Miss South Carolina USA
The Miss South Carolina USA competition, previously known as Miss South Carolina Universe, is the pageant that selects the representative for the state South Carolina in the Miss USA pageant, and the name of the title held by that winner. The pageant has been produced by Paula Miles, the sister of Miss South Carolina USA 1979, Janice McDonald, since 1980, and it has been directed by RPM Productions.
Miriam Stevenson, South Carolina's first Miss USA and the United States' first Miss Universe, was also the first Miss USA winner to have competed at Miss America. She was the first woman to have competed at Miss America, Miss USA, and Miss Universe. South Carolina's second Miss USA was Shawn Weatherly, who also went on to win Miss Universe.
Six Miss South Carolina USAs have also held the Miss South Carolina Teen USA title and competed at Miss Teen USA. Two have also competed at Miss America.
Miss South Carolina USA titleholders have also competed at two other major international pageants. Gina Tolleson, first runner-up at Miss USA 1990, went on to win the Miss World crown that year, and Miss South Carolina USA 2004, Amanda Pennekamp, has also competed at the Miss Earth 2006 pageant where she made the top 16.
Hannah Jane Curry of Greer was crowned Miss South Carolina USA 2020 on November 23, 2019 at North Charleston Coliseum & Performing Arts Center in North Charleston. She will represent South Carolina for the title of Miss USA 2020.
Gallery of titleholders
Results summary
- Miss USAs: Miriam Stevenson, Shawn Weatherly, Lu Parker
- 1st runners-up: Mary Kemp Griffin, Betty Cherry, Vickie Chesser, Gina Tolleson, Amanda Pennekamp
- 2nd runners-up: Eva Engle, Allison Grisso, Audra Wallace
- 3rd runner-up: Virginia Murray
- 5th runner-up: Megan Pinckney
- Top 5: Lauren Poppell, Megan Gordon
- Top 8/Top 10/12: Susan Gordon, Maribeth Curry, April Abel, Kelli Gosnell, Lisa Rabon, Ashley Williams, Anna Hanks, Lacie Lybrand, Stephanie Murray Smith, Courtney Turner, Christina Zapolski
- Top 15/16/19: Susan Anthony Day, Sara Stone, Jean Spotts, Patricia Ann Moss, Cecelia Yoder, Vicki Harrison, Ashley Zais, Jamie Hill, Erika Powell, Leah Lawson
Awards
- Miss Congeniality: Kiki Kirkland
- Miss Photogenic: Sonja Glenn
- Best State Costume: Vicki Chesser, Virginia Murray
- Best in Swimsuit: Lauren Poppell
Winners
| Year | Name | Hometown | Age1 | Placement at Miss USA | Special awards at Miss USA | Notes |
| 2020 | Hannah Jane Curry | Greer | 20 | TBA | TBA | |
| 2019 | MaKenzie Divina | Anderson | 21 | Previously Miss South Carolina Teen United States 2016 | ||
| 2018 | Tori Sizemore | Anderson | 22 |
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| 2017 | Megan Gordon | North Augusta | 23 | Top 5 | ||
| 2016 | Leah Lawson | Laurens | 21 | Top 15 | Auditioned on American Idol season 14 and eliminated during Hollywood Week | |
| 2015 | Sarah Weishuhn | Goose Creek | 20 | |||
| 2014 | Christina Zapolski | Charleston | 22 | Top 10 | Contestant on Hunted | |
| 2013 | Megan Pinckney | North Charleston | 21 | 5th runner-up | Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2010 | |
| 2012 | Erika Powell | Greenville | 26 | Top 16 | ||
| 2011 | Courtney Turner | North Augusta | 20 | Top 8 | Previously Miss United States Teen 2009 | |
| 2010 | Rachel Law | Greenville | 21 | |||
| 2009 | Stephanie Murray Smith | Goose Creek | 21 | Top 10 | Contestant on The Amazing Race 17 | |
| 2008 | Jamie Hill | Columbia | 24 | Top 15 | Contestant on The Amazing Race 10 | |
| 2007 | Ashley Zais | Newberry | 20 | Top 15 | ||
| 2006 | Lacie Lybrand | Lexington | 23 | Top 10 | Miss United States 2002 | |
| 2005 | Sarah Medley | North Charleston | 18 | Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2001 | ||
| 2004 | Amanda Pennekamp | Columbia | 22 | 1st runner-up | ||
| 2003 | Anna Hanks | Belton | 21 | Top 10 | Miss United States 2005 | |
| 2002 | Ashley Williams | Little Mountain | 20 | Top 12 | ||
| 2001 | Candace Richards | Fountain Inn | 24 | |||
| 2000 | Lisa Rabon | Myrtle Beach | 21 | Top 10 | ||
| 1999 | Lauren Poppell | Rock Hill | 23 | Top 5 | Best in Swimsuit | |
| 1998 | Sonja Glenn | Chesnee | 21 | Miss Photogenic | ||
| 1997 | Casey Mizell | Irmo | 22 | |||
| 1996 | Lysa Jackson | Charleston | 19 | |||
| 1995 | Danielle Corley | Lexington | 23 | |||
| 1994 | Lu Parker | Charleston | 26 | Miss USA 1994 | Top 6 finalist at Miss Universe 1994 | |
| 1993 | Kelli Gosnell | Pacolet | 22 | Semi-finalist | ||
| 1992 | Audra Wallace | Charleston | 22 | 2nd Runner-up | 2nd runner up at Miss World USA 1993 | |
| 1991 | Traci Rufty | Columbia | 21 | |||
| 1990 | Gina Tolleson | Spartanburg | 20 | 1st Runner-up | Later Miss World America 1990 and Miss World 1990 | |
| 1989 | Angela Shuler | Rock Hill | 21 | Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 1986 | ||
| 1988 | April Abel | Johnston | 20 | Semi-finalist | ||
| 1987 | Elizabeth Woodard | Aiken | 21 | Previously Miss South Carolina Teen USA 1983 | ||
| 1986 | Maribeth Curry | Mauldin | 20 | Semi-finalist | ||
| 1985 | Ann Margarete Hughes | Charleston | ||||
| 1984 | Ginger Greer | Lugoff | ||||
| 1983 | Allison Grisso | Columbia | 21 | 2nd Runner-up | ||
| 1982 | Margo Wood | Columbia | ||||
| 1981 | Zade Turner | Myrtle Beach | 21 | |||
| 1980 | Shawn Weatherly | Sumter | 20 | Miss USA 1980 | Miss Universe 1980 | |
| 1979 | Janice McDonald | Myrtle Beach | Co-founder of RPM Productions with her sister Paula Miles | |||
| 1978 | Kathryn Threatt | Pickens | ||||
| 1977 | Pam Hoover | Florence | ||||
| 1976 | Virginia Murray | Chester | 3rd Runner-up | Best Costume | Flight attendant and survivor of United Airlines Flight 232 | |
| 1975 | Robin Morris | Greenville | ||||
| 1974 | Carol Lynn Hollis | Rock Hill | ||||
| 1973 | Kiki Kirkland | Newberry | 21 | Congeniality | ||
| 1972 | Susan Gordon | Rock Hill | Semi-finalist | Non-finalist at Miss World USA 1970 representing South Carolina | ||
| 1971 | Eunice Campbell | Eastover | ||||
| 1970 | Vicki Chesser | Mt. Pleasant | 19 | 1st Runner-up | Best Costume | |
| 1969 | Eva Engle | Columbia | 2nd Runner-up | |||
| 1968 | Kathryn Knoy | |||||
| 1967 | Hope Patterson | |||||
| 1966 | Joselyn Alarie | |||||
| 1965 | Vicki Harrison | Semi-finalist | ||||
| 1964 | Judy Kennedy | |||||
| 1963 | Cecelia Yoder | Semifinalist | Represented South Carolina in Miss USA World 1963 but did not place. | |||
| 1962 | Judy Clyburn | |||||
| 1961 | Yvonne Quick | |||||
| 1960 | Margaret Thompson | |||||
| 1959 | Mary Powell | |||||
| 1958 | Patricia Ann Moss | Semi-finalist | ||||
| 1957 | Jean Spotts | Semi-finalist | ||||
| 1956 | Betty Cherry | Columbia | 1st Runner-up | Later Miss World USA 1956, 1st runner up at Miss World 1956. | ||
| 1955 | Sara Stone | Semi-finalist | ||||
| 1954 | Miriam Stevenson | Winnsboro | 20 | Miss USA 1954 | Miss Universe 1954Previously Miss South Carolina 1953 | |
| 1953 | Mary Kemp Griffin | 1st runner-up | She competed as Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, represented the US at Miss World 1953, and finished as 5th runner-up | |||
| 1953 | Susan Anthony Day | Semi-finalist | ||||
| 1952 | Margie Allen |
1 Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant