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Miss Montana

Beauty pageant competition

Summary

Beauty pageant competition

Field	Value
name	Miss Montana
logo	Miss Montana Logo.png
formation	1939
type	Beauty pageant
location	Butte, Montana
leader_title	Executive Director
leader_name	Wesley Miller-Smith
leader_title2	President/Field Director
leader_name2	Jessica Criss Picker
website	Official website

The Miss Montana competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the U.S. state of Montana in the Miss America pageant.

Unlike most state pageants in the Miss America system, Montana does not use preliminary local pageants to limit entrants to the state-level competition. They accept at large contestants after an application and interview process.

Haley Joy Tate of Missoula was crowned Miss Montana 2025 on June 21, 2025, at the Motherlode Theatre in Butte, Montana. She competed for the title of Miss America 2026.

Results summary

The following is a visual summary of the past results of Miss Montana titleholders at the national Miss America pageants/competitions. The year in parentheses indicates the year of the national competition during which a placement and/or award was garnered, not the year attached to the contestant's state title.

Placements

Top 10: Joanna Lester (1962), Yvonne Dehner (1995)
Top 15: Kay Kittendorf (1940), Patti Luer (1948)
Top 16: Alexis Wineman (2013)

Awards

Preliminary awards

Preliminary Talent: Kay Kittendorf (1940), Patti Luer (1948), Diana Pacini (1976), Yvonne Dehner (1995)

Non-finalist awards

Non-finalist Talent: Dianne Feller (1966), Debbie Reber (1974), Lilly Cruise (1981), Jenni Ramseth (1992), Laura Haller (2019)

Other awards

Miss Congeniality: Carol Fraser (1949) (tie)
America's Choice: Alexis Wineman (2013)
Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship: Janice Frankino (1977), Julie Reil (1988), Mo Shea (2020)
Quality of Life Award Finalists: Brittany Wiser (2010)
STEM Scholarship Award Winners: Laura Haller (2019)
STEM Scholarship Award Finalists: Lauren Scofield (2017), Mo Shea (2020)

Winners

Declared as winner
Ended as a runner-up
Ended as a finalist or semi-finalist}}

Year	Name	Hometown	Age	Local Title	Miss America Talent	Placement at Miss America	Special scholarships at Miss America	Notes
2025	Haley Joy Tate	Missoula	25	Miss Missoula	Monologue
2024	Kaylee Wolfensberger	Bozeman	20	Miss Bozeman	Piano - Great Balls of Fire
2023	Faith Johnson	Helena	23	Miss Queen City	Vocal "Phantom of the Opera"			Previously Miss Montana's Outstanding Teen 2016
2022	Alexa Baisch	Glendive	22		Tap Dance "Runaway Baby"			Previously Miss Montana's Outstanding Teen 2017
2020–21	Jessica Criss	Bozeman	23		Vocal
2019	Mo Shea	Helena	22	Vocal		Dr. & Mrs. David Allman Medical Scholarship
STEM Scholarship Award Finalist	Previously Miss Montana's Outstanding Teen 2012
2018	title=Helena woman crowned Miss Montana 2018	work=KRTV.com	url=http://www.krtv.com/story/38443040/helena-woman-crowned-miss-montana-2018	date=June 17, 2018	access-date=June 17, 2018	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618033316/http://www.krtv.com/story/38443040/helena-woman-crowned-miss-montana-2018	archive-date=June 18, 2018	url-status=dead }}	24	Ballet en Pointe, "Spanish Dance"		title=Miss America 2019 Nia Franklin Crowned in Atlantic City	work=Miss America Organization	url=http://missamerica.org/miss-america-2019-nia-franklin-crowned-in-atlantic-city/	date= September 9, 2018}}
2017	title=Miss Montana 2017 crowned in Glendive	publisher=KTVQ.com	url=http://www.ktvq.com/story/35691224/miss-montana-2017-crowned-in-glendive	date=June 18, 2017}}	Corvallis	18		Vocal, "God Help the Outcasts"			1st Runner to Miss Montana Teen USA 2016 & 2017
2016	Lauren Scofield	Havre	22		Piano, "Moonlight Sonata" by Beethoven		url=https://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2016/09/miss_america_2017_will_be_one.html	publisher= AL.com	title=Miss America 2017 will be one of these 52 contestants	date=September 6, 2016}}	Niece of Miss Montana 1986, Kamala Compton
2015	publisher=KRTV	location=Great Falls, MT	url=http://www.krtv.com/story/29317136/danielle-wineman-of-cut-bank-crowned-miss-montana-2015	title=Danielle Wineman of Cut Bank crowned Miss Montana 2015	date=June 14, 2015	access-date=July 15, 2015	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150718162235/http://www.krtv.com/story/29317136/danielle-wineman-of-cut-bank-crowned-miss-montana-2015	archive-date=July 18, 2015	url-status=dead }}	Cut Bank	23		Piano, "Pirates of the Caribbean"			Sister of Alexis Wineman, Miss Montana 2012
Previously Montana's Junior Miss 2010
2014	Victoria Valentine	Missoula	22		Harp/Vocal, "I Won't Give Up"			Previously Miss Montana's Outstanding Teen 2008
2013	Sheridan Pope	Sidney	21		Tap Dance, "Kiss"			4th runner-up at Miss Montana Teen USA 2010 pageant
Resigned from position as special education teacher in April 2017 for inappropriate Twitter posts about her job and students
2012	first=Bianna	last=Golodryga	work=Good Morning America	publisher=ABC News	title=Alexis Wineman, Miss Montana, First Miss America Contestant Diagnosed With Autism	url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2013/01/alexis-wiseman-miss-montana-first-autistic-miss-america-contestant/	date=January 11, 2013	access-date=July 15, 2015}}	Cut Bank	18		Monologue, "I Think, Therefore I Am Fat"	Top 16	America's Choice	url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/01/11/miss-montana-first-autistic-miss-america-contestant/1827539/	title=Miss Montana: First autistic Miss America contestant	work=USA TODAY	access-date=2018-06-28	language=en}}
2011	title= Corvallis Woman Gives Up Miss Montana Crown Due to Knee Injury	work= The Missoulian	url= http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/corvallis-woman-gives-up-miss-montana-crown-due-to-knee/article_41ce749c-af3e-11e0-83a0-001cc4c03286.html	date=July 15, 2011}}	Cooke City	23		Vocal, "Alone"			Previously Miss West Virginia's Outstanding Teen 2005
Assumed the title when Chuter resigned
Taryn Chuter	Corvallis	23		Contemporary Dance	N/A	Resigned for personal reasons
2010	Kacie West	Kalispell	21		Vocal, "Don't Rain on My Parade" from Funny Girl			Later Miss Montana USA 2013
2009	Brittany Wiser	Bozeman	21		Vocal, "Sway"		Quality of Life Award Finalist	Later Miss Montana USA 2011
2008	Jennifer Hepner	Great Falls	23		Raqs Sharqi Dance			Contestant at National Sweetheart 2006 pageant
Suspended of duties on February 16, 2009, due to DUI charge
2007	Kristen Mantooth	Lewistown	22		Lyrical Dance, "Beauty from Pain"
2006	Christie Hageman	Billings	23		Classical Vocal, "Il Bacio" by Luigi Arditi
2005	Sophia Steinbeisser	Sidney	21		Tap Dance, "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"
2004	Evangelina Duke	Billings	20		Vocal, "Man of La Mancha" from Man of La Mancha
2003	Amber Shipman	Glendive	19		Dance, "Save Tonight"			Relieved of her duties on February 27, 2004, due to controversy with pageant directors
2002	Heather Rathbun	Darby	24		Taekwondo Demonstration, Music from Mortal Kombat
2001	Kara Svennungsen	Shelby	22		Vocal, "On My Own" from Les Misérables
2000	Jana LaBree	Ekalaka	24	Miss Southeastern Montana	Gospel Vocal, "Because of Who You Are"
1999	Elissa Schwarz	Terry	19	Miss Big Sky	Flute, "Carmen Fantasy"
1998	Delight Michelle Scheck	Helena	21	Miss Missoula/Garden City	Semi-classical Vocal, "And This Is My Beloved"
1997	Kristen Garlock	Billings	24	Miss Billings	Vocal, "Romany Life" from The Fortune Teller
1996	Aubrey Hiller	Missoula	22	Miss Treasure State	Vocal, "All the Things You Are"			Previously Miss Montana Teen USA 1992
1995	Amanda Granrud	Great Falls	23	Miss Helena	Dramatic Reading
1994	Yvonne Dehner	Brockton	24	Miss Western Montana	Semi-classical Vocal, "One Kiss" from The New Moon	Top 10	Preliminary Talent Award
1993	Erica Havig	Billings	19	Miss Billings	Ballet en Pointe
1992	JoAnn Jorgensen	Helena	24	Miss Central Montana	Gymnastics / Dance			Previously Miss Montana USA 1991
1991	Jenni Ramseth	Billings	18	Miss Yellowstone County	Classical Piano, Variations sérieuses by Felix Mendelssohn		Non-finalist Talent Award
1990	Karen McNenny	Missoula	18	Miss Missoula County	Classical Ballet en Pointe, Coppélia
1989	Cathy Brewer	Hamilton	20	Miss Western Montana	Ballet en Pointe
1988	Becky McRae	Miles City	17	Miss Southeastern Montana	Vocal, "On My Own" from Les Misérables
1987	Julie Reil	19	Miss Missoula County	Vocal, "Being Alive" from Company		Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship
1986	Kamala Compton	Havre	21	Miss Eastern Montana College	Gymnastics Dance
1985	Julie Culbertson	Billings	19	Miss Yellowstone Valley	Jazz Dance
1984	Michele Larson	21	Miss Rocky Mountain College	Vocal, "My Tribute" by Andraé Crouch
1983	Laurie Nelson	19	Miss Eastern Montana College	Classical Piano, L'isle joyeuse by Claude Debussy
1982	Kimberly Knauf	21	Miss Rocky Mountain College	Piano Medley, "Jump Shout Boogie" & "Sonata Pathétique"
1981	Sue Harris	Helena	19	Miss Helena	Gymnastics Dance, Theme from Hawaii Five-O
1980	Lilly Cruise	Miles City	20	Miss Eastern Montana College	Popular Vocal, "I Can See It"		Non-finalist Talent Award
1979	Lori Conlon	Billings	20	Miss Rocky Mountain College	Piano, "Toccata"
1978	Vanessa Ochsner	Missoula	18	Miss Missoula County	Popular Vocal / Dance, "Yes"
1977	Sue Stanaway	Billings	22	Classical Vocal, "The Doll's Song" from The Tales of Hoffmann
1976	Janice Frankino	Helena	19	Miss Helena	Gymnastics / Jazz Dance, "The Yankee Doodle Boy"		Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship
1975	Diana Pacini	Great Falls	20	Miss Garden City	Classical Piano, "Études Op. 10" by Chopin		Preliminary Talent Award
1974	Pamela Royer	Billings	20	Miss Eastern Montana College	Gymnastic Floor Exercise, "Love Story"
1973	Debbie Reber	Helena	22	Miss Helena	Vocal Medley & Guitar		Non-finalist Talent Award
1972	Debra DeBiase	Billings	21	Miss Rocky Mountain College	Ballet, "Summer of '42"
1971	Nancy Harper	Helena	18	Miss Helena	Vocal, "I'm the Greatest Star" from Funny Girl
1970	Jane Opp	Billings	20	Miss West Billings	Piano, Le Cavalier Fantastique by Benjamin Godard			Took over title after original winner, Kathy Huppe, resigned due to pageant officials asking her to stop speaking out against the Vietnam War
1969	Jeanne Meek	Bridger	22	Miss Rocky Mountain College	Piano, "Toccata" by Paul Ben-Haim
1968	Karen Frank	Park City	21	Miss Eastern Montana College	Western Vocal & Guitar, "I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart"
1967	Linda Rhein	Helena	20	Miss University of Montana	Original Piano Composition, "What the West Contributed to America"
1966	Nancy McLeod	Kalispell	19	Miss Kalispell	Popular Vocal / Drama
1965	Dianne Feller	Helena	21	Miss West Billings	Classical Vocal, "Un bel dì vedremo" from Madama Butterfly		Non-finalist Talent Award
1964	Merilee Miller	Radersburg	20	Miss Western Montana College	Dance
1963	Roberta Tarbox	Missoula		Miss Missoula	Classical Vocal
1962	Marsha Thompson	Bozeman	21	Miss Montana State College	Dress Making & Design
1961	Joanna Lester	Missoula	20	Miss Montana State University, Missoula	Vocal Medley, "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" & "There Once Was a Man" from The Pajama Game	Top 10
1960	Lois Marie Volkel	Missoula	18	Miss Missoula	Classical Vocal, "Voi lo Sapete" from Cavalleria rusticana
1959	Sharon D. Tietjen	Great Falls			Original Humorous Interpretation
1958	No Montana representative at Miss America pageant
1957
1956	Alice Jean White	Great Falls			Art			The original winner, Marjorie Edmondson, was disqualified as she was married
1955	Bertha Mae Huebl	Glendive			Vocal
1954	No Montana representative at Miss America pageant
1953
1952	Karen Whittet	Livingston			Piano
1951	Patricia Joan McGinty	Great Falls	21		Classical Vocal, "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" from Samson and Delilah
1950	Donna Marie Buls	Missoula
1949	Carol Fraser	Billings			Equestrian Display		Miss Congeniality (tie)	After her horse nearly fell into the orchestra pit, the use of live animals was banned from Miss America talent competition
1948	Patti Luer	Anaconda			Vocal / Dance, "Gypsy Song"	Top 15	Preliminary Talent Award
1947	Carol Chaffen	Corvallis			Classical Vocal, "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" from Samson and Delilah
1941–1946	No Montana representative at Miss America pageant
1940	Kay Kittendorf	Missoula			Classical Vocal, "Un bel dì vedremo" from Madama Butterfly	Top 15	Preliminary Talent Award
1939	Lucille Chouinard	Fort Peck
1935–1938	No Montana representative at Miss America pageant
1934	No national pageant was held
1933	No Montana representative at Miss America pageant
1932	No national pageants were held
1931
1930
1929
1928
1921–27	No Montana representative at Miss America pageant

Notes

References

"Our Team". Miss Montana's Teen.
Cole, Erin. (July 6, 2010). "An Uphill Climb for Miss Montana". Flathead Beacon.
Staff, NBC Montana. (2025-06-30). "LIVE: Miss Montana joins NBC Montana Today".
(June 18, 2017). "Madison Murray crowned Miss Montana 2017". MTN News.
Kuperinksy, Amy. (May 8, 2020). "Miss America postpones pageant until 2021, N.J. pageant still set for September". Press of Atlantic City.
Trainor, Tim. (July 29, 2020). "Miss Montana has Klamath Falls roots". [[Herald and News]].
Chaney, Jesse. (June 23, 2019). "Helena's Mo Shea crowned Miss Montana 2019". Helena Independent Record.
(December 19, 2019). "Miss America 2020 Scholarship Award Winners Announced". Miss America Organization.
Brunetti, Michelle. (December 14, 2019). "Miss America scholarships finalists to be interviewed in public at Mohegan Sun". Press of Atlantic City.
(June 18, 2012). "Cut Bank woman crowned Miss Montana 2012". Billings Gazette.
(June 17, 2018). "Helena woman crowned Miss Montana 2018". KRTV.com.
(September 9, 2018). "Miss America 2019 Nia Franklin Crowned in Atlantic City". Miss America Organization.
(June 18, 2017}}{{Dead link). "Miss Montana 2017 crowned in Glendive". KTVQ.com.
(June 12, 2016). "Miss Montana is Lauren Scofield, 22, of Havre". Billings Gazette.
(September 6, 2016). "Miss America 2017 will be one of these 52 contestants". AL.com.
(June 14, 2015). "Danielle Wineman of Cut Bank crowned Miss Montana 2015". [[KRTV]].
(June 17, 2014). "Missoula resident crowned as Miss Montana". www.nbcmontana.com.
Barber, Louisa. (December 29, 2009). "Time to look back on 2009". Sidney Herald.
(June 16, 2013). "Sidney woman crowned Miss Montana, Skyview student named outstanding teen". Billings Gazette.
Reuer, Wendy. "Former Miss Montana resigns North Dakota teaching job following controversy".
Golodryga, Bianna. (January 11, 2013). "Alexis Wineman, Miss Montana, First Miss America Contestant Diagnosed With Autism". [[ABC News (United States).
"Miss Montana: First autistic Miss America contestant". USA TODAY.
(July 15, 2011). "Corvallis Woman Gives Up Miss Montana Crown Due to Knee Injury". The Missoulian.
(June 19, 2011). "Corvallis' Taryn Chuter crowned Miss Montana 2011". Ravalli Republic.
(June 22, 2009). "Brittany Wiser crowned Miss Montana". [[Billings Gazette]].
Strickler, Lee. (April 30, 2011). "Brains and Beauty: You Can Have Both?". Bozeman Magazine.
Cates, Kristen. (June 16, 2008). "Great Falls woman wins elusive title". Great Falls Tribune.
"Miss Montana faces DUI charge". The Billings Gazette.
Tuttle, Greg. "Former Miss Montana sues pageant's leaders". The Billings Gazette.
(July 21, 1970). "Beauty Queen Gives Up Title Rather Than Muzzle Views". The News and Courier.
"1959 Candidates".
"1958 Candidates".
(June 26, 1956). "Miss Montana Mrs the Boat". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
"1955 Candidates".
"1954 Candidates".
"There she goes . . . Miss America!". tribunedigital-chicagotribune.
"1935 Candidates".
"Miss America Timeline: 1901–1950". [[PBS]].
"1933 Candidates".
"1921 Candidates".

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