | | |
| 2005 | Kelly Cruse | Marion | 17 | 3rd runner-up | | |
| 2004 | Brittany Acosta | Warrenville | 16 | | | |
| 2003 | Tiffiney McCormick | Streator | 18 | | | |
| 2002 | Lacey Wilson | Hinsdale | 17 | | | Later Miss Massachusetts USA 2010 |
| 2001 | Brittany Richmond | Bristol | 17 | | | |
| 2000 | Kimberly Williamson | Goodfield | 18 | | | Died on December 27, 2004 |
| 1999 | Amber Dusak | Antioch | 18 | | | |
| 1998 | Nicole Manske | Roscoe | 18 | Semi-finalist | | ESPN personality and wife of Australian INDYCAR driver Ryan Briscoe. |
| 1997 | Autumn Waterbury | Marion | 18 | 1st runner-up | | |
| 1996 | Eisa Istok | Elgin | 18 | | | |
| 1995 | Anne-Marie Dixon | Highland | 17 | Top 6 | | Later Miss Oklahoma USA 1998 |
| 1994 | Charlotte Martin | Chicago | 17 | | | |
| 1993 | Jaime Lyn Holbrook | Chicago | 16 | | | |
| 1992 | Julee Kleffman | Hoffman Estates | 18 | Semi-finalist | | |
| 1991 | Kara Kline | Champaign | 15 | | | |
| 1990 | Terri Bollinger | Chicago | 17 | | | Later Miss Missouri USA 1999 |
| 1989 | Kimberly Hannell | Chicago | 17 | | | |
| 1988 | Kathleen McClellan | Bloomington | 18 | 3rd runner-up | Miss Photogenic | |
| 1987 | Danielle Reese | Riverwoods | 17 | | | |
| 1986 | Dyann Lowery | Sandwich | 17 | | | |
| 1985 | Lisa Jessen | Macomb | 17 | Semi-finalist | Miss Photogenic | |
| 1984 | Cherise Haugen | Sleepy Hollow | 17 | Miss Teen USA 1984 | Best State Costume | Non-finalist at Miss USA 1984 |
| 1983 | Linda Burkholder | Chicago | 18 | | Miss Photogenic | |
$^1$ Age at the time of the Miss Teen USA pageant