Miss Florida USA

For the state pageant affiliated with Miss America, see Miss Florida. For the state pageant affiliated with Miss World America, see Miss Florida World.

Miss Florida USA

Formation	1952
Type	Beauty pageant
Headquarters	Hollywood, Florida
Location	Florida
Membership	Miss USA
Official language	English
Key people	Jaclyn Stapp
Website	missfloridausa.com

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

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.

Three 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 August 11, 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 Lou Schieffelin of Winter Park and was crowned on May 25, 2025, at the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in Orlando. She represented Florida at Miss USA 2025.

Gallery of titleholders

• 
  Monique Evans, Miss Florida USA 2020
• 
  Génesis Dávila, Miss Florida USA 2018
• 
  Megan Clementi, Miss Florida USA 2010
• 
  Jessica Rafalowski, Miss Florida USA 2008
• 
  Jenna Edwards, Miss Florida USA 2007
• 
  Melissa Witek, Miss Florida USA 2005
• 
  Kristen Berset, Miss Florida USA 2004
• 
  Julie Donaldson, Miss Florida USA 2001
• 
  Shannon Dupuy, Miss Florida USA 1995

Results summary

Placements

• 1st runners-up: Marcia Valibus (1958), Clotilde "Cloe" Cabrera (1987)
• 2nd runners-up: Nanita Greene (1959), Cheryl Patton (1967), ^[a] Barbara Bowser (1980), Ashley Cariño (2021)
• 3rd runners-up: Connie Ensor (1972), Mary-Margaret Humes (1975), Monica Farrell (1988)
• 4th runners-up: Nancy Wakefield (1960), Randy Beard (1966), Melissa Witek (2005), Cristin Duren (2006), Brittany Oldehoff (2014)
• Top 5/6: Shannon Dupuy (1995), Angelia Savage (1997), Génesis Dávila (2018)
• Top 10/12: Susan Deaton (1971), Stacy Evans (1973), Cynthia Zach (1974), April Shaw (1978), Kristen Berset (2004), Jessica Rafalowski (2008), Nicolette Jennings (2019), Lou Schieffelin (2025)
• Top 15/16/20: Kay Duggar (1953), Mariles Gessler (1955), Maria Junquera (1969), Cheryl Johnson (1970), Lissette Garcia (2011), Caroline Dixon (2023)

Florida holds a record of 31 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

• Miss Photogenic: Shannon Ford (2002), Cristin Duren (2006)
• Miss Congeniality: Linda LeFevre (1977)
• Best State Costume: Nancy England (1963)

Winners

Color key

•   Declared as Winner
•   Ended as runner-up or finalist
•   Ended as one of the semifinalists

Year	Name	Hometown	Age [b]	Local title	Placement at Miss USA	Special awards at Miss USA	Notes
2025	Lou Schieffelin	Winter Park	25	Miss Palm Beach Island	Top 10		Previously Miss Florida Teen USA 2018 Top 10 at Miss Teen USA 2018
2024	Peyton Lewis	Orlando	26	Miss Lake Nona
2023	Caroline Dixon	Palm Harbor	25	Miss Palm Harbor	Top 20
2022	Taylor Fulford	Okeechobee	27	Miss Okeechobee
2021	Ashley Cariño [2]	Kissimmee	26	Miss South Kissimmee	2nd runner-up		Miss Universe Puerto Rico 2022, Top 5 at Miss Universe 2022 Previously Miss Florida World 2018 as Ashley Barreto Born in Puerto Rico Shortest reigning titleholder (10 months and 11 days)
2020	Monique Evans	Naples	28	Miss South Naples			Previously Miss Texas 2014 Top 16 semifinalist at Miss America 2015, University of Texas graduate Longest reigning Miss Florida USA (1 year, 5 months, and 29 days)
2019	Nicolette Jennings [3]	Clearwater	22	Miss Clearwater Beach	Top 10
2018	Génesis Dávila	Miami	27	Miss Miami	Top 5		Previously Miss Florida USA 2017; see below Previously Miss World Puerto Rico 2014 Born in Puerto Rico
2017	Linette De Los Santos	Sunny Isles Beach	24	Miss Sunny Isles Beach			Originally first runner-up; succeeded the title after Génesis Dávila was dethroned Born in Dominican Republic
	Génesis Dávila	Miami	25	Miss Miami Beach	did 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	25	Miss Palm Beach
2015	Ashleigh Lollie	Grand Ridge	25	Miss Emerald Coast
2014	Brittany Oldehoff	Fort Lauderdale	24	Miss Fort Lauderdale	4th Runner-Up		Model in season 7 of Project Runway Contestant on season 28 of The Amazing Race
2013	Michelle Aguirre [5]	Hialeah	20	Miss Broward County Fair
2012	Karina Brez [6]	Wellington	23	Miss South Florida			Born in Ukraine
2011	Lissette Garcia	Miami	25	Miss Miami Tropic	Top 16 Semi-finalist		Previously Miss Reina Hispanoamerica Cuba 2007 Top 8 finalist in Reina Hispanoamericana 2007
2010	Megan Clementi [7]	Orlando	25	Miss South Miami			Top 10 at National Sweetheart 2006
2009	Anastagia Pierre	Plantation	20	Miss Plantation			Previously Miss Florida Teen USA 2004 Later Miss Bahamas Universe 2011
2008	Jessica Rafalowski	DeLand	21	Miss Volusia County	Top 10 Finalist, Finishing in 8th Place		Miss Polonia World 2010
2007	Jenna Edwards	North Miami	25	Miss 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	24	Miss Emerald Coast	4th runner-up	Miss Photogenic	Previously Miss Florida Teen USA 1997 First woman to win Miss Photogenic at Miss Teen USA and Miss USA
2005	Melissa Witek	Cocoa Beach	24	Miss Florida Panhandle	4th runner-up		Contestant on NBC's Treasure Hunters
2004	Kristen Berset	St. Petersburg	22	Miss Central Florida	Top 10 Finalist, Finishing in 7th Place
2003	Carrie Ann Mewha	Fort Lauderdale	24	Miss Broward
2002	Shannon Ford	Miami	25	Miss Miami		Miss Photogenic	Miami Dolphins NFL Cheerleader and a contestant on the third season of The Bachelor
2001	Julie Donaldson	Ponte Vedra Beach	23	Miss Ponte Vedra Beach			Hired as the NFL's first female team broadcaster in 2020 for the Washington Football Team
2000	Kristin Ludecke	Eustis	23	Miss Eustis		Style Award	Previously Miss Florida 1995; daughter of Miss Florida USA 1970 Cheryl Johnson [8]
1999	Melissa Quesada	Tampa					Miss Teen All American 1995 Miss United States Teen 1997
1998	Jamie Converse	Gainesville					Later Mrs. Florida America 2007 under her married name, Jamie Converse-Estrada. [9]
1997	Angelia Savage	Jacksonville	25		Top 6 Finalist, Finishing in 4th Place
1996	Idalmis Vidal	Miami	21
1995	Shannon Depuy	Tallahassee	24		Top 6 Finalist, Finishing in 4th Place		Previously Miss Virginia 1990 and semifinalist in Miss America 1991
1994	Cynthia Redding	Deltona
1993	Shakeela Gajadha	Coral Gables
1992	Sharon Belden	Coral Gables					Later Miss Florida World 1992 Miss World America 1992 and Top 10 semi-finalist at Miss World 1992
1991	Rosa Velilla	Miami
1990	Tricia Hahn	Panama City
1989	Jennifer Parker	Tallahassee	17
1988	Monica Bruni Farrell [10]	Jacksonville			3rd runner-up		Previously Miss Florida 1985
1987	Clotilde "Cloe" Helen Cabrera	Tampa	22		1st runner-up		First African American to win Miss Florida USA Later Miss World USA 1987 and competed at Miss World 1987
1986	Kathy Rosenwinkel	Orlando
1985	Barbi Losh	North Miami Beach
1984	Stacy Hassfurder	Tallahassee
1983	Janet Chesser	Daytona Beach
1982	Lisa Smith	Margate					Previously Miss Florida World 1980 Top 10 finalist in Miss World America 1980.
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 October 15, 2019.
1980	Barbara Ann Bowser	Miami Springs	20		2nd runner-up [11]
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	Holly Hill	20		3rd runner-up		actress 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 Aileen Deaton [12]	Jacksonville		Miss Jacksonville	Semi-finalist
1970	Cheryl Elizabeth Johnson [13]	Eustis			Semi-finalist		Mother 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 [14]	Kissimmee			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 [15] [16]	South Miami	18			Best State Costume
1962	Sharon Conrad
1961	Peggy Defreitas
1960	Nancy Wakefield				4th runner-up
1959	Nanita Greene				2nd runner-up
1958	Marcia Valibus				1st runner-up		Competed in the 1958 Miss Dixie Pageant
1957	Deanie Cates
1956	Kim Meyer
1955	Mariles Gessler				Semi-finalist
1954	Rosemary Talucci
1953	Kay Duggar				Semi-finalist		Competed 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

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 (January 22, 2019). "CJC Alum Crowned Miss Florida USA 2019". UF College of Journalism and Communications. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
4. "Miss Florida USA 2017 Génesis Dávila is dethroned!". pageantsnews.com. Pageants News. July 22, 2016. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016.
5. Staff Writer. "Hialeah native Michelle Aguirre crowned Miss Florida". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
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. July 21, 2009.
8. "Mother and daughter were Miss Florida 30 years apart". Associated Press. July 14, 2000.
9. "2007 Mrs America". Archived from the original on October 13, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
10. "HOPEFUL QUEENS". The Press of Atlantic City . February 8, 1988. p. 15. Retrieved October 8, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
11. Goggin, Terry (May 16, 1980). "South Carolina coed is new Miss USA". Hattiesburg American . p. 9. Retrieved October 9, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
12. "Southern Miss USA Beauties". The Tampa Tribune . May 18, 1971. p. 18. Retrieved October 7, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
13. "SOUTHERN BEAUTIES". Tallahassee Democrat . May 12, 1970. p. 6. Retrieved October 8, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
14. "Beauty, Southern Style, Preps For Miss U.S.A." The Miami News . May 17, 1966. p. 19. Retrieved October 8, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
15. "Conquers Florida, Aims for Universe". The Miami Herald. July 7, 1963. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
16. "South Miami Lovely Voted Miss Florida". The Miami News. July 7, 1963. Retrieved May 20, 2023.

External links

• Official website