# Miss Arkansas USA

Miss Arkansas USA, previously known as Miss Arkansas Universe, is the beauty pageant that selects the representative for the state of Arkansas in the Miss USA pageant, and the name of the title held by that winner. The pageant is directed by Vanbros and Associates.
Arkansas's most successful placement was in 1982, when Terri Utley was crowned Miss USA. The most recent placement was Mackenzie Hinderberger in 2023 who placed in the Top 20. Eight Miss Arkansas USA titleholders were former Miss Arkansas Teen USA titleholders who competed at Miss Teen USA. The longest reigning titleholder was Haley Rose Pontius in 2020, having held the title for 18 months, while the shortest titleholder was Stephanie Barber in 2021, having held the title for 10 months and 18 days.
The state pageant was directed by Premier Pageants from 2002 to 2007 before becoming part of the Vanbros organization, headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas. In 2018, Vanbros chose Fort Smith, Arkansas as the new host city of the pageant. Other host cities for the pageant have included Bentonville, Little Rock, Magnolia, and West Memphis.
The current Miss Arkansas USA is Madeline Bohlman of Fayetteville who was crowned on April 14, 2024 at the OCCC Performing Arts Center in Oklahoma City. She will represent Arkansas at Miss USA 2024.

## Gallery of titleholders

* Stephanie Barber, Miss Arkansas USA 2021
* Haley Pontius, Miss Arkansas USA 2020
* Terri Utley, Miss Arkansas USA 1982 and Miss USA 1982

## Results summary
### Placements

* Miss USA: Terri Utley (1982)
* 1st Runner-Up: Margaret Haywood (1955)
* 2nd Runner-Up: Nancy McCollum (1956)
* Top 5: Savannah Skidmore (2019)
* Top 10: Chanley Painter (2009), Abby Floyd (2016)
* Top 15/16/20: Jineane Marie Ford (1954), Helen Garrott (1957), Donna Needham (1959), Ann Smithwick (1968), Mary Dial (1970), Jessica Furrer (2005), Adrielle Churchill (2010), Kelsey Dow (2012), Mackenzie Hinderberger (2023)
Arkansas holds a record of 15 placements at Miss USA.

### Awards

* Miss Photogenic: Jennifer Sherrill (2004)
* Miss Congeniality: Madeline Bohlman (2024)

## Winners
### Color key

* Winner
* Runner-Up
* Semifinalist
| Year | Name | Hometown | Age | Local title | Placement at Miss USA | Special awards at Miss USA | Notes |
| 2024 | Madeline Bohlman | Fayetteville | 22 | Miss Northwest Arkansas | | Miss Congeniality | Previously Miss Arkansas Teen USA 2021 |
| 2023 | Mackenzie Hinderberger | Farmington | 23 | Miss Farmington | Top 20 | | Previously Miss Arkansas Teen USA 2018 |
| 2022 | Rylie Wagner | Ozark | 21 | Miss Ozark | | | |
| 2021 | Stephanie Barber | Fayetteville | 22 | Miss Northwest Arkansas | | | Shortest reigning Miss Arkansas USA |
| 2020 | Haley Rose Pontius | Houston | 23 | Miss Richland Hills | | | Previously Miss Teen International 2013 and IJM International Miss 2017 Longest reigning Miss Arkansas USA |
| 2019 | Savannah Skidmore | Calico Rock | 23 | Miss White River | Top 5 | | Previously Miss Arkansas 2016 after Savvy Shields was crowned Miss America 2017 |
| 2018 | Lauren Weaver | Greenwood | 21 | Miss Greenwood | | | Previously Miss Arkansas Teen USA 2014 |
| 2017 | Arynn Johnson | Hot Springs | 19 | Miss Hot Springs | | | Previously Miss Arkansas Teen USA 2015 Top 15 semi-finalist at Miss Teen USA 2015 |
| 2016 | Abby Floyd | Searcy | 19 | Miss Searcy | Top 10 | | Previously Miss Arkansas Teen USA 2013 Semi-finalist at Miss Teen USA 2013 Married to former NFL player Phillip Supernaw |
| 2015 | Leah Blefko | Fayetteville | 21 | Miss White River | | | |
| 2014 | Helen Wisner | Fayetteville | 25 | Miss White River | | | |
| 2013 | Hannah Billingsley | Franklin | 22 | Miss North Arkansas | | | Married to Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay |
| 2012 | Kelsey Dow | Jonesboro | 21 | Miss Craighead County | Top 16 | | |
| 2011 | Lakynn McBride | White Hall | 20 | Miss Central Arkansas | | | |
| 2010 | Adrielle Churchill | Dover | 24 | Miss White River | Top 15 | | Previously National Sweetheart 2005 |
| 2009 | Chanley Painter | Conway | 24 | Miss Conway | Top 10 | | |
| 2008 | Rachel Howells | Alma | 21 | Miss Washington County | | | |
| 2007 | Kelly George | Sherwood | 24 | | | | Contestant at National Sweetheart 2004 as Miss Maryland |
| 2006 | Kimberly Forsyth | Cabot | 26 | | | | |
| 2005 | Jessica Furrer | Conway | 22 | | Top 15 | | |
| 2004 | Jennifer Sherrill | Sherwood | 19 | | | Miss Photogenic | |
| 2003 | Taylor Carlisle | Jacksonville | 21 | | | | |
| 2002 | Amber Boatman | Norphlet | 23 | | | | |
| 2001 | Jessie Davis | Harrison | | | | | |
| 2000 | Whitney Moore | Cabot | 22 | | | | |
| 1999 | Allison Heavener | | | | | | |
| 1998 | Kami Tice | Huntsville | | | | | |
| 1997 | Tamara Henry | Little Rock | 25 | | | | |
| 1996 | Tiffany Parks | | 20 | | | | Previously Miss Arkansas Teen USA 1993 |
| 1995 | Kristen Bettis | | | | | | |
| 1994 | Hannah Hilliard | Little Rock | | | | | |
| 1993 | Kati Fish | Hot Springs | | | | | |
| 1992 | Jona Garner | | | | | | |
| 1991 | Angela Rockwell | | | | | | |
| 1990 | Kathryn Harris | Pine Bluff | 18 | | | | |
| 1989 | Paige Yandell | Greenwood | | | | | Previously Miss Arkansas Teen USA 1987 |
| 1988 | Melissa Staples | Calion | | | | | Previously Miss Arkansas Teen USA 1984 |
| 1987 | Sheri Smeltzer | Smackover | | | | | |
| 1986 | Rhonda Blaylock | Springdale | | | | | |
| 1985 | Susan Dean | Osceola | | | | | |
| 1984 | Shelly Boyd | Manila | | | | | |
| 1983 | Debra Baltz | Paris | | | | | |
| 1982 | Terri Utley | Cabot | 20 | | Miss USA 1982 | | |
| 1981 | Lynnanne Derryberry | Jerusalem | | | | | |
| 1980 | Susie Owens | Jacksonville | | | | | |
| 1979 | Cynthia Caldwell | Jacksonville | | | | | |
| 1978 | Donna Funderburk | El Dorado | | | | | |
| 1977 | Debra Duree | Texarkana | | | | | |
| 1976 | Sonia Kay Jines | Conway | | | | | |
| 1975 | Robin Fields | Hot Springs | | | | | |
| 1974 | Gina Huddle | | | | | | |
| 1973 | Christal Phiffer | Texarkana | | | | | |
| 1972 | Susan Tichenor | Pine Bluff | 21 | | | | |
| 1971 | Paula Keith | Little Rock | 20 | | | | |
| 1970 | Mary Dial | Malvern | 21 | | Top 15 | | |
| 1969 | Leonette Reed | | | | | | |
| 1968 | Ann Smithwick | Jacksonville | 19 | | Top 15 | | |
| 1967 | Katy Wurst | Fort Smith | 19 | | | | |
| 1966 | Peggy Jones | | | | | | |
| 1965 | Jeri Haynie | El Dorado | | | | | |
| 1964 | Barbara McGlothlin | | | | | | |
| 1963 | Cheryl Bechtelheimer | | | | | | |
| 1962 | Linda Riggan | Leola | | | | | 2nd runner up at Miss American Beauty 1964 (Title for US Rep to Miss International pageant) |
| 1961 | Mickey Lambert | | | | | | |
| 1960 | Gene Chambers | | | | | | Married to Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys |
| 1959 | Donna Needham | | | | Top 15 | | |
| 1958 | Nancy Hill | | | | | | |
| 1957 | Helen Garrott | | | | Top 15 | | |
| 1956 | Nancy McCollum | | | | 2nd Runner-Up | | |
| 1955 | Margaret Haywood | Jonesboro | | | 1st Runner-Up | | Later Miss World United States 1955 1st runner up at Miss World 1955 as Miss USA 2nd runner-up Miss Dixie 1955 |
| 1954 | Waydine Nesbitt | Magnolia | 21 | | Top 21 | | |
| 1953 | Jackie Stucker | | | | | | |
| 1952 | Barbara Wathen | | | | | | |