The Miss Florida competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

in the

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...

pageant. Florida has twice won the Miss America crown. In the fall of 2018, the Miss America Organization terminated Miss Florida organization's license as well as licenses from

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, and

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

. In December 2018, the Miss America Organization reinstated licensing for the Miss Florida Scholarship Pageant Inc., along with the organizations in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Lindsay Bettis of

Ponte Vedra Beach Ponte Vedra Beach is a wealthy unincorporated seaside community and suburb of Jacksonville, Florida in St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Located southeast of downtown Jacksonville and north of St. Augustine, it is part of the Jackso ...

was crowned Miss Florida 2022 on June 25, 2022 at Youkey Theater in

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal c ...

. She competed for the title of

2023 at the

Mohegan Sun Mohegan Sun is an American casino, owned and operated by the Mohegan Tribe on of their reservation, along the banks of the Thames River in Uncasville, Connecticut. It has of gambling space. It is in the foothills of southeastern Connecticut, ...

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is an area in the New England town, town of Montville, Connecticut, Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a Administrative divisions of Connecticut#Village, neighborhood, section of town, village in southeastern Montville, at the ...

in December 2022 where she was a finalist for both the Women in Business and Equity & Justice awards along with Non-finalist Social Impact Pitch winner,

Gallery of past titleholders

File:Rosemary Carpenter.jpg, Rosemary Carpenter,
Miss Florida 1948 File:AnndanielMissFlorida1954.jpg,

Ann Gloria Daniel Ann Gloria Daniel (born c. 1934) is a beauty queen from Dade-City, Florida and she competed in the Miss Florida pageant and the Miss America pageant. Biography Daniel won the Miss Florida 1954 title in the state pageant. She went on to place fir ...

,
Miss Florida 1954 File:Sherry Grimes.jpg, Sherry Grimes,
Miss Florida 1961 File:Deltaburke2.jpg,

Delta Burke Delta Ramona Leah Burke (born July 30, 1956) is an American actress, producer, and author. From 1986 to 1991, she starred as Suzanne Sugarbaker in the CBS sitcom ''Designing Women'', for which she was nominated for two Emmy Awards for Outstan ...

,
Miss Florida 1974 in 1990 File:Nancy Stafford.jpg,

Nancy Stafford Nancy Elizabeth Stafford (born June 5, 1954) is an American actress, speaker and author, known for her roles on television. She came to prominence in the 1980s as Michelle Thomas, law partner, on five seasons of '' Matlock''. She later hosted a ...

,
Miss Florida 1976 File:MissAmerica2004.jpg,

Ericka Dunlap Ericka Dunlap (born December 29, 1981) is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Orlando, Florida who was named Miss Florida 2003 and subsequently crowned Miss America 2004. Dunlap was the first African American woman to be crowned Miss Flor ...

,
Miss Florida 2003 and

Miss America 2004 Miss America 2004, the 77th Miss America pageant, was broadcast from the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, September 20, 2003 on ABC Network. Results Placements Awards Preliminary awards Quality of Life award Final ...

File:JennaEdwards.jpg,

Jenna Edwards Jenna Edwards (born July 29, 1981) is an American beauty queen from Brandon, Mississippi who has held the titles Miss Florida and Miss Florida USA. Edwards represented Florida at the Miss America 2005 pageant and the Miss USA 2007 pageant. Edwar ...

,
Miss Florida 2004 File:Allison Kreiger headshot.png,

Allison Kreiger Allison Lee Kreiger Walsh is a beauty queen from Miami, Florida who has competed in the Miss Florida pageant and the Miss America pageant. Walsh won the Miss Florida title in the state pageant held July 8, 2006. She had previously won Miss Univ ...

,
Miss Florida 2006 File:Kylie Williams headshot.png, Kylie Williams,
Miss Florida 2007

Results summary

The following is a visual summary of the past results of Miss Florida titleholders at the national Miss America pageants/competitions. The year in parentheses indicates the year of the national competition during which a placement and/or award was garnered, not the year attached to the contestant's state title.

Placements

* Miss Americas:

Leanza Cornett Eva Leanza Cornett (June 10, 1971 – October 28, 2020) was an American television personality and beauty pageant titleholder. She was crowned Miss Florida 1992 and Miss America 1993 the same year. Early life Cornett was born in Big Stone Gap ...

( 1993),

(

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

) * 1st runners-up: Muriel Elizabeth Smith (1943),

(1955) * 2nd runners-up: Virginia Warlen (1944), Janet Ruth Crockett (1951), Carolyn Cline (1979), Lissette Gonzalez (1999) * 3rd runners-up: Virginia Freeland (1945), Carol Lynn Blum (1966),

Myrrhanda Jones Myrrhanda Jones is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Gainesville, Florida who was named Miss Florida 2013. Biography She won the title of Miss Florida on July 13, 2013, when she received her crown from outgoing titleholder Laura McKee ...

(2014), Victoria Cowen (2015), Taylor Tyson (2019) * 4th runners-up: Irmigard Dietel (1937), Gloria Smyley (1938), Mary Elizabeth Godwin (1952), Dorothy Maria Steiner (1958), Dawn Cashwell (1968), Cathy La Belle (1978), Marti Sue Phillips (1980), Sierra Minott (2009) * Top 10: Leona Fredericks (1942), Eileen Knapp (1942), Sandra Wirth (1956), Diane Colston (1967), Linda Fitts (1969), Lisa Donovan (1971), Ann K. Schmalzried (1976),

Kim Boyce Kim Boyce Koreiba (born March 14, 1961, in Winter Haven, Florida) is an American Christian music singer. She is best known for her 1990s hit ''By Faith''. She was Miss Manatee and Miss Florida 1983 and competed at Miss America 1984. Boyce's hit ...

(1984), Jennifer Anne Sauder (1988), Melissa Aggeles (1989), Sandra Joanne Frick (1990), Christy Neuman (1998), Kelly Gaudet (2002), Mari Wilensky (2006),

Mary Katherine Fechtel Mary Katherine Fechtel is an American titleholder from Leesburg, Florida, who was crowned Miss Florida 2015. She competed for the Miss America 2016 title in September 2015 live on ABC and placed in the top 10. Pageant career Miss Florida ...

(2016), Leah Roddenberry (2022) * Top 12: Elizabeth Hull (1935), Vernell Bush (1944) * Top 13:

Kristina Janolo Kristina Janolo, (born February 20, 1987) is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Kissimmee, Florida, who was named Miss Florida 2011. She represented Florida in the 2012 Miss America pageant, where she reached the top 13. She is the fi ...

(2012) * Top 15: Ruth Wooddall (1925), Mary Jane Thomas (1938), Irmigard Dietel (1939),

Rose Marie Magrill Rosemary Magrill (stage name Rose Marie Magrill; 1924 – 19 March 2016) was Miss Florida in 1939. At the time she was crowned, she was underage. She went on to place as a semi-finalist in Miss America and became widely known as a "tap dancer extr ...

(1939), Mitzi Strother (1940 and 1941), Pepper Shore (1947), Rosemary Carpenter (1948), Michaela McLean (2020) * Top 16: Jacquelyn Jennings (1946), Kylie Williams (2008),

Laura McKeeman Laura Rutledge (née McKeeman; born October 2, 1988) is a reporter and host for ESPN and the SEC Network. She is an American beauty pageant titleholder from St. Petersburg, Florida, who was named Miss Florida 2012. Biography She won the title of ...

(2013)

Awards

Preliminary awards

* Preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness: Virginia Warlen (1944),

(1955), Melissa Aggeles (1989), Dana Rinehart Dalton (1991), Lissette Gonzalez (1999),

(2005), Victoria Cowen (2015),

(2016), Sara Zeng (2018) * Preliminary Talent: Gloria Smyley (1938), Virginia Warlen (1944), Pepper Shore (1947), Sandra Wirth (1956), Dawn Lauree Cashwell (1968), Linda Fitts (1969), Lisa Donovan (1971), Cathy La Belle (1978), Carolyn Cline (1979), Christy Neuman (1998),

(2014), Taylor Tyson (2019) * Preliminary Evening Gown: Kelly Gaudet (2002)

Non-finalist awards

* Non-finalist Talent: Barbara Jo Ivey (1972),

Ellen Meade Ellen Meade (born c. 1953) is an American beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Florida 1973. Miss Florida At 20 years old, Ellen Meade won the title of Miss Manatee County. She then went on to compete in the Miss Florida pageant, where she wa ...

(1974),

(1975), Monica Farrell (1986),

Molly Pesce Molly Pesce ( Molly Scott) (born c. 1963) is an American actress. In 1989 she began her acting career as host of the Nickelodeon variety show ''Total Panic''. She is the host of Animal Planet's ''Backyard Habitat''. She was also one of the co-ho ...

(1987), Mary Ann Olson (1992), Jamie Bolding (1997) * Non-finalist Interview: Megan Welch (1995), Jamie Bolding (1997) * Non-finalist Social Impact Pitch: Lindsay Bettis (2023)

Other awards

* Equity and Justice Finalist: Leah Roddenberry (2022), Lindsay Bettis (2023) * Bernie Wayne Talent Award: Lissette Gonzalez (1999) * Charles & Theresa Brown Scholarship: Victoria Cowen (2015) * Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship: Ann K. Schmalzried (1976) * Final Night Evening Gown Award:

(2004) * Final Night Talent Award:

(2004) *Jean Bartel Social Impact Initiative Finalist: Leah Roddenberry (2022) * Quality of Life Award 1st runners-up: Kylie Williams (2008) * Quality of Life Award Finalists:

(2005),

Jaclyn Raulerson Jaclyn Frances Raulerson (born August 28, 1990) is an American beauty pageant titleholder from Plant City, Florida who was named Miss Florida 2010. She represented Florida in the 2011 Miss America pageant, where she was a top 7 finalist for the Q ...

(2011) * Women in Business Finalists: Lindsay Bettis (2023)

Winners

Executive director accusations

Mary Sullivan, the longtime executive director of Miss Florida until her resignation in 2018, was arrested in 2022 and accused of stealing around $100,000 from the program from 2011–2018. The arrest came after an investigation into past financial irregularities by the Board of Directors after her retirement. She was accused of redirecting non-profit donations intended for use on scholarships to her own account, which she spent on personal matters such as maid service and dating sites.Miss Florida Scholarship Program Statement
/ref>

References

External links

Miss Florida official website
{{Miss America state Florida culture

Women in Florida 1922 establishments in Florida