The Miss Texas USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

in the Miss USA pageant, and the name of the title held by that winner. This pageant is part of the Miss USA Organization, owned by Texas native Crystle Stewart, herself a Miss USA for 2008. The pageant is currently held in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

. It has previously been hosted by

El Paso El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the s ...

San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , s ...

, South Padre Island, Lubbock and Laredo. It was televised from 1971 to 2009. The current titleholder is R'Bonney Gabriel of

and was crowned on July 2, 2022 at Hilton Houston Post Oak in Houston. She represented Texas at Miss USA 2022 and won, earning her the right to represent the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Miss Universe 2022 Miss Universe 2022 will be the 71st Miss Universe pageant, to be held at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States on January 14, 2023. Harnaaz Sandhu of India will crown her successor at the end of the e ...

. Gabriel also won the Best State Costume award in the pageant, bringing their winners up to four and tying them with Alaska for the most "Best State Costume" award winners in the pageant.

Background

Unlike the rest of Miss and Teen state pageants in the Miss USA system have annually scheduled at the same time, this Miss and Teen pageants in Texas are held separately in different months, the Miss pageant goes first and is held on first Sunday of September every year. Those events have affected from the regular September schedule such as the 2018 pageant was held in January 2018 due to

Hurricane Harvey Hurricane Harvey was a devastating Category 4 hurricane that made landfall on Texas and Louisiana in August 2017, causing catastrophic flooding and more than 100 deaths. It is tied with 2005's Hurricane Katrina as the costliest t ...

devastated the pageant's host city,

; and the 2021 pageant was held in September 2021 due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, exactly a year originally planned for September 2020. Ten Miss Texas USA titleholders have won the Miss USA title, including

Chelsi Smith Chelsi Mariam Pearl Smith (August 23, 1973 – September 8, 2018) was an American actress, singer, television host and beauty queen who was crowned Miss USA 1995 and Miss Universe 1995. Smith was the third Miss USA of African-American origin, af ...

, has been crowned

Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by a United States and Thailand based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stre ...

. In the 1980s Texas won the Miss USA title five consecutive years from 1985 to 1989, a streak known as the "Texas Aces". Prior to this no state had ever won the Miss USA pageant more than two times in succession. Past state directors have included Richard Guy and Rex Holt, "GuyRex" and Al and Gail Clark of "The Crystal Group". Contestants enter by winning local pageants or may choose to compete "at large" with an assigned title. In 2001 a record number of former Miss Texas Teen USA winners, six, competed for the Miss Texas USA 2002 title.

Texas Aces

Prior to the 1980s, no other state had won more than two Miss USA pageants in succession (the only two states to win twice in succession were

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

in 1969-1970 and

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

in 1973–1974). The five Texan Miss USA winners were all coached by "GuyRex", Richard Guy and Rex Holt, who held the Texas franchise from 1975. The term was first used in 1988 after Gibbs became their fourth consecutive titleholder, with Guy referring to the four queens as "four aces in a deck of cards", with their fifth titleholder, Kim Tomes (1977) as the "wildcard". The following year Gretchen Polhemus became the fifth and final "ace". The term is still in use. As well as directing the Texas pageant, GuyRex also acquired the

Miss California USA Miss California USA is the beauty pageant that selects the representative for the state of California in the Miss USA pageant, and the name of the title held by that winner. The pageant is directed by Crown Diva Productions. California's most ...

franchise in 1986. In 1988, Diana Magaña of California placed first runner-up to Gibbs, the fourth ace. The two had both undergone extensive preparation by GuyRex, and even lived together prior to the pageant. The five Aces were: *1985 - Laura Martinez-Herring (Miss USA, Top 10 at Miss Universe 1985) *1986 -

Christy Fichtner Christiane Crane Fichtner (born October 28, 1962) is an American actress and beauty queen who won Miss USA 1986. In 2003, she participated in '' Who Wants to Marry My Dad?''. Early life and education Her father is named Clifton Wales Fichtner. ...

(Miss USA, 1st runner-up at Miss Universe 1986) *1987 -

Michelle Royer Michelle Renee Royer-Jefferson (born January 5, 1966) is an American television personality and beauty queen who won Miss USA 1987 and second runner-up to Miss Universe 1987. Early life Prior to competing in Miss Texas USA, Jefferson grew up i ...

(Miss USA, 2nd runner-up at Miss Universe 1987) *1988 -

Courtney Gibbs Courtney Ann Gibbs-Mokarow (née Gibbs; born August 20, 1966) is an American actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 1988 and Top 10 semifinalist at Miss Universe 1988. Miss USA Born to Charles Gaylord Gibbs and Susan Eckar ...

(Miss USA, Top 10 at Miss Universe 1988) *1989 -

Gretchen Polhemus Gretchen Lynn Polhemus-Jensen (born May 12, 1965) is an American actress, journalist, and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 1989 and second runner-up to . Early life Prior to competing in Miss Texas USA, Jensen was working as a cattle ...

(Miss USA, 2nd runner-up at Miss Universe 1989)

Gallery

File:Lauren Guzman, Miss Texas USA.jpg, Lauren Guzman, Miss Texas Teen USA 2008 and Miss Texas USA 2014 File:Crystle Stewart 2014.jpg, Crystle Stewart, Miss Texas USA 2008 and

Miss USA 2008 Miss USA 2008 was the 57th Miss USA pageant, held in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 11, 2008. At the conclusion of the final night of competition, Crystle Stewart of Texas was crowned the winner by outgoing titleholder Rachel Smith of Tennessee. ...

(pictured in 2014) File:Stephanie Guerrero headshot.jpg, Stephanie Guerrero, Miss Texas USA 2004 File:Nicole OBrian.png, Nicole O'Brian, Miss Texas Teen USA 2000 and Miss Texas USA 2003 File:KandaceKrueger1cropped.jpg,

Kandace Krueger Kandace Gayle Krueger Matthews (born May 27, 1976) is an American journalist, singer, TV Host and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 2001 and represented the United States in the Miss Universe 2001 where she placed second runner-up. She i ...

, Miss Texas USA 2001 and

Miss USA 2001 Miss USA 2001 was the 50th Miss USA pageant, held at the Genesis Convention Center in Gary, Indiana on March 2, 2001. The event was won by Kandace Krueger of Texas, who was crowned by outgoing queen Lynnette Cole of Tennessee. The pageant was ...

File:MichelleRoyer.jpg,

, Miss Texas USA 1987 and

Miss USA 1987 Miss USA 1987 was the 36th Miss USA pageant, televised live on February 17 from Albuquerque, New Mexico on CBS. The ceremonies were hosted for the last time by Bob Barker. At the conclusion of the final competition, Michelle Royer of Texas was cro ...

File:ChristyFichtner.jpg,

, Miss Texas USA 1986 and

Miss USA 1986 Miss USA 1986 was the 35th Miss USA pageant, televised live on May 20 from Miami, Florida on CBS. The ceremonies were hosted by Bob Barker. At the conclusion of the final competition, Christy Fichtner of Texas was crowned Miss USA, becoming the ...

File:Laura Harring 2011.jpg, Laura Martinez Harring, Miss Texas USA 1985 and

Miss USA 1985 Miss USA 1985 was the 34th Miss USA pageant, televised live from the Lakeland Civic Auditorium in Lakeland, Florida on May 13, 1985, in honor of the city's centennial anniversary with a special cameo appearance by Mayor Thomas R. Shaw. At the con ...

(pictured in 2011) File:Lisa Allred Miss Texas USA 1983.png, Lisa Allred, Miss Texas USA 1983

Results summary

Placements

*Miss USAs: Kimberly Tomes (1977), Laura Martinez Herring (1985),

(1986),

(1987),

(1988),

(1989),

(1995),

(2001), Crystle Stewart (2008),

R'Bonney Gabriel R'Bonney Nola Gabriel (born March 20, 1994) is an American beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss USA 2022. Gabriel will represent the United States at Miss Universe 2022. Early life and education Gabriel was born in Houston, Texas to ...

(2022) *1st runners-up: Carelgean Douglas (1959), Diane Balloun (1964), Brenda Box (1971), Luann Caughey (1982), Lisa Allred (1983), Ylianna Guerra (2015) *2nd runners-up: Barbara Horan (1978), Nicole O'Brian (2003) *3rd runners-up: Betty Lee (1954), Ana Rodriguez (2011) *4th runners-up: Jo Dodson (1956), Aundie Evers (1975), Alexandria Nugent (2013) *Top 5/6/8: Christine Friedel (1994), Amanda Little (1997), Holly Mills (1998), Victoria Hinojosa (2021) *Top 10/11/12: Lavonne McConnell (1973), Candace Gray (1976), Anne Hinnant (1979), Barbara Buckley (1980), Diana Durnford (1981), Laura Shaw (1984), Stephanie Kuehne (1990), Katie Young (1992), Angie Sisk (1993), Kara Williams (1996), Kasi Kelly (2002), Lauren Lanning (2006), Magen Ellis (2007), Brooke Daniels (2009), Brittany Booker (2012) *Top 15: Joan Bradshaw (1953), Mary Daughters (1955), Gloria Hunt (1957), Linda Daugherty (1958), Jackie Williams (1962), Phillis Johnson (1965), Dorothy Pickens (1966), Bonnie Robinson (1967), Sandy Drewes (1969), Diane Swendeman (1970), Stephanie Guerrero (2004), Tyler Willis (2005), Logan Lester (2018) Texas holds a record of 55 placements at Miss USA, being placed first overall.

Awards

* Miss Congeniality: Diane Swendeman (1970), Chelsi Smith (1995) * Miss Photogenic: Susan Peters (1972), Lisa Allred (1983), Laura Shaw (1984), Tyler Willis (2005) * Best State Costume: Lavonne McConnell (1973), Kimberly Tomes (1977), Barbara Horan (1978),

(2022) * Best in Swimsuit: Chelsi Smith (1995)

Winners

;Color key

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miss Texas Usa

Texas culture Women in Texas