Miss Illinois USA

For the state pageant affiliated with Miss America, see Miss Illinois.

Miss Illinois USA

Formation	1952
Type	Beauty pageant
Headquarters	Chicago
Location	Illinois
Membership	Miss USA
Official language	English
Website	Miss Illinois USA website

File:Shanon Lersch.jpg

Shanon Lersch, Miss Illinois USA 2008

The Miss Illinois USA pageant is a competition that selects the representative for the state Illinois in the Miss USA pageant.

Illinois is one of the most successful states in the competition. It is one of only four states to have won four or more Miss USA titles and one of only three states to win two Miss USA titles in consecutive years. All four winners came from the early history of the competition, with their last Miss USA being Karen Morrison, who held the title in 1974. The pageant's most successful years were from 1984 to 1996, when all but two delegates made the cut at Miss USA. That period was followed by many years without a placement, until Stacie Juris finished second runner-up in 2013, the state's highest placement since Catherine Warren, placed Top 15 in 2006.

In 1986, sisters Tricia and Laura Bach won the title consecutively, the first occasion of this in the history of the Miss Universe organization. Later on in 1994 Kathleen Farrell, sister of Miss Florida USA 1988 won the title, making the state pageant the first to have two sisters compete in Miss USA.

Results summary

Placements

• Miss USA winners: Myrna Hansen (1953), Marite Ozers (1963), Amanda Jones (1973), Karen Morrison (1974)
• Second runners-up: Laura Bach (1985), Nichole Holmes (1995), Stacie Juris (2013)
• Third runners-up: June Pickney (1958), Debra Niego (1979), Jill Gulseth (2005)
• Fourth runners-up: Celeste Ravel (1954)
• Top 6: Lisa Morgan (1991)
• Top 10: LaVonne Misselle (1984), Tricia Bach (1986), Joan Berge (1987), Gina Zordani (1988), Kelly Holub (1989), Bernadette Przybycien (1996)
• Top 12: Kathy Schmalen (1976), Carla Myers (1990), Kathleen Farrell (1994)
• Top 15: Dianne Daniggelis (1955), Marianne Gaba (1957), Jean Donnelly (1962), Beverly Lacek (1967), Catherine Warren (2006), Renee Wronecki (2015)

Awards

• Miss Photogenic: Elizabeth Curran (1977), Nichole Holmes (1995)
• Best State Costume: Kelly Holub (1989)

Titleholders

Color key

•      Declared as Winner
•      Ended as runner-up
•      Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists

Year	Name	Hometown	Age1	Placement at Miss USA	Special awards at Miss USA	Notes
2016	Zena Malak	Carol Stream	23	TBA		Previously Miss Illinois Galaxy 2011
2015	Renee Wronecki	Burbank	22	Top 15
2014	Lexi Atkins	Champaign	21			Previously Miss Illinois Teen USA 2010 and 1st runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2010
2013	Stacie Juris	Tinley Park	22	2nd runner-up		Previously Miss Illinois Teen USA 2009
2012	Ashley Hooks	Flossmoor	25
2011	Angela Sparrow	Chicago	26			Indiana Pacers Pacemate
2010	Ashley Bradarich	Homer Glen	23			Sister of Carlyn Bradarich, Miss Iowa USA 2014
2009	Ashley Bond	Oswego	24			Chicago Bulls Luvabull'
2008	Shanon Lersch	Chicago	25			Chicago Bulls Luvabull
2007	Mia Heaston	Chicago	25
2006	Catherine Warren	Lake Forest	23	Top 15		Contestant on The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman
2005	Jill Gulseth	Geneva	21	3rd runner-up
2004	Molly Graham	Montgomery	24
2003	Agnieszka Zakreta	Rolling Meadows	24			Miss Tourism International 1999 as Miss Polonia
2002	Amanda Reynolds	Marion	23			Contestant at National Sweetheart 2001
2001	Rebecca Ambrosi	Chicago	24
2000	Constance Stoetzer	Abingdon	26
1999	Christina Lam	Makanda	19			Later Mrs. Tennessee America 2007 and 1st runner-up to Mrs. America 2007 under her married name, Christina Ryan
1998	Mandy Lane	Elizabethtown	21			Contestant in Fear Factor USA Christmas Edition (Place 4th) & Fear Factor USA Second Chance Episode (Place 2nd)
1997	Jennifer Salinas	South Holland	21
1996	Bernadette Przybycien	Chicago	24	Semi-finalist
1995	Nichole Holmes	Marion	20	2nd runner-up	Miss Photogenic
1994	Kathleen Farrell	Chicago	24	Top 10 Semi-finalist		Miss Illinois 1992 (Non-finalist Talent award at Miss America 1993), Sister of Miss Florida USA 1988 who was 3rd runner up at Miss USA 1988
1993	Susie Park	Chicago	25
1992	Leilani Magnussen	Glendale Heights	21
1991	Lisa Morgan	Inverness	21	Top 6 Finalist
1990	Karla Myers	Chicago	22	Semi-finalist
1989	Kelly Holub	Buffalo Grove	22	Semi-finalist	Best State Costume award
1988	Gina Zordani	Palos Heights	23	Semi-finalist
1987	Joan Berge	Arlington Heights	21	Semi-finalist
1986	Tricia Bach	Elmhurst	22	Semi-finalist		Miss Teen All American 1983, sister of Miss Illinois USA 1985
1985	Laura Bach	Elmhurst	23	2nd Runner-up		1st runner up at Miss Oktoberfest 1986, sister of Miss Illinois USA 1986
1984	LaVonne Misselle	Toluca	19	Semi-finalist
1983	Vanessa Romine	Rockford	24
1982	Carla Danielson	Chicago	21
1981	Leslie Renfrow	Chicago	21			4th runner up at Miss Oktoberfest 1980
1980	Karen Groat	Princeton	18
1979	Debra Niego	Oak Lawn	20	3rd Runner-up		Miss Oktoberfest 1979
1978	Suzanne Piche	Lombard	22			Represented Illinois in the 1974 Miss World USA pageant
1977	Elizabeth Curran	Park Ridge	21		Miss Photogenic
1976	Kathy Schmalen	Oak Lawn	18	Semi-finalist
1975	Connie Reif	Wheeling	18
1974	Karen Morrison	St. Charles	19	Miss USA 1974		Semifinalist at Miss Universe 1974
1973	Amanda Jones	Evanston	22	Miss USA 1973		1st runner up at Miss Universe 1973
1972	Jani Hall	Big Rock	21
1971	Paulette Breen	Chicago	24
1970	Carol Pepoon	Skokie	18
1969	Christine Jalloway	Chicago	23
1968	Sandra Wolsfeld	Wheaton	21			Miss World United States 1970, semifinalist in Miss World 1970
1967	Beverly Lacek	Chicago	23	Semi-finalist
1966	Cheryl Setser	Woodstock	19
1965	Diane Gortz	Schiller Park	18
1964	Karen Wiesbrook	Wheaton	18
1963	Marite Ozers	Chicago	19	Miss USA 1963		Semifinalist at Miss Universe 1963, represented Chicago, IL in Miss World USA 1962, did not place.
1962	Jean Donnelly	Dekalb	20	Semi-finalist
1961	Dianne Duffey	Elmhurst	19
1960	Patricia Thompson	Chicago	21
1959	Arlene Kaye	Western Springs	19
1958	June Pickney	Chicago	22	3rd Runner-up
1957	Marianne Gaba	Chicago	18	Semi-finalist		Playboy playmate September 1959
1956	Muriel Blair	Chicago	23
1955	Betty Daniggelis	Chicago	18	Semi-finalist		Winner of the 1955 National Press Photographers Pageant
1954	Celeste Ravel	Chicago	23	4th Runner-up
1953	Myrna Hansen	Chicago	17	Miss USA 1953		1st runner up at Miss Universe 1953; previously was a finalist in the National Press Photographers pageant in 1953
1952	Sherry Matulis	Peoria	19

¹ Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

External links

• Miss Illinois USA website