Miss USA 2018
Miss USA 2018 was the 67th Miss USA pageant. It was held on May 21, 2018 at the Hirsch Memorial Coliseum in Shreveport, Louisiana. Nick Lachey and Vanessa Lachey hosted for the first time, while Carson Kressley and Lu Sierra served as commentators. Additionally, it featured performances by 98 Degrees and Lee Brice. Kára McCullough of District of Columbia crowned her successor Sarah Rose Summers of Nebraska at the end of the event, becoming the first woman from her state to win the title. Summers represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2018 pageant on December 17, 2018 in Bangkok, and placed in the top 20.
The pageant was held at the same venue that was used for Miss USA 1997.
For the first time, the Miss Teen USA 2018 pageant was held concurrently, with the finals of the Teen competition being held just prior to the Miss USA competition.
Background
Location
On March 19, 2018, the Miss Universe Organization confirmed that the pageant would be held on May 21 at the Hirsch Memorial Coliseum in Shreveport, Louisiana, this was the fifth time Louisiana hosting the pageant, and Shreveport was hosted twice, in 1997 and 1998. At the same time, it was announced Nick Lachey and Vanessa Lachey would be hosting the event.Selection of participants
Delegates from 50 states and the District of Columbia were selected in state pageants held between September 2017 and January 2018. Texas was initially to be the first pageant that was originally scheduled on September 3, 2017, but was pushed to January 6, 2018 due to Hurricane Harvey hit that pageant's host city, Houston. However, Illinois was actually the first pageant of the 2018 edition held on September 4, 2017. The final pageants were Kentucky and New Mexico, held on January 28, 2018. Ten of them were former Miss Teen USA state winners, three of them were former Miss America state winners and one was former Miss World Puerto Rico who competed in Miss World 2014.Results
§ – Winner of the fan voteSpecial award
Historical significance
- Nebraska wins competition for the first time and surpasses its previous highest placement in 1955. Also becoming the 35th state who does it for the first time.
- North Carolina earns the 1st runner-up position for the first time and reaches its highest placement since Kristen Dalton won in 2009.
- Nevada earns the 2nd runner-up position for the fifth time. The last time it placed this was in 1970. Also this reaches its highest placement since 2015.
- Florida finishes as Top 5 for the third time. The last time it was placed in 1997.
- South Dakota finishes as Top 5 for the first time and surpasses its previous highest placement in 2016, reaching the highest placement ever for this state.
- States that placed in semifinals the previous year were California, New Jersey and Tennessee.
- California placed for the third consecutive year.
- New Jersey and Tennessee made their second consecutive placement.
- Georgia and South Dakota last placed in 2016.
- Maryland, Michigan, Nevada and Texas, last placed in 2015.
- Florida and Nebraska last placed in 2014.
- North Carolina and Massachusetts last placed in 2013.
- Maine last placed in 2012.
- Oregon last placed in 2004.
- District of Columbia breaks an ongoing streak of placements and wins since 2016.
- Missouri and South Carolina break an ongoing streak of placements since 2016.
Pageant
Preliminary round
Prior to the final competition, the delegates competed in the preliminary competition, which involves private interviews with the judges and a presentation show where they compete in swim wear and evening gown and was held on May 17, hosted by Erin Lim and Kára McCullough.Finals
Much like in recent years, the contestants were increased back to 15 semifinalists, from 2016. In the final competition, the top 15 competed in swim wear, while the top 10 also competed in evening gown. The top five also competed in a question round against current affairs, while the final three also competed in the final question round and a final runway, and the winner was decided by a panel of judges alongside the two runners-up.Judges
- Natasha Curry – television host, news anchor, and Miss Washington USA 1998
- Jamie Kern Lima – businesswoman, reality television personality, and Miss Washington USA 2000
- Crystle Stewart – Miss USA 2008 from Texas
- Liliana Vasquez – host and producer
- Denise White – businesswoman and Miss Oregon USA 1994
- Paula Shugart – Chairman of the Miss Universe Organization
Contestants
State | Contestant | Age | Height | Hometown | Placement | Notes |
Alabama | Hannah Brown | 23 | Tuscaloosa | Contestant on season 23 of The Bachelor, star of season 15 of The Bachelorette, and winner of season 28 of Dancing with the Stars | ||
Alaska | Brooke Johnson | 25 | Anchorage | |||
Arizona | Nicole Smith | 24 | Phoenix | |||
Arkansas | Lauren Weaver | 21 | Greenwood | Previously Miss Arkansas Teen USA 2014 | ||
California | Kelley Johnson | 25 | Los Angeles | Top 10 | Previously Miss Colorado 2015 | |
Colorado | Chloe Brown | 22 | Grand Junction | Previously Miss Colorado Teen USA 2013 | ||
Connecticut | Jamie Hughes | 27 | Stamford | |||
Delaware | Sierra Wright | 20 | Wilmington | Previously Miss Delaware Teen USA 2015 | ||
Bryce Armstrong | 21 | |||||
Florida | Génesis Dávila | 27 | Miami | Top 5 | Previously Miss World Puerto Rico 2014. Originally crowned Miss Florida USA 2017, but was later dethroned | |
Georgia | Marianny Egurrola | 25 | Buford | Top 10 | ||
Hawaii | Julianne Chu | 26 | Honolulu | Previously Miss Hawaii Teen USA 2010 | ||
Idaho | Téa Draganović | 21 | Boise | |||
Illinois | Karolina Jasko | 20 | Franklin Park | |||
Indiana | Darrian Arch | 23 | Chesterton | Previously Miss Indiana Teen USA 2013 | ||
Iowa | Jenny Valliere | 27 | Cedar Rapids | |||
Kansas | Melanie Shaner | 20 | Overland Park | Previously Miss Kansas Teen USA 2015 | ||
Kentucky | Braea Tilford | 25 | Louisville | |||
Louisiana | Lauren Vizza | 28 | Shreveport | Previously Miss Louisiana 2012 | ||
Maine | Marina Gray | 22 | Top 10 | |||
Maryland | Brittinay Nicolette | 26 | Fallston | Top 15 | ||
Massachusetts | Allissa Latham | 27 | Lowell | Top 15 | ||
Michigan | Elizabeth Johnson | 25 | Detroit | Top 15 | ||
Minnesota | Kalie Wright | 25 | Eagle Bend | Previously National Sweetheart 2014 and Miss Idaho 2015 | ||
Mississippi | Laine Mansour | 21 | Tupelo | |||
Missouri | Tori Kruse | 27 | Camdenton | |||
Montana | Dani Walker | 28 | Billings | Previously National American Miss California Jr. Teen 2006 & National American Miss California Teen 2009. Competed in Miss California USA several times. | ||
Nebraska | 23 | Omaha | Miss USA 2018 | Previously Miss Nebraska Teen USA 2012 | ||
Nevada | Carolina Urrea | 23 | Sunrise Manor | 2nd runner-up | Contestant in Nuestra Belleza Latina 2013 and 2015 | |
New Hampshire | Michelle McEwan | 25 | Harrisville | |||
New Jersey | Alexa Noone | 23 | Bayonne | Top 10 | ||
New Mexico | Kristen Leyva | 23 | Las Cruces | |||
New York | Genesis Suero | 26 | Brooklyn | |||
North Carolina | Caelynn Miller-Keyes | 22 | Asheville | 1st runner-up | Previously Miss Virginia Teen USA 2013. Contestant on season 23 of The Bachelor and season six of Bachelor in Paradise | |
North Dakota | Abigail Pogatshnik | 20 | Bismarck | |||
Ohio | Deneen Penn | 20 | Cortland | |||
Oklahoma | Cheyene Darling | 20 | Edmond | |||
Oregon | Toneata Morgan | 21 | Coquille | Top 15 | ||
Pennsylvania | Olivia Suchko | 22 | Belle Vernon | |||
Rhode Island | 22 | Johnston | ||||
South Carolina | Tori Sizemore | 22 | Anderson | Previously | ||
South Dakota | Madison Nipe | 21 | Madison | Top 5 | ||
Tennessee | Alexandra Harper | 25 | Nashville | Top 10 | Daughter of Miss Tennessee USA 1981, Sharon Kay Steakly | |
Texas | Logan Lester | 23 | Houston | Top 15 | ||
Utah | Narine Ishhanov | 24 | Salt Lake City | Originally from Turkmenistan | ||
Vermont | Maia-Jena Allo | 20 | Colchester | |||
Virginia | Ashley Vollrath | 22 | Blacksburg | |||
Washington | Abigail Hill | 20 | Enumclaw | |||
West Virginia | Casey Lassiter | 21 | Spencer | |||
Wisconsin | Regina Gray | 27 | Milwaukee | Later Miss Surpanational USA 2019 | ||
Wyoming | Callie Bishop | 28 | Laramie | Previously Miss Wyoming Teen USA 2008 |
International broadcasters
Television
- ': Fox
- Africa: DSTV Mzansi Magic
- Asia-Pacific: Fox Life
- ': Venevisión