The Miss Kansas USA pageant is a competition that selects the representative for the state of

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

in the

Miss USA Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020, ...

pageant. The pageant is directed by Vanbros and Associates, headquartered in

Lenexa, Kansas Lenexa is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States. It is one of four principal cities of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area and 9th most populated city of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 57,434. It is t ...

. In 1992, the state joined the Vanbros group, under the directorship of

Miss Kansas The Miss Kansas competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the US state of Kansas in the Miss America pageant. Kansas has won the Miss America crown on three occasions. Ayanna Hensley of Dodge City was crowned Miss Kansas 2 ...

1998 Jennifer Vannatta-Fisher. Kansas did not place at

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 Kelli Rachelle McCarty Oseen (born September 6, 1969) is an American actress, model, photographer, and former beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 1991. She then placed in the top six at Miss Universe 1991, representing the Unite ...

won the crown. McCarty's win makes Wichita,

the only state to host one Miss USA and Miss Teen USA to win in their home state. This included two first runners-up, including

Danielle Boatwright Danni Boatwright Wiegmann (born Danielle E. Boatwright; July 13, 1975) is an American actress, TV host, sports journalist, model and beauty queen who won $1,000,000 on '' Survivor: Guatemala'', the eleventh season of the reality television show ' ...

, winner of '' Survivor: Guatemala'', one second runner-up, one third runner-up, and one fourth runner-up, among others. The most recent placement was Elyse Noe, placing Top 12. Seven former

Miss Kansas Teen USA The Miss Kansas Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Kansas in the Miss Teen USA pageant. This pageant has been part of the Vanbros organisation since 1992, and in 2006, they celebrated their ...

s went on to win the Miss title, and also two

Miss Missouri Teen USA The Miss Missouri Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Missouri in the Miss Teen USA pageant. It is directed by Vanbros and Associates, based in Lenexa, Kansas. In 1993, Missouri joined the Vanbros ...

s (Missouri is also a Vanbros state). Elyse Noe, a native of

Duluth, Minnesota , settlement_type = City , nicknames = Twin Ports (with Superior), Zenith City , motto = , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top: urban Duluth skyline; Minnesota ...

, residing in

Lawrence Lawrence may refer to: Education Colleges and universities * Lawrence Technological University, a university in Southfield, Michigan, United States * Lawrence University, a liberal arts university in Appleton, Wisconsin, United States Preparator ...

and a graduate of

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

, was crowned Miss Kansas USA 2022 on May 8, 2022, at B&B Live and Music Theater in

Shawnee The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky a ...

. She represented Kansas for the title of Miss USA 2022, placed at the Top 12.

Gallery of titleholders

File:Kelli McCarty 2010.jpg,

, Miss Kansas USA 1991 &

Miss USA 1991 Miss USA 1991 was the 40th anniversary of the Miss USA pageant, televised live from the Century II Convention Center in Wichita, Kansas on February 22, 1991. At the conclusion of the final competition, Kelli McCarty of Kansas was crowned by outgo ...

File:DanniBoatwright.jpg,

, Miss Kansas USA 1996 File:Alexis Railsback - Miss Kansas 2015.jpg, Alexis Railsback, Miss Kansas USA 2015

Results summary

Placements

*Miss USAs:

(1991) *1st runners-up:

(1996), Lindsay Douglas (2002) *2nd runners-up: Tavia Shackles (1993),

Cara Gorges 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 Va ...

(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) Kansas holds a record of 13 placements at

Awards

*Best State Costume: Tavia Shackles (1993) *Most Beautiful Eyes: Tavia Shackles (1993) *Best in Swimsuit:

(1996)

Titleholders

;Color key

Notes

External links

References

Kansas culture Women in Kansas {{pageant-stub