# Miss USA 2019

Miss USA 2019 was the 68th Miss USA pageant, held at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada on May 2, 2019. The 2019 competition served as the second consecutive time that the pageant has been held concurrently with the Miss Teen USA competition. This was also the final pageant where it was televised on Fox.
The contest was won by Cheslie Kryst of North Carolina, who was crowned by Sarah Rose Summers of Nebraska. This was North Carolina's third time winning the Miss USA title, and its first in ten years. Kryst was the first non-consecutive African American to win the title and the third one in four years. Kryst represented the United States at Miss Universe 2019, placing in the top ten.
Contestants from fifty states and the District of Columbia competed in this edition. Nick Lachey and Vanessa Lachey served as hosts, while Lu Sierra served as commentator. T-Pain and Nick Lachey performed in this edition.

## Background
### Location and date

On March 28, 2019, the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) confirmed that the pageant would be held on May 2 at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. Shortly afterwards, it was confirmed that Miss USA 2018 hosts Nick Lachey and Vanessa Lachey would be returning to host the 2019 competition.
Following the announcement of Reno being selected as the competition's host city, it emerged that the MUO were originally planning on holding the competition in Honolulu, Hawaii. The plan was rejected by Hawaiian officials and relocated to Reno by the MUO after the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) reported that they would be unable to secure the funds to host the competition that the MUO had requested, adding that they would be interested in hosting in the future.

### Selection of participants

Delegates from 50 states and the District of Columbia were selected in state pageants that began in August 2018 and ended in January 2019. The first state pageant was Alaska, held on August 4, 2018, and the final pageants were California, Kentucky and New Mexico, both held on January 27, 2019. Seven of them were former Miss Teen USA state winners, three of them were former Miss America state winners and two of them were former Miss America's Outstanding Teen state winners.

## Results
### Placements

| Placement | Contestant |
| Miss USA 2019 | North Carolina – Cheslie Kryst |
| 1st runner-up | New Mexico – Alejandra Gonzalez |
| 2nd runner-up | Oklahoma – Triana Browne |
| Top 5 | Arkansas – Savannah Skidmore  Nevada – Tianna Tuamoheloa |
| Top 10 | District of Columbia – Cordelia Cranshaw  Florida – Nicolette Jennings  Kansas – Alyssa Klinzing  Maryland – Mariela Pepin  Ohio – Alice Magoto |
| Top 15 | Hawaii – Lacie Choy  Iowa – Baylee Drezek  Louisiana – Victoria Paul  Minnesota – Catherine Stanley  Pennsylvania – Kailyn Marie Perez |

### Special awards

| Award | Contestant |
| Miss Congeniality | Indiana – Tate Fritchley |

## Pageant
### Format

Same as the previous year, during the final competition, the results of the preliminary competition — which consisted of the swimsuit competition, the evening gown competition, and the closed-door interview determined the fifteen semi-finalists who advanced at the first cut. The fifteen semi-finalists competed in the swimsuit competition, while 10 competed in the evening gown competition. Five finalists were chosen to competed in a question round regarding current affairs, while three finalists competed in the final question round and final walk.

### Judges

* Nicole Feld – businesswoman, producer, and vice president for Feld Entertainment, Inc.
* Kim Kaupe – businesswoman and co-founder of The Superfan Company
* Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters – Miss Universe 2017 from South Africa
* Ukonwa Ojo – marketing executive for CoverGirl, Rimmel, and Vera Wang
* Amy Palmer – journalist and media entrepreneur
* Denise Quiñones – Miss Universe 2001 from Puerto Rico
* Hillary Schieve – politician and Mayor of Reno, Nevada
* Patricia Southall – philanthropist and Miss Virginia USA 1994

## Contestants

Fifty-one contestants competed for the title.
| State/district | Contestant | Age | Hometown | Notes |
| Alabama | Hannah McMurphy | 21 | Tuscaloosa | |
| Alaska | JoEllen Walters | 25 | Eagle River | |
| Arizona | Savannah Wix | 23 | Paradise Valley | Previously Miss Arizona Teen USA 2014 |
| Arkansas | Savannah Skidmore | 24 | Calico Rock | Previously Miss Arkansas 2016 |
| California | Erica Dann | 27 | San Francisco | |
| Colorado | Madison Dorenkamp | 26 | Lamar | |
| Connecticut | Acacia Courtney | 26 | Hamden | Previously Miss Connecticut's Outstanding Teen 2009 Previously Miss Connecticut 2014 |
| Delaware | Jolisa Copeman | 24 | Middletown | |
| District of Columbia | Cordelia Cranshaw | 26 | Washington, D.C. | |
| Florida | Nicolette Jennings | 22 | Clearwater | |
| Georgia | Katerina Rozmajzl | 21 | Atlanta | |
| Hawaii | Lacie Choy | 20 | Honolulu | |
| Idaho | Shelby Brown | 25 | Boise | |
| Illinois | Alexandra Plotz | 24 | Geneva | Previously Miss Illinois Teen USA 2012 Later Miss Illinois World 2019 |
| Indiana | Tate Fritchley | 21 | Evansville | |
| Iowa | Baylee Drezek | 21 | Davenport | |
| Kansas | Alyssa Klinzing | 21 | Olathe | Previously Miss Kansas Teen USA 2013 Later Miss California Earth USA 2021 |
| Kentucky | Jordan Weiter | 22 | Louisville | |
| Louisiana | Victoria Paul | 26 | Alexandria | Contestant on season 24 of The Bachelor and season 7 of Bachelor in Paradise |
| Maine | Lexie Elston | 23 | Windham | |
| Maryland | Mariela Pepin | 23 | Severn | Previously Miss Maryland Teen USA 2014 Top 10 finalist at Miss World America 2017 Contestant on season 25 of The Bachelor and season 7 of Bachelor in Paradise |
| Massachusetts | Kelly O'Grady | 28 | Boston | |
| Michigan | Alyse Madej | 26 | Garden City | |
| Minnesota | Cat Stanley | 23 | Bloomington | Previously Miss Minnesota Teen USA 2014 |
| Mississippi | Madeleine Overby | 21 | Columbus | Former New Orleans Saintsation cheerleader |
| Missouri | Miriah Jo Ludtke | 25 | St. Louis | |
| Montana | Grace Zitzer | 27 | Dillon | |
| Nebraska | Lex Najarian | 25 | Lincoln | |
| Nevada | Tianna Tuamoheloa | 26 | Las Vegas | |
| New Hampshire | Alexis Chinn | 22 | Manchester | Previously Miss Northwest Earth United States 2016 |
| New Jersey | Manya Saaraswat | 21 | Marlboro | Later Miss Pennsylvania World 2020 |
| New Mexico | Alejandra Gonzalez | 26 | Las Cruces | |
| New York | Florinda Kajtazi | 27 | Yonkers | |
| North Carolina | Cheslie Corrinne Kryst | 28 | Charlotte | |
| North Dakota | Samantha Redding | 22 | Burlington | |
| Ohio | Alice Magoto | 21 | Cincinnati | Previously Miss Ohio 2016 |
| Oklahoma | Triana Browne | 26 | Tulsa | Previously Miss Oklahoma 2017 |
| Oregon | Natalie Tonneson | 28 | Portland | |
| Pennsylvania | Kailyn Marie Perez | 27 | Camp Hill | Previously Miss Florida World 2015 |
| Rhode Island | Nicole Pallozzi | 23 | Providence | |
| South Carolina | MaKenzie Divina | 21 | Clemson | |
| South Dakota | Abigail Merschman | 22 | Sioux Falls | |
| Tennessee | Savana Hodge | 25 | Nashville | |
| Texas | Alayah Benavidez | 23 | San Antonio | Previously Miss United States 2016 Contestant on season 24 of The Bachelor |
| Utah | Amanda Renée Giroux | 23 | Salt Lake City | |
| Vermont | Bethany Garrow | 20 | Rutland | |
| Virginia | Courtney Lynne Smits | 22 | Woodbridge | Previously Miss Georgia Teen USA 2012 |
| Washington | Evelyn Clark | 27 | Cathlamet | |
| West Virginia | Haley Holloway | 24 | Morgantown | Previously Miss West Virginia Teen USA 2013 |
| Wisconsin | Danika Tramburg | 22 | Hubertus | |
| Wyoming | Addison Treesh | 19 | Gillette | Previously Miss Wyoming's Outstanding Teen 2014 |