Miss USA 2008

Last updated

Miss USA 2008
Crystle Stewart 2014.jpg
Miss USA 2008 Crystle Stewart
DateApril 11, 2008
Presenters
Entertainment Finger Eleven
Venue The AXIS, Paradise, Nevada
Broadcaster
Entrants51
Placements15
Winner Crystle Stewart
Texas
  2007
2009  

Miss USA 2008 was the 57th Miss USA pageant, held at The AXIS in Paradise, Nevada, on April 11, 2008. [2] At the conclusion of the final night of competition, Crystle Stewart of Texas was crowned the winner by outgoing titleholder Rachel Smith of Tennessee. Crystle represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2008 pageant, which was held in Vietnam, where she placed in the Top 10. This was also the first time in the pageant's 56-year history that two consecutive women of African Americans have been crowned.

Contents

The pageant was held at the Theatre for the Performing Arts, a 7,000-seat theater located in the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. [3] The theater was also the location of Miss Universe 1991 and 1996 pageants. This is the first time that the Miss USA pageant was held in Nevada.

For the first time, the competition was broadcast in High Definition.

Brother/sister duo Donny and Marie Osmond hosted the live telecast for the first time, and Finger Eleven performed their single "Paralyzer". [1] [4] Rihanna's song Umbrella was used during the evening gown competition.

During the final show on April 11, the fifteen delegates with the highest average scores from the preliminary competition were announced. The top fifteen competed in the swimsuit competition. The top ten delegates from swimsuit competed in evening gown. The top five delegates from the evening gown competition (not averaged composite scores from both competitions) competed in the final question round to determine the winner. The judges' composite score was shown after each round of competition for only the second time since 2002.

Delegates

StateContestantHometownAge [a] HeightPlacementAwardNotes
Alabama Keisha Walding Dothan 245'10"
Alaska Courtney Erin Carroll [5] Fairbanks 255'7"Miss Photogenic
Arizona Kimberly Joiner [6] Gilbert 225'8"
Arkansas Rachel Howells [7] Alma 215'10"
California Raquel Beezley [8] Barstow 215'8"Top 15
Colorado Beckie Hughes [9] [10] Grand Junction 215'9"
Connecticut Jacqueline Honulik [11] Fairfield 215'8"
Delaware Vincenza Carrieri-Russo [12] Newark 235'7"
District of Columbia Chelsey Sophia Rodgers [13] Washington, D.C. 245'8"
Florida Jessica Rafalowski DeLand 225'10"Top 10
Georgia Amanda Kozak Warner Robins 235'10"Previously Miss Georgia 2006
Hawaii Jonelle Layfield Kaneʻohe 235'10"Sister of Ashley Layfield, Miss Hawaii 2007
Idaho Tracey Brown Post Falls 215'9"Previously Miss Idaho 2005
Illinois Shanon Lersch Chicago 255'10"
Indiana Brittany Mason Anderson 215'10"Top 10
Iowa Abbey Curran Davenport 205'5"First person with disability to compete at Miss USA
Kansas Michelle Gillespie Mission Hills 225'11"Great-great niece of Margaret Gorman, Miss America 1921
Kentucky Alysha Harris Lexington 205'4"
Louisiana Michelle Berthelot Hammond 245'6"
Maine Kaetlin Parent Van Buren 205'8"Previously Miss Maine Teen USA 2005
Maryland Casandra Tressler Damascus 225'9"Later Miss United States International 2010
Massachusetts Jacqueline Bruno Assonet 235'10"Top 10Previously Miss Massachusetts Teen USA 2003
Michigan Elisabeth Crawford Canton 255'8"
Minnesota Kaylee Unverzagt Eagan 205'10"Top 15
Mississippi Leah Laviano Ellisville 205'4"1st runner-up
Missouri Candice Crawford Columbia 215'8"Top 10Sister of actor Chace Crawford
Montana Tori Wanty [14] Shelby 215'4"
Nebraska Micaela Johnson Omaha 235'5"
Nevada Veronica Grabowski Henderson 235'6"
New Hampshire Breanne Silvi Nashua 245'4"
New Jersey Tiffany Andrade Linden 225'5"2nd runner-up
New Mexico Raelene Aguilar Sunland Park 265'8"Previously Miss New Mexico Teen USA 2000
New York Danielle Roundtree New York City 205'11"
North Carolina Andrea Duke Saluda 265'11"
North Dakota Stephanie Tollefson [15] New Rockford 215'8"
Ohio Monica Day Grove City 255'9"Miss Congeniality
Oklahoma Lindsey Jo Harrington Frederick 225'10"3rd runner-up
Oregon Mary Horch [16] Corvallis 245'7"
Pennsylvania LauRen Merola Pittsburgh 235'8"4th runner-up
Rhode Island Amy Diaz Johnston 235'6"Top 15Previously Miss Rhode Island Teen USA 2001
Later Miss Earth United States 2009
Later contestant on The Amazing Race 23 and won
South Carolina Jamie Hill Columbia 245'6"Top 15Contestant on The Amazing Race 10
South Dakota Charlie Buhler Mitchell 205'5"First African American Miss South Dakota USA
Tennessee Hailey Laine Brown Franklin 255'9"Top 10
Texas Crystle Stewart Missouri City 265'9"WinnerTop 10 at Miss Universe 2008; placed 8th
Utah Julia Bachison North Ogden 245'7"Top 15Previously Miss Utah 2005
Vermont Kim Tantlinger Burlington 225'7"
Virginia Tori Hall Roanoke 215'8"Previously Miss Virginia Teen USA 2005
Cast member on Road Rules 2007: Viewers' Revenge and The Gauntlet 3
Washington Michelle Font Renton 265'7"
West Virginia Skylene Montgomery Parkersburg 235'7"
Wisconsin Michelyn Cynthia Butler Madison 255'8"
Wyoming Cassie Shore Casper 225'5"

Contestant notes

Michelle Gillespie is crowned Miss Kansas USA 2008 Michelle Gillespie crowning.png
Michelle Gillespie is crowned Miss Kansas USA 2008

See also

Notes

  1. Ages at the time of the pageant

References

  1. 1 2 "America's beloved Brother & Sister duo, Donny and Marie Osmond, to host the 2008 Miss USA Pageant". Miss USA Press. 2008-03-14. Archived from the original on 2008-08-07.
  2. "Miss USA coming to Las Vegas". News 3 Las Vegas. 2007-12-13. Archived from the original on 2007-12-07. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
  3. "Donny and Marie to host Miss USA Pageant - UPI.com". UPI. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
  4. "Heather Mills, Rob Schneider, Joey Fatone, Kristian Alfonso, Amanda Beard, Christian Siriano, Shawne Merriman, Ken Paves, Kelly Carlson, and George Wayne to Judge 2008 Miss USA Pageant On NBC April 11th/Finger Eleven Will Perform Their Hit Song "Paralyzer" During the Live Telecast from Las Vegas" (Press release). Miss Universe Organization. 2008-03-31. Archived from the original on 2008-08-07.
  5. "UAF student wins Miss Alaska USA crown". Associated Press. 2007-12-17.
  6. Gersema, Emily (2007-12-10). "Gilbert woman to vie for Miss USA crown". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
  7. Fry, Kenneth (2008-02-23). "Alma Woman Prepares For Miss USA Pageant". Press Argus-Courier.[ permanent dead link ]
  8. 1 2 "New Miss California winner named after accounting error". Associated Press. 2007-12-04.
  9. "Owner of Pinque wins Miss Colorado USA crown". The Daily Sentinel. 2007-10-30.
  10. Stina Sieg (31 October 2007). "Businesswoman named Miss Colorado". The Post Independent. Glenwood Springs and Garfield County, CO, USA: Swift Communications, Inc. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  11. "Daughter of officer sets sights on Miss USA". The Norwalk Advocate. 2008-01-24. Retrieved 2008-03-07.[ dead link ]
  12. Zewe, Adam (2007-12-10). "Vincenza Carrieri-Russo crowned Miss Delaware USA". The Community News. Archived from the original on 2008-04-21. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
  13. Bryce, Peter (2008-03-18). "Next Stop Miss USA: DC's Pageant Representative on Fashion, Fitness, Guilty Pleasures, and Embarrassing Moments". Washingtonian. Archived from the original on 2008-04-10. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
  14. Milliard, Trevon (2008-03-20). "UM student wins Miss Montana". Montana Kaimin. Archived from the original on 2008-04-10. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
  15. Johnson, Andrea. "Miss N.D. focuses on healthy lifestyles". Minot Daily News. Retrieved 2008-03-20.[ dead link ]
  16. Hogue, Theresa (2008-03-14). "Miss Oregon gets ready for pageant". Albany Democrat-Herald. Retrieved 2008-03-20.
  17. Bhargava, Jennifer (2007-12-25). "Mission Hills woman captures Miss Kansas title". Kansas City Star. Retrieved 2008-03-07.[ permanent dead link ] (Google cache)
  18. Raubolt, Jordan (2007-11-16). "Crowning achievement: MU student sets sights on career". Columbia Daily Tribune.
  19. "Jenna Edwards of North Miami is next Miss Florida USA". Associated Press. 2006-07-15.
  20. "Pageant Is Her Crowning Achievement: Miss Iowa, In Las Vegas For Miss USA Pageant, Was Born With Cerebral Palsy". Las Vegas: CBS. April 10, 2008. Archived from the original on 6 November 2008. Retrieved 5 June 2010.