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Miss Arizona USA

American beauty pageant competition

Field	Value
name	Miss Arizona USA
formation	1952
type	Beauty pageant
headquarters	Phoenix
location	Arizona
membership	Miss USA
language	English
key_people	Sebastien Verstraet
(Director and Executive Producer)
website	Official website

(Director and Executive Producer)

Miss Arizona USA is the beauty pageant that selects the representative for the state of Arizona in the Miss USA pageant, and the name of the title held by its winner. The pageant is directed by Casting Crown Productions.

Arizona's most successful placements were in 1965 and 1980, when Jane Nelson and Jineane Ford, respectively, placed as the first runner-up. Ford later became Miss USA 1980 after the original winner Shawn Weatherly was crowned Miss Universe 1980. Arizona's most recent placement was in 2016, when Chelsea Myers placed in the Top 15.

The longest reigning titleholder was Yesenia Vidales in 2020 at 1 year, 6 months and 5 days, while Cassidy Jo Jacks was the shortest reigning titleholder in 2021 ended her reign at 10 months and 19 days.

The current Miss Arizona USA is Elexes Richardson of Scottsdale and was crowned at the Hilton Caesars Republic Scottsdale Hotel in Scottsdale on September 7, 2025. Richardson represented Arizona at Miss USA 2025.

Gallery of titleholders

File:LeeAnneLocken2011.jpg|LeeAnne Locken, Miss Arizona USA 1989 File:CourtneyBarnas.jpg|Courtney Barnas, Miss Arizona USA 2007 File:Brittany Bell 2010.jpg|Brittany Bell, Miss Arizona USA 2010 File:Brittany Brannon.png|Brittany Brannon, Miss Arizona USA 2011 File:Erika Frantzve, Miss Arizona USA.jpg|Erika Frantzve, Miss Arizona USA 2012 File:Nicole Smith Miss Arizona USA 2018.jpg|Nicole Smith, Miss Arizona USA 2018

Results summary

Placements in Miss USA

1st Runners-Up: Jane Nelson (1965), Jineane Ford (1980)
2nd Runners-Up: Susanne Pottenger (1971), Diane Martin (1987), Alicia-Monique Blanco (2009)
3rd Runners-Up: Ruth Hayes (1969), Sherry Nix (1973)
Top 10/11/12: Carlys Peterson (1974), Toni Abranovic (1977), Ana Rupert (1979), Cassie Hill (1981), Michelle Ducote (1985), LeeAnne Locken (1989), Maricarroll Verlinde (1991), Dannis Shephard (1992), Stacey Kole (1998)
Top 15/16/20: Jerri Michaelson (1962), Diane McGarry (1963), Roxanne Neeley (1966), Judianne Magnusson (1967), Danielle Demski (2004), Brenna Sakas (2006), Brittany Brannon (2011), Jordan Wessel (2014), Maureen Montagne (2015), Chelsea Myers (2016)

Arizona holds a record of 26 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

Miss Congeniality: Cara Jackson (1999)
Miss Photogenic: Jineane Ford (1980), Brittany Brannon (2011)
Best State Costume: Daria Sparling (1984), Michelle Ducote (1985), Maricarroll Verlinde (1991)

Winners

;Color key

Winner
Runner-Up
Semifinalist

Year	Name	Age	Hometown	Local title	Placement at Miss USA	Special awards at Miss USA	Notes
2025	Elexes Richardson	30	Scottsdale	Miss North Scottsdale
2024	K Johnson	41	Phoenix	Miss Uptown Phoenix
2023	Candace Kanavel	27	Tempe	Miss Tempe
2022	Isabel Ticlo	28	Phoenix	Miss Phoenix
2021	Cassidy Jo Jacks	26	Mesa	Miss Usery Mountain
2020	Yesenia Vidales	23	Phoenix	Miss Uptown Phoenix
2019	Savannah Wix	22	Paradise Valley	Miss Saguaro Blossom
2018	Nicole Smith	24	Phoenix	Miss Phoenix
2017	Tommy Lynn Calhoun	26	Tucson	Miss Sunset Canyon
2016	Chelsea Myers	20	Chandler	Miss North Phoenix	Top 15
2015	Maureen Montagne	21	Chandler	Miss South Chandler	Top 15
2014	Jordan Wessel	20	Phoenix	Miss Tempe	Top 20
2013	Rachel Massie	19	Glendale	Miss Maricopa County
2012	Erika Lane Frantzve	23	Scottsdale	Miss Phoenix
2011	Brittany Brannon	22	Paradise Valley	Miss Grand Canyon	Top 16	Miss Photogenic
2010	Brittany Bell	22	Chandler	Miss Chandler
2009	Alicia-Monique Blanco	22	Phoenix	Miss Diamondback	2nd Runner-Up
2008	Kimberly Joiner	22	Gilbert	Miss Gilbert
2007	Courtney Barnas	19	Mesa	Miss Red Mountain
2006	Brenna Sakas	21	Chandler	Miss Chandler	Top 15
2005	Mariana Loya	26	Gilbert
2004	url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21753974/	title=Broadcast beauty goes for top	last=Carroll	first=Doug	date=2004-01-03	work=Arizona Republic	access-date=2018-07-11	language=en}}	22	Chandler	Top 15
2003	Nafeesa DeFlorias	26	Phoenix
2002	Jennifer Lenz	25	Mesa
2001	Tasha Dixon	19	Phoenix
2000	Heather Keckler	26	Scottsdale
1999	Cara Jackson	25	Chandler			Miss Congeniality
1998	Stacey Kole	24	Tempe		Top 10
1997	Jessica Nicely		Gilbert
1996	Christina Novak		Tempe
1995	Shara Riggs		Oro Valley
1994	Jennifer Tisdale		Mesa
1993	Apryl Hettich		Scottsdale
1992	Dannis Shephard		Mesa		Top 11
1991	Maricarroll Verlinde		Tempe		Top 11	Best State Costume
1990	Lezlie Leonard		Tempe
1989	LeeAnne Locken		Apache Junction		Top 10
1988	Kris Lynn Keim	22	Scottsdale
1987	Diane Lynn Martin	24	Tempe		2nd runner-up
1986	Jodi Lee Armstrong		Phoenix
1985	Michelle Ducote	20	Tempe		Top 10	Best State Costume
1984	Daria Joi Sparling	20	Tucson			Best State Costume
1983	url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/21753911/	title=Miss USA seeker has no qualms	last=Williams	first=Steve	date=1983-04-04	work=Arizona Daily Star	access-date=2018-07-11	language=en}}	21	Tucson
1982	Lori Diane Hakola	19	Tucson
1981	Cassie Denise Hill		Phoenix		Top 12
1980	Jineane Marie Ford	20	Gilbert		1st runner-up	Miss Photogenic
1979	Ana Rupert		Scottsdale		Top 12
1978	Jacque Dawn Crutchfield	19	Phoenix
1977	Toni Abranovic		Scottsdale		Top 12
1976	Curvey Walters	23	Phoenix
1975	Sanna Jo Osgood		Scottsdale
1974	Carlys Peterson		Phoenix	Miss Phoenix	Top 12
1973	Sherry Nix	21	Carefree		3rd runner-up
1972	Marcia Banks		Tempe
1971	Susanne Elizabeth "Susie" Pottenger		Tempe		2nd runner-up
1970	Alicia Ellen Lein	21	Mesa
1969	Ruth Hayes		Tempe	Miss Tempe	3rd Runner-Up
1968	Shirley Diane Sprague		Avondale			Top 15 Best in Swimsuit
1967	Judianne Magnusson	20	Phoenix	Miss Phoenix	Top 15
1966	Roxanne Neeley	20	Phoenix	Miss Phoenix	Top 15
1965	Jane Nelson	20	Tempe	Miss Tempe	1st runner-up
1964	Diane Louise Reutter	19	Phoenix	Miss Phoenix
1963	Diane McGarry	20	Phoenix		Top 15
1962	Marilyn Jerri Michelson	18	Scottsdale	Miss Yuma County	Top 15
1961	Shyrle Owens Ortiz		Avondale
1960	Virginia Crook		Mesa
1959	Patricia Varga		Mesa
1958	Shirlee Dianne Fox		Avondale
1956	Maija Bertulson		Tucson
1955	Patti Marks	19	Glendale
1954	date=18 July 1954	title=Official Entry List Shows How Beauties Measure Up	url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/long-beach-press-telegram-1954-contestan/126834714/	access-date=26 July 2023	publisher=Long Beach Press-Telegram	pages=22}}	18	Glendale
1953	Eleanor Ruth Cross	19	Chandler
1952	Charlene Hendricks	18	Tempe

Notes

References

Gersema, Emily. (2008-03-31). "Miss Arizona USA confident – Gilbert beauty says she'll win Vegas pageant". Arizona Republic.
Willett, Johanna. (2016-11-20). "Think you know the typical beauty queen? Tucson's Miss Arizona USA will make you think again.". Arizona Daily Star.
Sparks, Colleen. (2008-12-10). "2 pageant winners share bond". Arizona Republic.
Guyette, Trevor. (2007-11-04). "Gilbert teacher will compete for Miss USA". East Valley Tribune.
Carroll, Doug. (2004-01-03). "Broadcast beauty goes for top". Arizona Republic.
Beard, Betty. (1999-08-28). "Beauty, talent radiate from city". Arizona Republic.
(10 October 2020). "LeeAnne Locken exiting 'Actual Housewives of Dallas' to focus on philanthropy".
(1988-03-29). "It Wasn't All Hearts, Flowers being Miss Arizona-USA". Mohave Daily Miner.
(15 December 1986). "A crowning achievement". [[The Arizona Republic]].
(1984-03-19). "Tucsonan named Miss Arizona-USA". The Courier.
(1984-05-06). "Miss Arizona flies off with costume win". Lakeland Ledger.
Williams, Steve. (1983-04-04). "Miss USA seeker has no qualms". Arizona Daily Star.
(8 March 1982). "Miss Arizona finalists chosen". [[The Arizona Republic]].
(9 May 1981). "Monkeyshines". [[The Arizona Republic]].
(16 May 1980). "South Carolina coed is new Miss USA". [[Hattiesburg American]].
(11 May 1980). "Miss Photogenic Winners". [[The Knoxville News-Sentinel]].
(12 March 1976). "Deputy court clerk wins beauty contest". [[The Arizona Republic]].
(2 September 1975). "The Gadabout: Miss Texas Pageant held". [[El Paso Herald-Post]].
(16 May 1974). "Arizonan seeks title". [[Tucson Citizen]].
(2 April 1973). "Model wins 2nd in state pageant". [[The Arizona Republic]].
(20 May 1971). "THE BEACH AND BEAUTIES". [[The Scranton Times-Tribune.
(15 February 1970). "All over but the crying". [[The Arizona Republic]].
(16 May 1968). "SWIMSUIT WINNERS". [[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]].
(5 May 1967). "CONTENDER". [[The Arizona Republic]].
(5 May 1966). "MISS ARIZONA, OLD AND NEW". [[The Arizona Republic]].
(1 June 1965). "RELAXING FROM MISS USA REHEARSAL". [[The Jackson Sun]].
(10 June 1965). "Loses Title". The Bristol Daily Courier.
(24 July 1964). "TIME OUT FOR PLAY". [[Lubbock Avalanche-Journal]].
(18 July 1963). "MISS U.S.A. AND 14 RUNNERS-UP". [[Iowa City Press-Citizen]].
(12 July 1962). "BEAUTIES GALORE". [[The Macon News]].
(2 January 2004). "OBITUARIES". [[The Arizona Republic]].
(June 5, 1955). "Beauty contestant". The Arizona Republic.
(18 July 1954). "Official Entry List Shows How Beauties Measure Up". Long Beach Press-Telegram.
(12 July 1953). "Miss Universe pageant Tableau of Beauty". [[Long Beach Press-Telegram]].
(25 June 1952). "Beauty entry skips meet". Arizona Republic.

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