Miss Kansas USA

At the conclusion of the Miss Kansas USA and Miss Kansas Teen USA 2008 pageant held in Lawrence, Kansas in December 2007, Michelle Gillespie is crowned by Cara Gorges (left)

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 Vanbros group, under the directorship of Miss Kansas 1998 Jennifer Vannatta-Fisher.

Kansas did not place at Miss USA 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 won the crown. McCarty's win makes Wichita, Kansas 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, winner of Survivor: Guatemala, one second runner-up, one third runner-up, and one fourth runner-up, among others. The most recent placement was Bella Whitlock, placing Top 20.

Seven former Miss Kansas Teen USAs went on to win the Miss title, and also two Miss Missouri Teen USAs (Missouri is also a Vanbros state).

Asia Cymone Smith Wichita was crowned Miss Kansas USA 2025 on March 23, 2025, at Polsky Theater in Overland Park. She will represent Kansas at Miss USA 2025.

Results summary

Placements

  • Miss USAs: Kelli McCarty (1991)
  • 1st runners-up: Danielle Boatwright (1996), Lindsay Douglas (2002)
  • 2nd runners-up: Tavia Shackles (1993), Cara Gorges (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)
  • Top 20: Bella Whitlock (2024)

Kansas holds a record of 14 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

  • Best State Costume: Tavia Shackles (1993)
  • Most Beautiful Eyes: Tavia Shackles (1993)
  • Best in Swimsuit: Danielle Boatwright (1996)

Titleholders

Color key
  •   Declared as Winner
  •   Ended as runner-up
  •   Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists

Notes

References


Uses material from the Wikipedia article Miss Kansas USA, released under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.