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Miss Illinois USA

American beauty pageant competition

Field	Value
name	Miss Illinois USA
formation	1952
type	Beauty pageant
headquarters	Shawnee
location	Kansas
membership	Miss USA
language	English
key_people	John M. Vannatta
Jason Vannatta
Jennifer Vannatta-Fisher, State Pageant Director
website

Jason Vannatta Jennifer Vannatta-Fisher, State Pageant Director

The ** Miss Illinois USA** pageant is a competition that selects the representative for the state Illinois in the Miss USA pageant. It is directed by Vanbros and Associates and is previously directed by D&D Productions from 2001 to 2014 before becoming part of Vanbros organization in 2014, headquartered in Shawnee.

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 four 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.

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.

Until 2013, no Illinois delegate had previously competed at Miss Illinois Teen USA but one was previously competed in Miss Illinois, Stacie Juris became the first former Teen titleholder to appear a crossover in Miss USA, the second-to-the last state to do so (Washington would make its first Teen to Miss crossover four years later). The most recent placement was Grace Rodi placing Top 20 in 2024.

Nikolina Vujcic of Des Plaines was crowned Miss Illinois USA 2025 on May 25, 2025, at Braden Auditorium in Normal. She represented Illinois at Miss USA 2025.

Gallery of titleholders

File:Myrna Hansen, MGM publicity photo (cropped).jpg|Myrna Hansen, Miss Illinois USA 1953 & Miss USA 1953 File:Marianne Gaba 77 Sunset Strip 1960 (cropped).jpg| Marianne Gaba, Miss Illinois USA 1957 File:Marite Ozers, Miss USA 1963.jpg| Marite Ozers, Miss Illinois USA 1963 & Miss USA 1963 File:Amanda Jones front (cropped).jpg| Amanda Jones, Miss Illinois USA 1973 & Miss USA 1973 File:Miss USA Karen Morrison at Niagara Falls headshot.jpg| Karen Morrison, Miss Illinois USA 1974 & Miss USA 1974

Results summary

Placements

Miss USAs: Myrna Hansen (1953), Marite Ozers (1963), Amanda Jones (1973), Karen Morrison (1974)
2nd runners-up: Laura Bach (1985), Nichole Holmes (1995), Stacie Juris (2013)
3rd runners-up: June Pickney (1958), Debra Niego (1979), Jill Gulseth (2005), Sydni Dion Bennett (2021)
4th runners-up: Celeste Ravel (1954), Angel Reyes (2022)
Top 5/6: Lisa Morgan (1991), Whitney Wandland (2017)
Top 10/12: Kathy Schmalen (1976), LaVonne Misselle (1984), Tricia Bach (1986), Joan Berge (1987), Gina Zordani (1988), Kelly Holub (1989), Carla Myers (1990), Kathleen Farrell (1994), Bernadette Przybycien (1996), Olivia Pura (2020)
Top 15: Dianne Daniggelis (1955), Marianne Gaba (1957), Jean Donnelly (1962), Beverly Lacek (1967), Catherine Warren (2006), Renee Wronecki (2015)
Top 20: Samantha Elliott (2023), Grace Rodi (2024)

Illinois holds a record of 33 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

Miss Photogenic: Elizabeth Curran (1977), Nichole Holmes (1995), Angel Reyes (2022)
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	Age	Local title	Placement at Miss USA	Special awards at Miss USA	Notes
2025	Nikolina Vujcic	Des Plaines	23	Miss Des Plaines
2024	Grace Rodi	Hinsdale	23	Miss Dupage County	Top 20
2023	Samantha Elliott	Freeport	22	Miss Freeport	Top 20
2022	Angeliz "Angel" Reyes	Chicago	25	Miss Hermosa	4th runner-up	Miss Photogenic
2021	Sydni Dion Bennett	Algonquin	20	Miss Greater Midwest	3rd runner-up
2020	Olivia Pura	Deer Park	22	Miss North Shore	Top 10
2019	Alexandra Plotz	Geneva	24	Miss Geneva
2018	Karolina Jasko	Franklin Park	20	Miss Franklin Park
2017	Whitney Wandland	Chicago	24	Miss Greater Chicago	Top 5		Chicago Bulls Luvabull
2016	Zena Malak	Carol Stream	23	Miss Carol Stream
2015	Renee Wronecki	Burbank	22	Miss Burbank	Top 15
2014	Lexi Atkins	Champaign	21
2013	Stacie Juris	Tinley Park	22		2nd runner-up
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
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
1998	Mandy Lane	Elizabethtown	21				Contestant in Fear Factor USA Christmas Edition (4th place) & Fear Factor USA Second Chance Episode (2nd place)
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
1993	Susie Park	Chicago	25				First Asian American to win the title of Miss Illinois USA
1992	Leilani Magnussen	Glendale Heights	21
1991	Lisa Morgan	Inverness	21		Top 6
1990	Karla Myers	Chicago	22		Top 12
1989	Kelly Holub	Buffalo Grove	22		Semi-finalist	Best State Costume
1988	Gina Zordani	Palos Heights	23		Semi-finalist
1987	Joan Berge	Arlington Heights	21		Semi-finalist
1986	Tricia Bach	Elmhurst	22		Semi-finalist
1985	Laura Bach	Elmhurst	23		2nd Runner-up
1984	LaVonne Misselle	Toluca	19		Semi-finalist
1983	Vanessa Romine	Rockford	24
1982	Carla Danielson	Chicago	21
1981	Leslie Renfrow	Chicago	21
1980	Karen Marie Groat	Princeton	18
1979	Debra Niego	Oak Lawn	20		3rd Runner-up
1978	Suzanne Piché	Lombard	22				Represented Illinois at Miss World USA 1974.
1977	Elizabeth Curran	Park Ridge	21			Miss Photogenic
1976	Kathy Schmalen	Oak Lawn	18		Semi-finalist
1975	Connie Reif	Wheeling	18
1974	Melinda Staiger	Aurora	19				Succeeded Karen Morrison as Miss Illinois USA
1974	Karen Morrison	St. Charles	19		Miss USA 1974		Semifinalist at Miss Universe 1974
1973	Deanna Hanson	Aurora	19				Succeeded Amanda Jones as Miss Illinois USA
1973	Amanda Jones	Evanston	22		Miss USA 1973
1972	Jani Hall	Big Rock	21
1971	Paulette Breen	Chicago	24
1970	Carol Pepoon	Skokie	18
1969	Christine Jalloway	Chicago	23
1968	Sandra Ann "Sandie" Wolsfeld	Wheaton	21			Top 15 Best in Swimsuit
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
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	Diane 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
1952	title=U.S. Beauty List	url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/independent-1952-contestants/120358074/	access-date=20 May 2023	publisher=Long Beach Independent	date=22 June 1952}}	Peoria	20

References

"Contact - MISS ILLINOIS USA® and MISS ILLINOIS TEEN USA®".
(1986-02-25). "Sisters reign, Bach to Bach". Chicago Sun-Times.
Purdom, Candace (21 April 1991). [https://www.chicagotribune.com/1991/04/21/c-h-e-e-r-s-4/ C-h-e-e-r-s], ''Chicago Tribune''
(4 May 1980). "Miss USA hopefuls". [[Times-News (Idaho).
(7 June 1973). "The New Miss Illinois". Chicago Tribune.
(16 May 1968). "SWIMSUIT WINNERS". [[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]].
(18 July 1963). "MISS U.S.A. AND 14 RUNNERS-UP". [[Iowa City Press-Citizen]].
(17 July 1955). "Here's Official List of Miss Universe Charmers". Long Beach Press-Telegram.
(22 June 1952). "U.S. Beauty List". Long Beach Independent.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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