Miss Florida USA

Last updated

Miss Florida USA
Formation1952
Type Beauty pageant
Headquarters Hollywood
Location
Membership
Miss USA
Official language
English
Website Official website

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

Contents

Up until the 2017 pageant, both Miss and Teen state pageants were held separately in different months. In recent years, the organization was decided that both pageants would compete at the same time from 2018 onwards, just like the most of state pageants in the Miss USA system.

While Florida has had number of runners-up, finalists, and semi-finalists, the state has yet to win the Miss USA title. Although Cheryl Patton, who placed 2nd runner-up in Miss USA 1967, became Miss USA after Sylvia Hitchcock won Miss Universe. The most recent placement was Caroline Dixon who placed Top 20 in 2023.

Two former Miss Florida Teen USA titleholders have won this competition, and five titleholders have also competed at Miss America.

In 2019, contestant Madison Anderson (who finished first runner-up in that pageant) would go on to become Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2019, and then competed in Miss Universe 2019, placed first runner-up to Zozibini Tunzi of South Africa. [1] On 11 August 2022, contestant Ashley Cariño (who finished second runner-up at Miss USA 2021) was crowned Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2022 and represented Puerto Rico at Miss Universe 2022, ultimately placing in the Top 5

The current titleholder is Peyton Lewis of Orlando and was crowned on July 7, 2024 at the Coral Springs Center For The Arts in Coral Springs. She will represent Florida at Miss USA 2024.

Results summary

Placements

Florida holds a record of 30 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

Winners

Color key
YearNameHometownAge [lower-alpha 2] Local titlePlacement at Miss USASpecial awards at Miss USANotes
2024 Peyton Lewis Orlando 26Miss Lake Nona
2023 Caroline Dixon Palm Harbor 25Miss Palm HarborTop 20
2022 Taylor Fulford Okeechobee 27Miss Okeechobee
2021 Ashley Cariño [2] Kissimmee 26Miss South Kissimmee2nd runner-up
2020 Monique Evans Naples 28Miss South Naples
2019 Nicolette Jennings [3] Clearwater 22Miss Clearwater BeachTop 10
2018 Génesis Dávila Miami 27Miss MiamiTop 5
2017 Linette De Los Santos Sunny Isles Beach 24Miss Sunny Isles Beach
  • Originally first runner-up; succeeded the title after Génesis Dávila was dethroned
  • Born in Dominican Republic
Génesis Dávila Miami 25Miss Miami Beachdid not compete
  • Davila was dethroned on July 22, 2016, after it was revealed that she allegedly hired outside hair and makeup professionals during the Miss Florida USA state pageant instead of the ones provided by the organization, which is explicitly against pageant rules. The pageant stated it gave Dávila an unfair advantage. She was later found to be innocent of the accusation. [4]
2016 Brie Gabrielle Palm Beach 25Miss Palm Beach
2015 Ashleigh Lollie Grand Ridge 25Miss Emerald Coast
2014 Brittany Oldehoff Fort Lauderdale 24Miss Fort Lauderdale4th Runner-Up
2013 Michelle Aguirre [5] Hialeah 20Miss Broward County Fair
2012 Karina Brez [6] Wellington 23Miss South FloridaBorn in Ukraine
2011 Lissette Garcia Miami 25Miss Miami TropicTop 16 Semi-finalist
2010 Megan Clementi [7] Orlando 25Miss South MiamiTop 10 at National Sweetheart 2006
2009 Anastagia Pierre Plantation 20Miss Plantation
2008 Jessica Rafalowski DeLand 21Miss Volusia CountyTop 10 Finalist, Finishing in 8th Place
2007 Jenna Edwards North Miami 25Miss North Miami
  • Previously Miss Florida 2004
  • Miss Oktoberfest 2000 as Miss Mississippi
  • Miss Teen All American 1999 as Miss Mississippi
2006 Cristin Leigh Duren Panama City 24Miss Emerald Coast4th runner-up Miss Photogenic
2005 Melissa Witek Cocoa Beach 24Miss Florida Panhandle4th runner-upContestant on NBC's Treasure Hunters
2004 Kristen Berset St. Petersburg 22Miss Central FloridaTop 10 Finalist, Finishing in 7th Place
2003 Carrie Ann Mewha Fort Lauderdale 24Miss Broward
2002 Shannon Ford Miami 25Miss MiamiMiss Photogenic Miami Dolphins NFL Cheerleader and a contestant on the third season of The Bachelor
2001 Julie Donaldson Ponte Vedra Beach 23Miss Ponte Vedra BeachHired as the NFL's first female team broadcaster in 2020 for the Washington Football Team
2000 Kristin Ludecke Eustis 23Miss EustisStyle Award
  • Previously Miss Florida 1995; daughter of Miss Florida USA 1970 Cheryl Johnson [8]
1999 Melissa Quesada Tampa
1998 Jamie Converse Gainesville
  • Later Mrs. Florida America 2007 under her married name, Jamie Converse-Estrada. [9]
1997 Angelia Savage Jacksonville 25Top 6 Finalist, Finishing in 4th Place
1996 Idalmis Vidal Miami 21
1995 Shannon Depuy Tallahassee 24Top 6 Finalist, Finishing in 4th Place
1994 Cynthia Redding Deltona
1993 Shakeela Gajadha Coral Gables
1992 Sharon Belden Coral Gables
1991 Rosa Velilla Miami
1990 Tricia Hahn Panama City
1989 Jennifer Parker Tallahassee 17
1988 Monica Farrell Jacksonville 3rd runner-up
1987 Clotilde Helen Cabrera Tampa 221st runner-up
1986 Kathy Rosenwinkel Orlando
1985 Barbi Losh North Miami Beach
1984 Stacy Hassfurder Tallahassee
1983 Janet Chesser Daytona Beach
1982 Lisa Smith Margate
1981 Valerie Lundeen Miami Valerie Lundeen Ely, 62, married to "Tarzan" actor Ron Ely, was murdered by their son Cameron Ely at their Southern California home on Oct. 15, 2019.
1980 Barbara Bowser Miami 2nd runner-up
1979 Penny Sheridan Merritt Island
1978 April Shaw Lakeland Semi-finalist
1977 Linda LeFevre Gainesville Miss Congeniality
1976 Leigh Walsh Coral Gables
1975 Mary-Margaret Humes Coral Gables 3rd runner-upactress best known for playing Gail Leery on the television drama Dawson's Creek .
1974 Cynthia Zach Miami Semi-finalist
1973 Stacy Evans Daytona Beach Semi-finalist
1972 Coni Ensor Miami 3rd runner-up
1971 Susan Deaton Jacksonville Semi-finalist
1970 Cheryl Johnson Orlando Semi-finalistMother of Miss Florida USA 2000 Kristin Ludecke, [8] Previously crowned Miss Dixie 1967.
1969 Maria Junquera Plant City Semi-finalist
1968 Leslie Bauer New Port Richey
1967 Cheryl Patton North Miami Beach 2nd runner-up
  • Became Miss USA 1967 after Sylvia Hitchcock became Miss Universe 1967 and 1st runner up declined to succeed the title.
1966 Randy Beard Cypress Gardens 4th runner-up
1965 Karol Kelly Zephyrhills semifinalist in Miss American Beauty 1967, title of usa rep to Miss International pageant
1964 Candace Davenport
1963 Linda Egland [10] [11] South Miami18Best State Costume
1962 Sharon Conrad
1961 Peggy Defreitas
1960 Nancy Wakefield4th runner-up
1959 Nanita Greene2nd runner-up
1958 Marcia Valibus1st runner-upCompeted in the 1958 Miss Dixie Pageant
1957 Deanie Cates
1956 Kim Meyer
1955 Mariles GesslerSemi-finalist
1954 Rosemary Talucci
1953 Kay DuggarSemi-finalistCompeted as "Miss Miami Beach" instead of Miss Florida USA.
1952 Yvonne Peairs

Notes

  1. Cheryl Patton was 2nd runner-up at Miss USA, but succeeded to the Miss USA title when Sylvia Hitchcock became Miss Universe.
  2. Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

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References

  1. Marcial Ocasio, Jennifer; Cotto, Ingrid (June 14, 2019). "Miss Puerto Rico winner grew up in Florida and doesn't speak fluent Spanish. She says she represents a 'new generation.'". Orlando Sentinel . Retrieved June 23, 2019.
  2. "Joven boricua de Kissimmee gana la corona de Miss Florida USA" [Young Puerto Rican from Kissimmee has crowned Miss Florida USA] (in Spanish). WTMO-CD. July 19, 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  3. Wagner, Sue (2019-01-22). "CJC Alum Crowned Miss Florida USA 2019". UF College of Journalism and Communications. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  4. "Miss Florida USA 2017 Génesis Dávila is dethroned!". pageantsnews.com. Pageants News. 22 July 2016. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. Writer, Staff. "Hialeah native Michelle Aguirre crowned Miss Florida". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  6. "Wellington's Karina Brez crowned new Miss Florida USA". The Palm Beach Post. July 16, 2011. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011.
  7. "Magic dancer Megan Clementi wins Miss Florida USA". Orlando Sentinel. 2009-07-21.
  8. 1 2 "Mother and daughter were Miss Florida 30 years apart". Associated Press. 2000-07-14.
  9. "2007 Mrs America". Archived from the original on October 13, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  10. "Conquers Florida, Aims for Universe". The Miami Herald. 7 July 1963. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  11. "South Miami Lovely Voted Miss Florida". The Miami News. 7 July 1963. Retrieved 20 May 2023.