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Miss Nevada USA

Beauty pageant competition

Field	Value
name	Miss Nevada USA
formation
type	Beauty pageant
headquarters	Las Vegas
location	Nevada
membership	Miss USA
language	English
leader_title	Exec. Director
leader_name	Shanna Moakler
website	Official website

The Miss Nevada USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Nevada in the Miss USA pageant.

While Nevada did well in the early years of the Miss USA pageant, they only placed once from 1987 to 2000. This streak was broken by Gina Giacinto's finalist placing in Miss USA 2001. Many Miss Nevada USA titleholders previously competed in the Miss Teen USA and Miss America pageants. Seven titleholders previously held the Miss Teen USA state titles six of which having won Miss Nevada Teen USA and the other was Miss Washington Teen USA, three held the Miss Nevada Crown in the Miss America Pageant.

Nia Sanchez of Las Vegas became the first Miss USA ever from the state of Nevada when she was crowned Miss USA 2014, she later placed first runner-up in Miss Universe 2014 to Paulina Vega of Colombia.

Mary Sickler of Las Vegas was crowned Miss Nevada USA 2025 on July 29, 2025, at Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. She represented Nevada at Miss USA 2025, placing as 4th runner-up.

Gallery of titleholders

File:LaurenScyphers.jpg|Lauren Scyphers, Miss Nevada USA 2006 File:Helen Salas headshot.png|Helen Salas after placing first runner-up in Miss Nevada USA 2007, she became Miss Nevada USA after Katie Rees was stripped of her crown. File:Veronica Grabowski headshot.png|Veronica Grabowski, Miss Nevada USA 2008 File:Julianna Erdesz reclined wearing a sequined white top.jpg|Julianna Erdesz, Miss Nevada USA 2010 File:Nia Sanchez 2010.jpg|Nia Sanchez, Miss Nevada USA 2014 and Miss USA 2014

Results summary

Placements

Miss USA: Nia Sanchez (2014)
1st runner-up: Mary O'Neal Contino (1977)
2nd runners-up: Joan Adams (1957), Karen Weller (1961), Kathy Landry (1968), Sharon "Sheri" Schruhl (1970), Carolina Urrea (2018)
3rd runners-up: Jade Kelsall (2012), Brittany McGowan (2015)
4th runners-up: Janet Hadland (1962), Helen Salas (2007), Mary Sickler (2025)
Top 5: Gia Giacinto (2001), Tianna Tuamoheloa (2019)
Top 10/11/12: Linda Dryden (1974), Christa Lane Daniel (1983), Tammy Perkins (1987), Chelsea Caswell (2013)
Top 15/16/19/20: Earlene Whitt (1953), Joy Blaine (1959), Kathee Francis (1963), Denyse Turner (1965), Jacqueline Moore (1967), Karen Essklinger (1969), Lauren Scyphers (2006), Victoria Olona (2020), Josie Stephens (2023), Najah Ali (2024)

Nevada holds a record of 28 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

Miss Congeniality: Alesia Prentiss (1992)
Best State Costume: Lagracella Omran (1988)

Winners

;Color key

Declared as winner of Miss USA
Ended as runner-up for Miss USA
Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists for Miss USA

Year	Name	Hometown	Age1	Local title	Placement	Special awards	Notes
2025	Mary Sickler	Las Vegas	23	Miss Western Nevada	4th runner-up
2024	Najah Ali	Las Vegas	23	Miss Silver State	Top 20
2023	Josie Stephens	Fallon	27	Miss Sun Valley	Top 20
2022	Summer Keffeler	Paradise	21	Miss Paradise
2021	Kataluna Enriquez	Las Vegas	27	Miss Silver State
2020	Victoria Olona	Henderson	27	Miss Paradise	Top 16
2019	Tianna Tuamoheloa	North Las Vegas	25	Miss Silver State	Top 5
2018	Carolina Urrea	Sunrise Manor	23	Miss Paradise	2nd runner-up
2017	Lauren York	Primm	22	Miss North Las Vegas
2016	Emelina Adams	Anthem	23	Miss Henderson
2015	Brittany McGowan	Spring Valley	24	Miss Chateau	3rd runner-up
2014	Nia Sanchez	Southern Highlands	23	Miss South Las Vegas	Miss USA 2014
2013	Chelsea Caswell	Summerlin	23	Miss West Las Vegas	Top 10
2012	Jade Kelsall	Las Vegas	26	Miss Whitney Ranch	3rd runner-up
2011	Sarah Chapman	Henderson	27	Miss Henderson			Sister of Miss California USA 2004 Ellen Chapman
2010	Julianna Erdesz	Reno	25	Miss Reno
2009	Georgina Vaughan	Las Vegas	20	Miss Red Rock
2008	Veronica Grabowski	Henderson	23	Miss Henderson
2007	Helen Salas	Las Vegas	21		4th runner-up
Katie Rees	Las Vegas	22		did not compete}}	Stripped of the title on December 21, 2006, due to inappropriate photographs.
2006	Lauren Scyphers	Gardnerville	20		Top 15
2005	title=NEWSMAKERS: Las Vegan prepares for her run in Miss USA Pageant.(living)	publisher=Las Vegas Review-Journal	url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-130921793/newsmakers-las-vegan-prepares.html	date=2005-03-28	first=Monique	last=Frigard}}	Las Vegas	25	Originally first runner-up, assumed the title after Sloan Bailey's resignation
Sloan Bailey	Las Vegas			did not compete}}	Resigned in January 2005 for personal reasons.
2004	Victoria Franklin	Las Vegas	20
2003	Ashley Huff	Henderson	22
2002	Jenny Valdez	Las Vegas					Contestant at National Sweetheart 2000 & 2001
2001	Gina Giacinto	Las Vegas	26		Top 5
2000	Alicia Carnes	Las Vegas
1999	Shaynee Smith	Las Vegas	23
1998	Tammie Rankin	Las Vegas
1997	Ninya Perna	Green Valley	23
1996	Alisa Castillo	Las Vegas
1995	Brook Hammon	Las Vegas
1994	Angela Lambert	Las Vegas
1993	Alexis Oliver	Las Vegas
1992	Alesia Prentiss	Las Vegas				Miss Congeniality
1991	Jodi Jensen	Las Vegas
1990	Michele Yegge	Las Vegas
1989	Janu Tornell	Las Vegas					Contestant on Survivor: Palau
1988	Lagracella Omran	Las Vegas	20			Best State Costume
1987	Tammy Perkins	Las Vegas	21		Semi-finalist, Finishing in 8th Place
1986	LeAnna Grant	Las Vegas
1985	Alicia Berger	Las Vegas					Host of Access Hollywood, judge of Miss USA 2009 pageant
1984	Donna Lee McNeil	Las Vegas
1983	Christa Lane Daniel	Las Vegas			Semi-finalist, Finishing in 7th Place
1982	Andrea Pennington	Las Vegas
1981	Mary Agnes Lebsock	Las Vegas	23
1980	Kimberlee Guider	Las Vegas
1979	Aleasha Magleby	Las Vegas
1978	Dawn Jameson	Las Vegas
1977	Mary O'Neal Contino	Las Vegas			1st runner-up		Played lead role in Australian television series Chuck Finn
1976	Janice Carrell	Las Vegas
1975	Madonna Allison	Las Vegas
1974	Linda Dryden	Las Vegas			Semi-finalist
1973	Laura Fritz	Las Vegas
1972	Tracey Lynn Whitney	Las Vegas
1971	Anita Jean Laurie	Las Vegas
1970	Sharon "Sheri" Lee Schruhl	Las Vegas		Miss Flamingo	2nd runner-up
1969	Karen Esslinger	Las Vegas		Miss Flamingo	Semi-finalist
1968	Kathy Landry	Las Vegas	22		2nd runner-up	Top 15 Best in Swimsuit
1967	Jacqueline Moore	Las Vegas	19		Semi-finalist
1966	Mary Martin	Las Vegas
1965	Denyse Turner	Las Vegas	23		Top 15
Bonnie Baxter	Las Vegas	21		did not compete}}
Sharon Granda		17		did not compete}}
1964	Pamela Diane Morris	Las Vegas
1963	Kathee Francis	Las Vegas	20		Top 15
1962	Janet Hadland	Las Vegas	19		4th runner-up
1961	Karen Weller	Las Vegas			2nd runner-up
1960	Did Not Compete
1959	Joy Blaine	Las Vegas			Semi-finalist
1958	Terry Jeffers	Las Vegas
1957	Joan Adams	Las Vegas			2nd runner-up		She finished as 3rd runner-up, but succeeded to 2nd runner-up when the 2nd runner-up took the place of the 1st runner-up
1956	Marley Sanderson	Las Vegas
1955	Did Not Compete
1954	Mary Jane Arnold	Las Vegas
1953	Earlene Whitt	Las Vegas			Semi-finalist
1952	Barbara Jean Clark	Las Vegas

1 Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

References

"Former Titleholders". The Atwell Group.
(27 July 2025). "Miss Nevada USA and Miss Teen Nevada USA crowned tonight".
"Women of the Islands - Tianna Tuamoheloa". The Coconet TV.
(January 16, 2018). "Miss Nevada USA organization crowns Miss Nevada USA 2018 and Miss Nevada Teen USA 2018". [[KSNV]].
(November 15, 2016). "Silver State crowns new Miss Nevada USA and Miss Nevada Teen USA". [[KSNV]].
(8 June 2014). "Miss Nevada Nia Sanchez wins Miss USA; she is Silver State's first winner". Las Vegas Sun.
(29 January 2013). "2013 Miss Nevada USA Chelsea Caswell wins pre-23rd birthday". Las Vegas Sun.
(31 May 2012). "Chance meeting leads Jade Kelsall to Miss Nevada USA crown". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
(16 June 2011). "Miss Nevada USA Sarah Chapman: Preschool exec, model, beauty queen — and children's book author". Las Vegas Sun.
Cox, Diana. (2008-12-10). "Valley residents crowned in pageant". Las Vegas Sun.
Sedensky, Matt. (December 23, 2006). "Ex-Miss Nevada USA Apologizes for Photos". Fox News.
Associated Press}}{{dead link. (December 30, 2006). "Miss Nevada USA won't get her tiara back". East Valley Tribune.
Rafferty, Jo. (2006-02-26). "Douglas High graduate represents state in Miss USA competition". The Record-Courier.
Frigard, Monique. (2005-03-28). "NEWSMAKERS: Las Vegan prepares for her run in Miss USA Pageant.(living)". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Di Dio, Deana. (2001-11-19). "NEWSMAKERS: Pageant winner keeps busy schedule while reaching goals". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Whitely, Joan. (2000-01-30). "Former magician's assistant hopes to pull a win out of the hat as Miss USA". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Kern, Kirk. (1999-01-30). "Pageant winner in finals". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Willert, Tim. (1996-10-16). "Perna's plans for pageant lofty". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
(2005-04-25). "Reality check". Newsday.
(1988-02-23). "Work Clothes Win". The Victoria Advocate.
"1992 Miss Nevada Teen USA Executive Directors". Miss Nevada USA pageant.
"Alicia Jacobs". My News Three.
(2009-04-29). "Miss USA judge yanks essay due to threats". UPI.
(9 May 1981). "Monkeyshines". [[The Arizona Republic]].
Clarke, Norm. (2000-07-17). "Ex-Miss Nevada USA a hit down under".
(20 May 1971). "THE BEACH AND BEAUTIES". [[The Scranton Times-Tribune.
(14 May 1970). "All together now...". Tulare Advance-Register.
(16 May 1968). "SWIMSUIT WINNERS". [[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]].
(16 May 1967). "Pride Of The Southwest". [[Arizona Daily Star]].
(1 June 1965). "RELAXING FROM MISS USA REHEARSAL". [[The Jackson Sun]].
(18 July 1963). "MISS U.S.A. AND 14 RUNNERS-UP". [[Iowa City Press-Citizen]].
(7 July 1962). "Getting Acquainted". [[Pensacola News]].
(3 December 2013). "Philanthropist had long love affair with Nevada history, dance troupe Rhythmettes". Las Vegas Sun.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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