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Miss West Virginia USA

Beauty pageant competition

Beauty pageant competition

FieldValue
nameMiss West Virginia USA
formation1952
typeBeauty pageant
headquartersBuckhannon
locationWest Virginia
membershipMiss USA
languageEnglish
website

The ** Miss West Virginia USA** competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of West Virginia in the Miss USA pageant. This pageant is independently conducted and produced by Empower2 Productions LLC. and is formerly directed by Sanders & Associates, Inc., dba- Pageant Associates based in Buckhannon, West Virginia.

Although West Virginia has not produced a Miss USA titleholder, four West Virginian delegates have placed: Kristen Morrison in 2005, Jessi Pierson in 2009, Chelsea Welch in 2013, and Nichole Greene in 2016. Their most recent placement was Krystian Leonard who placed in the Top 16 in 2022.

Four Miss West Virginia USAs have held the Miss West Virginia Teen USA title and competed at Miss Teen USA, and two have competed at Miss America.

Erin Wellman of Princeton was crowned Miss West Virginia USA 2025 on July 27, 2025 at Virginia Thomas Law Center for the Performing Arts in West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon. She represented West Virginia for the title of Miss USA 2025.

Results summary

Placements

  • 1st runners-up: Ruth Parr (1957), Kelly Anderson (1984)
  • Top 10/11: Paula Morrison (1987), Jessi Pierson (2009)
  • Top 15/16: Wilda Estep (1959), Garnett Pugh (1960), Kathy McManaway (1961), Kristin Morrison (2005), Chelsea Welch (2013), Nichole Greene (2016), Krystian Leonard (2022) West Virginia holds a record of 11 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

  • Miss Photogenic: Jessi Pierson (2009)

Winners

  • Declared as Winner
  • Ended as runner-up
  • Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
YearNameHometownAgeLocal titlePlacement at Miss USASpecial awards at Miss USANotes
2025Erin WellmanPrinceton24Miss Barboursville Fall Festival
2024Caylie SimmonsFranklin24Miss Three Rivers Festival
2023Nevaeh HarmonCharleston21Miss Charleston
2022Krystian LeonardMorgantown25Miss Monongalia CountyTop 16
2021Alexis BlandParkersburg22Miss Parkersburg
2020Charlotte BellotteCharles Town25Longest reigning Miss West Virginia USA ()
2019Haley HollowayMorgantown23
2018Casey LassiterSpencer21
2017Lauren RoushMason21
2016Nichole GreeneNitro24Top 15
2015Andrea MucinoMorgantown23
2014Charisse HaislopParkersburg24
2013Chelsea WelchWest Union22Top 15
2012title=3 area women make semi-finalist in Miss West Virginia USA pageantswork= Herald-Dispatchurl=http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/recent_news/area-women-make-semi-finalist-in-miss-west-virginia-usa/article_f365f43d-64b3-5b5e-8506-7378dedd1d45.htmldate=October 31, 2011}}Martinsburg24
2011Whitney VeachPetersburg24
2010Erica Jade GoldsmithMineral Wells23
2009Jessi PiersonMilton21Top 10Miss Photogenic
2008title= Pageantswork= Herald-Dispatchurl=http://www.herald-dispatch.com/features_entertainment/pageants/article_fc16d1ea-a748-50da-a932-9e2e31e893e1.htmldate=November 3, 2007}}Parkersburg
2007Kasey MontgomeryPetersburg23
2006Jessica WedgeEvans22
2005Kristin MorrisonRipley24Top 15Current titleholder manager of the Miss West Virginia USA and Miss West Virginia Teen USA pageants under her married name, Kristin Flowers
2004Carolyn JenningsMorgantown21
2003Amy ThomasonBuckhannon
2002Angela DavenportMontgomery
2001Karen LongBarboursvilleWinner of Miss Oktoberfest 2001; Auditioned for Season 1 of American Idol
2000Tara WilsonSistersville
1999Amanda Burns
1998Susan BoothCharleston
1997Natalie BevinsParkersburg
1996Regina FisherGlenville
1995Tracy Holcomb
1994Linda BaileyCharleston
1993Jennifer JohnsonHuntington
1992Vickie MyersParkersburg
1991Krista RansbottomHuntington
1990Sabrina AndersonHinton
1989Kathy EicherHuntingtonMother of Nadia Mejia, Miss California USA 2016, and married to Gerardo Mejia
1988Cathy FowlerHuntington
1987Paula MorrisonBarboursville22Semi-finalist
1986Shonna LyonsParkersburg
1985Lorre LewisBarboursville
1984Kelly AndersonClarksburg231st runner-up
1983Jill RigsbyHuntington
1982Cindy BaniakStar City
1981Kelly Carr
1980Linda HedrickWiley Ford
1979Candice (Candy) BoggsKeyser, West VirginiaKeyser21
1978Deborah Davis
1977Pat BrownShepherdstown
1976Cheryl PlantsWinfield
1975Joyce MyersWheeling
1974Kim NuzumWheeling
1973Kathy RowandPinch
1972Diane McCutcheonWheeling
1971Peggy TennantClarksburg
1970Sharon AlbertiWeirton
1969Betty GrimmerWheeling
1968Patricia "Pat" CoyneWheeling
1967Pamela Young
1966Annette Peery
1964-1965Did Not Compete
1963Nina Lou Denton
1962Nicki Galais
1961Kathy McManawaySemi-finalist
1960Garnett PughSemi-finalist
1959Wilda EstepSemi-finalist
1958Mary Guthrie
1957Ruth Parr1st runner-upShe finished as 2nd runner-up, but succeeded as 1st runner-up when the 1st runner-up assumed the title as Miss USA after the title was taken away from the winner.
1956Janet Cardi
1955Barbara Tucker
1954Sandra WaggyCharleston
1953Fay Higley
1952Did Not Compete

References

References

  1. (October 31, 2011). "3 area women make semi-finalist in Miss West Virginia USA pageants". Herald-Dispatch.
  2. (November 3, 2007). "Pageants". Herald-Dispatch.
  3. "Staff".
  4. "2004 Mrs America".
  5. (11 May 1968). "Looking for Florida Sunshine". [[The Spokesman-Review]].
  6. (16 July 1954). "Bound for Contest". The Daily Times.
Info: Wikipedia Source

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