For the state pageant affiliated with Miss America, see Miss Kansas.
Miss Kansas USA
Beauty pageant
Formation1952
HeadquartersShawnee
LocationKansas
MembershipMiss USA
LanguageEnglish
Key peopleJohn M. Vannatta
Jason Vannatta
Jennifer Vannatta-Fisher, State Pageant Director
WebsiteOfficial website

The Miss Kansas USA pageant is a competition that selects the representative for the state of Kansas in the Miss USA pageant. The pageant is directed by Vanbros and Associates, headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas. In 1992, the state joined the Vanbros group, under the directorship of Miss Kansas 1998 Jennifer Vannatta-Fisher.

Kansas did not place at Miss USA until 1973, the third-to-last state to make their first placement. From then, no delegate from Kansas made the cut until 1991, when Kelli McCarty won the crown in Wichita. McCarty's win made Kansas the only state to host one Miss USA and Miss Teen USA to win in their home state, as Keylee Sue Sanders won Miss Teen USA 1995, which was also held in Wichita. Kansas also had two first runners-up, including Danielle Boatwright, who would later win Survivor: Guatemala in 2005, one second runner-up, one third runner-up, and one fourth runner-up, among others. The most recent placement was Bella Whitlock in 2024, placing Top 20.

Seven former Miss Kansas Teen USAs went on to win the Miss title, and also two Miss Missouri Teen USAs (Missouri is also a Vanbros state).

Asia Cymone Smith from Wichita was crowned Miss Kansas USA 2025 on March 23, 2025, at Polsky Theater in Overland Park. She represented Kansas at Miss USA 2025.

Results summary

Placements

  • Miss USAs: Kelli McCarty (1991)
  • 1st runners-up: Danielle Boatwright (1996), Lindsay Douglas (2002)
  • 2nd runners-up: Tavia Shackles (1993), Cara Gorges (2007)
  • Top 5/6: Kimberlee Girrens (1992), Tiffany Meyer (2000)
  • Top 10/12: Brenda Kopmeyer (1973), Carol Hovenkamp (1994), Alyssa Klinzing (2019), Elyse Noe (2022)
  • Top 15/16: Bethany Gerber (2010), Gracie Hunt (2021)
  • Top 20: Bella Whitlock (2024)

Kansas holds a record of 14 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

  • Best State Costume: Tavia Shackles (1993)
  • Most Beautiful Eyes: Tavia Shackles (1993)
  • Best in Swimsuit: Danielle Boatwright (1996)

Titleholders

Color key
  • Declared as Winner
  • Ended as runner-up
  • Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
YearNameHometownAge[a]Local titlePlacement at Miss USASpecial awards at Miss USANotes
2025Asia Cymone SmithWichita26Miss East Wichita
2024Bella WhitlockLeavenworth19Miss LeavenworthTop 20
2023Haley BergerLawrence22Miss LawrenceDaughter of Prathumrat Woramali Berger, Miss Thailand World 1989
2022Elyse NoeLawrence23Miss LawrenceTop 12
2021Gracie HuntOverland Park22Miss Kansas CityTop 16
2020Hayden BraxLeawood20Miss Kansas CityCousin of Hope Driskill, Miss Missouri USA 2011
2019Alyssa KlinzingOlathe20Miss ConwayTop 10
2018Melanie ShanerOverland Park20Miss Johnson County
2017Catherine CarmichaelManhattan25Miss Lawrence
  • Previously Miss Kansas World 2015
    • Top 12 at Miss World America 2015
2016Victoria WigginsJunction City24Miss Milford Lake
2015Alexis RailsbackShawnee19Miss Shawnee
2014Audrey BanachKansas City22Miss Wildcat
2013Staci Klinginsmith[citation needed]Lenexa26Miss Lenexa
2012Gentry MillerKansas City24Miss Kansas City
2011Jaymie StokesLenexa20Miss Lenexa
2010Bethany GerberWinfield21Miss Cowley CountyTop 15, finishing in 13th PlaceFeatured in January 2011 issue of Industrial Engineer about her titleholding role
2009Courtney CourterOlathe23
2008Michelle GillespieMission Hills22Miss Kansas City
2007Cara GorgesClearwater192nd runner-up
2006Ashley AullLansing20
2005Rachel SaundersTonganoxie21
2004Lisa ForbesOverland Park22
2003Alicia CabreraLeawood23
2002Lindsay DouglasLawrence231st Runner-up
2001Kristie Kay KnoxHutchinson25
2000Tiffany Meyer25Top 5 (4th)
1999Amanda CarrawayManhattan21
1998Cammie MorisseauWichita18
1997Kathryn TaylorOverland Park24
1996Danielle BoatwrightTonganoxie201st Runner-upBest in Swimsuit
1995Deborah DaultonSalina18
1994Carol HovenkampOverland Park19Top 12 Semi-finalist, finishing in 11th Place
1993Tavia Shackles[2]Shawnee[2]21[2]2nd Runner-up[2]Best State Costume & Most Beautiful Eyes Award
1992Kimberlee GirrensWichita26Top 6 Finalist, Finishing in 5th Place
1991Kelli McCartyLiberal21Miss USA 1991[4]
1990Rebecca PorterWichita
1989Nancy BurrisColby
1988Cynthia DeckerManhattan
1987Martina CastleOverland Park
1986Audra OckermanWichitaMother of Claire-Bailey Lee, Miss Kansas Teen USA 2014
1985Jill DenzinLeawood
1984Elizabeth JohnsonPrairie View
1983Renee RuchMission
1982Stefani LarsonOverland Park
1981Missy KaserWichita
1980Lisa Lynn BoydWichita
1979Linda ShieldsLawrence
1978Mary BellWichita
1977Sherry BraneWichita
1976Deborah ViteraOttawa
1975Robbin Lea LoomasOverland Park
1974Lorraine BreckenridgeWichita
1973Brenda KopmeyerOverland ParkSemi-finalist
1972Mona GuesnierGreat Bend
1971Nancy BishopOverland Park
1970Norma Lou DeckerTecumseh
1969Molly McGuginFrankfurt
1968Anne LaytonBaldwin City
1967Regina Wolfe
1966Pat RavenscroftOverland Park
1965Linda Bergsten
1964Barbara Ford
1963Diane Victoria Stalker
1962Linda Light
1961Dixie Cook
1960Peggy Patterson
1955–59colspan="7"
1954Sue Ravenscroft[5]Liberal18
1953colspan="7"
1952Bette Renick

Notes

  1. ^ Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

References

  1. ^ "Miss Teen Earth USA". Miss Earth USA. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  2. ^ "Miss Michigan becomes second black Miss USA". Florida Today. 20 February 1993.
  3. ^ "2004 Mrs America". Archived from the original on June 24, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  4. ^ "People: Kansas communications student now wears new Miss USA crown". The Times-News. 24 February 1991. pp. B-5. Retrieved 12 March 2026. – via Newspapers.com
  5. ^ "Official List Shows How Beauties Measure Up". Long Beach Press-Telegram. 18 July 1954. Retrieved 21 June 2023.