# Miss Kansas Teen USA

The Miss Kansas Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Kansas in the Miss Teen USA pageant. This pageant has been part of the Vanbros organisation since 1992, and in 2006, they celebrated their fifteen-year anniversary with a reunion of former titleholders at the 2007 pageant. For the first time, all the judges for both the Miss Kansas USA and Miss Kansas Teen USA pageants were former titleholders from the Vanbros states: Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Nebraska.
Prior to 1994, the pageant was held concurrently with the Miss Kansas USA event, which was hosted by Kansas City. In 1994, the pageant was moved to Wichita. In 2000, the pageant directors moved the event to the small town of Maize, just outside Wichita, where it was also held the following year, before it was brought back to Wichita proper from 2002 to 2003. The pageant was held in Overland Park for the first time in 2004 and also in 2005. In 2006, it moved to Lawrence.
Kansas had a slow start at Miss Teen USA, and did not place until 1991. Despite this, they placed extremely well in the 1990s, with one semi-finalist placing, one finalist placing, two 2nd runner-up placings and one winner, and were in fact the second highest placed state in that decade. Latasha Laine Lawrie brought Kansas back into the placings in the 21st century with her finalist placing in 2005. She also won the Miss Photogenic award, the only major award won by a Kansas teen.
Seven Kansas teens have gone on to win the Miss Kansas USA crown. The most successful, and most notable of these was Danielle Boatwright, who placed 2nd runner-up to Miss Teen USA, 1st runner-up to Miss USA and won the reality TV show Survivor: Guatemala.
In 1995, Keylee Sue Sanders won the national crown in Wichita, Kansas making Kansas the only state to win the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA titles in their home state.
Gracie Hendrickson of Newton was crowned Miss Kansas Teen USA 2022 on May 8, 2022 at B&B Live and Music Theater in Shawnee. She will represent Kansas for the title of Miss Teen USA 2022.

## Results summary
### Placements

* Miss Teen USA: Keylee Sue Sanders (1995), Hailey Colborn (2018)
* 2nd runners-up: Danielle Boatwright (1992), Melissa Hurtig (1994)
* 3rd runners-up: Taylor Clark (2011)
* Top 6: Mariah Bergmann (1997)
* Top 10: Latasha Lawrie (2005), Gentry Miller (2006), Jaymie Stokes (2007)
* Top 12: Denise Blatchford (1991)
* Top 15/16: Katie Taylor (2012), Alyssa Klinzing (2013), Hannah DeBok (2019), Gracie Hendrickson (2022)
Kansas holds a record of 14 placements at Miss Teen USA.

### Awards

* Miss Photogenic: LaTasha Lawrie (2005)
* Style Award: Mandy Carraway (1996)

## 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 | Brilee Garret | Wichita | 17 | Top 10 | | |
| 2023 | Riley Steinman | Shawnee | 19 | | | |
| 2022 | Gracie Hendrickson | Newton | 17 | Top 16 | | Previously Princess of America Junior Ambassador 2018 Previously Miss Kansas' Outstanding Teen 2021 |
| 2021 | Madilynn Becker | Herington | 17 | | | |
| 2020 | Cyara Heredia | Liberal | 18 | | | |
| 2019 | Hannah DeBok | Olathe | 17 | Top 15 | | |
| 2018 | Hunter Fraley | Pittsburg | 18 | Did not compete | Did not compete | Originally first runner-up, succeeded Colborn when she won Miss Teen USA 2018 |
| 2018 | Hailey Colborn | Wichita | 17 | Miss Teen USA 2018 | | |
| 2017 | Malerie Moore | Olathe | 16 | | | Sister of Miss Kansas Teen USA 2016, Madison Moore |
| 2016 | Madison Moore | Olathe | 17 | | | Sister of Miss Kansas Teen USA 2017, Malerie Moore |
| 2015 | Melanie Shaner | Overland Park | 17 | | | Later Miss Kansas USA 2018 |
| 2014 | Claire-Bailey Lee | Andover | 17 | | | Daughter of Miss Kansas USA 1986, Audra Ockerman |
| 2013 | Alyssa Klinzing | Olathe | 15 | Top 16 | | Later Miss Kansas USA 2019 and finished Top 10 at Miss USA 2019 |
| 2012 | Katie Taylor | Olathe | 18 | Top 16 | | |
| 2011 | Taylor Clark | Topeka | 17 | 3rd runner-up | | |
| 2010 | Olivia Harlan | Mission Hills | 17 | | | A reporter on ESPN and the SEC Network, Daughter of Kevin Harlan, an American television sports announcer and granddaughter of Bob Harlan, former Green Bay Packers executive |
| 2009 | Alexis Rewalt | Olathe | 18 | | | Later Miss Kansas United States 2013 |
| 2008 | Jessie Colonna | Leawood | 17 | | | |
| 2007 | Jaymie Stokes | Lenexa | 16 | Top 10 | | Later Miss Kansas USA 2011 |
| 2006 | Gentry Miller | Wichita | 18 | Top 10 | | Later Miss Kansas USA 2012 |
| 2005 | Latasha Lawrie | Wichita | 18 | Top 10 | Miss Photogenic | |
| 2004 | Carissa Kelley | Winfield | 17 | | | Later Miss Kansas 2011 |
| 2003 | Megan Price | Garden City | 18 | | | |
| 2002 | Amber Ross | Manhattan | 17 | | | |
| 2001 | Lindsey Mackey | Olathe | 16 | | | |
| 2000 | Sarah Jump | Wichita | 16 | | | Contestant at National Sweetheart 2005 |
| 1999 | Grace Shibley | Wichita | 19 | | | |
| 1998 | Ashley Tessendorf | Manhattan | 17 | | | |
| 1997 | Mariah Bergmann | Haysville | 18 | Top 6 | | |
| 1996 | Mandy Carraway | Wichita | 18 | | Style Award | Later Miss Kansas USA 1999 |
| 1995 | Keylee Sue Sanders | Louisburg | 18 | Miss Teen USA 1995 | | Former co-director of the Miss California USA and Miss California Teen USA pageants under her married name, Keylee Sanders-Hochberg |
| 1994 | Melissa Hurtig | Courtland | 18 | 2nd runner-up | | |
| 1993 | Christy Dippre | Augusta | 17 | | | |
| 1992 | Danielle Boatwright | Tonganoxie | 17 | 2nd runner-up | | Later Miss Kansas USA 1996 1st runner up at Miss USA 1996, sports broadcaster and Survivor: Guatemala winner |
| 1991 | Denise Blatchford | Arkansas City | 17 | Semi-finalist | | |
| 1990 | Carrie Williams | Wichita | 18 | | | |
| 1989 | Tracey Knop | Wichita | 19 | | | |
| 1988 | Jennifer Estes | Wichita | 19 | | | |
| 1987 | Stephanie Resnick | Whitewater | 17 | | | |
| 1986 | Kimberlee Girrens | Wichita | 18 | | | Later Miss Kansas USA 1992, Top 6 finalist at Miss USA 1992, and Mrs. Kansas America 2004 under her married name, Kimberlee Easter. |
| 1985 | Tammy Lampton | Wichita | 15 | | | |
| 1984 | Nancy Mardis | Wichita | 16 | | | |
| 1983 | Melissa Lyczak | Russell | 17 | | | |
$^1$ Age at the time of the Miss Teen USA pageant