The Miss Illinois is a pageant program affiliated with

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 ...

, which is competition for women models representing the state of Illinois. The first "Miss Illinois" sent to the national pageant was Lois Delander who subsequently won the Miss America title. Including Delander, five Miss Illinois representatives have won the Miss America title. Monica Nia Jones of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

was crowned Miss Illinois 2022 on June 11, 2022 at Marion Cultural Arts & Civic Center in Marion. She represented Illinois and competed for the title of

Miss America 2023 Miss America 2023 was the 95th edition of the Miss America pageant, which occurred at the Mohegan Sun on December 16, 2022. The 2023 calendar year, based on several sources, may be the final year at Mohegan Sun. Rather than being aired on mains ...

at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut in December 2022 where she was in the Top 11 and the People's Choice winner.

Results summary

The following is a visual summary of the past results of Miss Illinois 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. Awards received by contestants competing as Miss Chicago at the national pageant are denoted with a "*".

Placements

* Miss Americas: Lois Delander (

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 ...

), Judith Ford (

1969 This year is notable for Apollo 11's first landing on the moon. Events January * January 4 – The Government of Spain hands over Ifni to Morocco. * January 5 **Ariana Afghan Airlines Flight 701 crashes into a house on its approach to ...

), Marjorie Vincent (

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...

), Katherine Shindle (

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

Erika Harold Erika Natalie Louise Harold (born February 20, 1980) is an American attorney, politician, and former Miss America. Harold was Miss Illinois 2002 and Miss America 2003. Her pageant platform was combating bullying. In 2014, she was a candidate i ...

(

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A ...

) * 1st runners-up: Bette Brunk* (1942), Sandra Truitt (1982), Jade Smalls (2000) * 2nd runners-up: Trudi Germi (1949), Florence Gallagher* (1956), Jean Ahern (1975) * 3rd runners-up: Arlene Causey (1936), Elaine Steinbach* (1944), Jeri Zimmermann (1990) * 4th runners-up: Margaret Leigh (1924), Jo Hoppe* (1953), Tracy Hayes (1996) * Top 10: Patricia Hayes (1942), Marjorie Nelson* (1943), Adrianne Falcon* (1952), Regina Dombeck* (1955), Sandra Jean Stuart* (1957), Suzanne Ingeborg Johnson (1960), Colleen Metternich (1974), Hannah Smith (2011), Megan Jo Ervin (2012), Isabelle Hanson (2022) * Top 11: Monica Nia Jones (2023) * Top 12: Betty June King (1944) * Top 13: Lee Mercer Wieland* (1945) * Top 15: Ethel Lorraine Lodbell (1939),

Lois Nettleton Lois June Nettleton (August 16, 1927 – January 18, 2008) was an American film, stage, radio, and television actress. She received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won two Daytime Emmy Awards. Early life Lois Nettleton was born on Aug ...

* (1948), Teresa Giorgian* (1949), Abby Foster (2018) * Top 16: Patricia Frye (1946),

Cloris Leachman Cloris Leachman (April 30, 1926 – January 27, 2021) was an American actress and comedian whose career spanned nearly eight decades. She won many accolades, including eight Primetime Emmy Awards from 22 nominations, making her the most nomina ...

* (1946), Marjorie Adams* (1951) Illinois holds a record of 36 placements at

Awards

Preliminary awards

* Preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness: Bette Brunk* (1942), Trudi Germi (1949), Jo Hoppe* (1953), Sandra Stuart* (1957), Pamela Gilbert (1963), Judith Ford (1969), Jeri Zimmermann (1990), Tracy Hayes (1996), Megan Jo Ervin (2013) * Preliminary Talent: Suzanne Ingeborg Johnson (1960), Judith Ford (1969), Colleen Metternich (1974), Jean Ahern (1975), Sandra Truitt (1982), Marjorie Vincent (1991), Katherine Shindle (1998),

Jenny Powers Jennifer Diane Powers (born August 29, 1979) is an American actress, singer, and beauty pageant contestant. She won the title of Miss Illinois in 2000, and has had major roles in Broadway productions such as ''Little Women'' and '' Grease''. E ...

(2001), Isabelle Hanson (2021) * Preliminary Interview:

(2003) * Preliminary On-Stage Interview:

(2003)

Non-finalist awards

* Non-finalist Talent: Audra Deckmann* (1959), Margaret McDowell* (1961), Vicky Joyce Nutter (1961), Donnalyn Freund* (1963), Dulcie Scripture (1970), Debra Carlson (1979), Blythe Sawyer (1981), Cindi Hodgkins (1988), Cheryl Majercik (1992), Kathleen Farrell (1993), Sara Martin (1994), Chuti Tiu (1995), Amanda Jo Meadows (1999),

(2001)

Other awards

* Miss Congeniality: Patsy Bruce (1955) * America's Choice: Abby Foster (2018), Monica Nia Jones (2023) * Charles & Theresa Brown Scholarship: Marisa Buchheit (2015) * Equity & Justice Scholarship Award Finalists: Ariel Beverly (2020) * Overall Interview Award:

(2003) * Quality of Life Award Winners: Cheryl Majercik (1992) * STEM Scholarship Award Winners: Jaryn Franklin (2017)

Winners

;Notes

References

External links

Official website
{{Miss America state Illinois culture

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

Women in Illinois Recurring events established in 1927 1927 establishments in Illinois