# Miss Missouri USA

The Miss Missouri USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state Missouri in the Miss USA pageant. It is directed by Vanbros and Associates, based in Lenexa, Kansas. In 1993, Missouri joined the Vanbros group of state pageants for the Miss USA and Teen USA system.
Missouri has had only one Miss USA, Shandi Finnessey, who placed as 1st runner-up to Jennifer Hawkins of Australia in the Miss Universe 2004 pageant. The most recent placement was Mikala McGhee in 2022, placing Top 16. Three Miss Missouri USAs have competed at Miss America, including Finnessey. Six former Miss Teen USA delegates have also won the title, equalling Indiana and Virginia for the most crossovers, although both Indiana and Missouri have had titleholders who competed in a different state at Miss Teen USA.
Ashleigh Bedwell of Campbell was crowned Miss Missouri USA 2024 on June 15, 2024 at Polsky Theater in Overland Park. She will represent Missouri at Miss USA 2024.

## Gallery of titleholders

* Larissa Meek, Miss Missouri USA 2001
* Shandi Finnessey, Miss Missouri USA and Miss USA 2004
* Amber Seyer, Miss Missouri USA 2007
* Candice Crawford, Miss Missouri USA 2008
* Katie Kearney, Miss Missouri USA 2012

## Results summary
### Placements

* Miss USA's: Shandi Finnessey (2004)
* 2nd runners-up: Carolyn Carlew (1952), Sandra Lee Marlin (1963), Melanie Breedlove (1998)
* 3rd runners-up: Nancy Rebecca Rich (1971), Sandra Percival (1984), Dawn Fonseca (1987)
* 4th runners-up: Karen Hendrix (1967)
* Top 5: Larissa Meek, (2001)
* Top 10/12: Dorothy Ann McElven (1974), Nancy LaRose (1975), Donna Hibbitts (1976), Amy Ruth Coverdale (1985), Shelly Lehman (1994), Britt Powell (1995), Amber Seyer (2007), Candice Crawford (2008), Ashley Strohmier (2010), Sydnee Stottlemyre (2016), Bayleigh Dayton (2017)
* Top 15/16/20: Alice Jean Porritt (1954), Barbara Jayne Stell (1959), Marilyn Jean Stalcup (1960), Hope Driskill (2011), Megan Renee Kelly (2020), Mikala McGhee (2022)
Missouri holds a record of 26 placements at Miss USA.

### Awards

* Miss Congeniality: Bayleigh Dayton (2017)

## Winners
### Color key

* Declared as Winner
* Ended as runner-up
* Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
| Year | Name | Hometown | Age | Local title | Placement at Miss USA | Special awards at Miss USA | Notes |
| 2024 | Ashleigh Bedwell | Campbell | 25 | Miss Heartland | | |
| 2023 | Autumn Black | Kansas City | 24 | Miss Kansas City | | | |
| 2022 | Mikala McGhee | St. Louis | 28 | Miss St. Louis | Top 16 | | Appeared on MTV reality show Made |
| 2021 | Joye Forrest | Spanish Lake | 25 | Miss Spanish Lake | | | Former professional cheerleader of Laker Girls |
| 2020 | Megan Renee Kelly | Seymour | 22 | Miss Springfield | Top 16 | | |
| 2019 | Miriah Ludtke | St. Louis | 24 | Miss City of St. Louis | | | |
| 2018 | Victoria "Tori" Kruse | Osage Beach | 26 | Miss Osage Beach | | | |
| 2017 | Bayleigh Dayton | Lee's Summit | 23 | Miss Kansas City | Top 10 | Miss Congeniality (tied with Miss Wyoming USA 2017 Mikaela Shaw) | Later a 2x HouseGuest on Big Brother First ever African-American Miss Missouri USA Later a contestant in The Challenge: Total Madness |
| 2016 | Sydnee Stottlemyre | Chesterfield | 21 | Miss Wildhorse Creeks | Top 10 | | Triple crown winner Previously Miss Missouri's Outstanding Teen 2008 4th runner-up at Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2009 Miss Missouri Teen USA 2011 4th runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2011 |
| 2015 | Rebecca Dunn | Columbia | 23 | Miss Columbia | | | Game Day Host for the Missouri Mavericks and Entertainment Host for Fox 22. Former anchor at Newsy.com. |
| 2014 | Erica Sturdefant | Springfield | 23 | Miss Creve Coeur | | | Previously Miss Missouri Teen USA 2010 |
| 2013 | Ellie Holtman | Montgomery City | 20 | Miss Montgomery | | | |
| 2012 | Katie Kearney | St. Louis | 23 | Miss St. Louis | | | |
| 2011 | Hope Driskill | Jefferson City | 21 | Miss Jefferson City | Top 16 | | Contestant of Survivor: Caramoan as a part of "fans" tribe Cousin of Hayden Brax, Miss Kansas USA 2020 |
| 2010 | Ashley Strohmier | Jefferson City | 21 | Miss Cole County | Top 10 | | ABC 17 KMIZ Evening News Anchor |
| 2009 | Stacey Smith | Florissant | 22 | Miss Florissant | | | |
| 2008 | Candice Crawford | Columbia | 21 | | Top 10 | | Sister of actor Chace Crawford and wife of NFL quarterback Tony Romo. |
| 2007 | Amber Seyer | Oran | 20 | | Top 10 | | Previously Miss Missouri Teen USA 2003 Wife of baseball pitcher Barry Zito |
| 2006 | Kristi Capel | Springfield | 22 | | | | Weather presenter at WBRE |
| 2005 | Andrea Ciliberti | Kansas City | 21 | | | | Contestant on Beauty and the Geek, season 3 |
| 2004 | Ashley Litton | Columbia | 20 | | did not compete | did not compete | Top 15 semi-finalist at Miss Missouri USA 2004 Assumed the state title after 1st runner-up Danielle Crafton (when she already crowned a title unrelated to Miss USA system) declined the title when Shandi Finnessey won Miss USA title |
| 2004 | Shandi Finnessey | Florissant | 25 | Miss Metro St. Louis | Miss USA 2004 | | 1st runner-up at Miss Universe 2004 Previously Miss Missouri 2002 3rd runner-up at Miss Oktoberfest 2000 |
| 2003 | Tara Bollinger | | 23 | | | | |
| 2002 | Melana Scantlin | Gladstone | 24 | | | | Previously Miss Missouri Teen USA 1995 Top 12 at Miss Teen USA 1995 Reality TV star competed in Average Joe |
| 2001 | Larissa Meek | St. Louis | 23 | | Top 5 | | Previously Miss Missouri Teen USA 1997 Reality TV star competed in Average Joe |
| 2000 | Denette Roderick | | | | | | |
| 1999 | Teri Bollinger | | | | | | Previously Miss Illinois Teen USA 1990 |
| 1998 | Melanie Breedlove | | 22 | | 2nd runner-up | | Previously Miss Missouri Teen USA 1993 |
| 1997 | Amanda Jahn | St Joseph | 25 | | | | |
| 1996 | Aimee Rinehart | | 24 | | | | |
| 1995 | Britt Powell | Kansas City | | | Semi-finalist | | Later Mrs. Arizona America 2004 under her married name, Britt Boyse; Current director of Arizona pageants in Miss and Teen divisions. |
| 1994 | Shelly Lehman | | | | Semi-finalist | | |
| 1993 | Stephanie Nunn | Marshfield | | | | | Mother of Miss Missouri Teen USA 2016 Dallas Ezard |
| 1992 | Tonya Snodgrass | | | | | | Mother of Miss Arkansas Teen USA 2016 Makenzie Sexton |
| 1991 | Tiffany Hazel | | | | | | |
| 1990 | Lori Suschnick | Liberal | | | | | Mother of Miss Missouri Teen USA 2018 Chloe Bartlett |
| 1989 | Rhonda Hoglan | | | | | | Previously Miss Missouri Teen USA 1985 3rd runner-up at Miss Teen USA 1985 |
| 1988 | Alecia Workman | | | | | | |
| 1987 | Dawn Fonseca | Independence | 22 | | 3rd runner-up | | |
| 1986 | Barbara Webster | Kansas City | | | | | Previously Miss Missouri 1983 Top 10 semifinalist for Miss America 1984 |
| 1985 | Amy Coverdale | Columbia | | | Semi-finalist | | |
| 1984 | Sandra Percival | Sunrise Beach | 20 | | 3rd runner-up | | Later Miss International USA 1984 and competed at Miss International 1984, did not place |
| 1983 | Robin Riley | Columbia | | | | | Later Miss Missouri 1987, top 10 semifinalist for Miss America 1988 |
| 1982 | Susan Heiman | Kansas City | | | | | |
| 1981 | Karyn Smagacz | Fulton | | | | | |
| 1980 | Kelly Laxson | Kansas City | | | | | |
| 1979 | Virginia Dean | | | | | | |
| 1978 | Paula Taylor | | | | | | |
| 1977 | Connie Ast | | | | | | Successor to crown; Competed at Miss USA 1977 |
| 1977 | Leigh Middleton | | | | did not compete | did not compete | Won the title of Miss Missouri USA 1977, but due to car accident, was unable to continue her reign or compete at Miss USA |
| 1976 | Donna Hibbitts | | | | Semi-finalist | | |
| 1975 | Nancy LaRose | Marshall | | | Semi-finalist | | |
| 1974 | Dorothy McElven | | | | Semi-finalist | | |
| 1973 | Camilla Crist | | | | | | |
| 1972 | Janet Potter | | | | | | |
| 1971 | Nancy Rich | | | | 3rd runner-up | | |
| 1970 | Suzette Grinham | Independence | | | | | |
| 1969 | Sherry Hoffman | | | | | | |
| 1968 | Jan Barton | Macon | | | | | |
| 1967 | Karen Hendrix | | | | 4th runner-up | | |
| 1966 | Martha Taylor | | | | | | |
| 1965 | Barbara Brooks | | | | | | |
| 1964 | Sandy Bawol | | | | | | 4th runner up in Miss World USA 1963 |
| 1963 | Sandra Marlin | | | | 2nd runner-up | | |
| 1962 | Mikee Campbell | | | | | | |
| 1961 | Joan Roberts | | | | | | |
| 1960 | Marilyn Stalcup | | | | Semi-finalist | | |
| 1959 | Barbara Stell | | | | Semi-finalist | | |
| 1958 | Beverly Wright | | | | | | |
| 1957 | Judith Murback | Sikeston | | | | | |
| 1956 | Carol Thrower | | | | | | |
| 1955 | Bennie Pritchard | | | | | | |
| 1954 | Alice Porritt | | | | Semi-finalist | | |
| 1953 | Donna Gardner | | | | | | |
| 1952 | Carolyn Carlew | Sikeston | 18 | | 2nd runner-up | | |
* ↑ Age at the time of crowning