Miss Kansas USA
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 , one second runner-up, one third runner-up, and one fourth runner-up, among others. All but three of Kansas's ten placements have been runners-up.
Seven former Miss Kansas Teen USAs went on to win the Miss title, and also two Miss Missouri Teen USAs.
Hayden Brax of Leawood was crowned Miss Kansas USA 2020 on January 19, 2020 at Lied Center of Kansas in Lawrence. She will represent Kansas for the title of Miss USA 2020.
Gallery of titleholders
Results summary
Placements
- Miss USAs: Kelli McCarty
- 1st runners-up: Danielle Boatwright, Lindsay Douglas
- 2nd runners-up: Tavia Shackles, Cara Gorges
- Top 5/6: Kimberlee Girrens, Tiffany Meyer
- Top 10/12: Brenda Kopmeyer , Carol Hovenkamp, Alyssa Klinzing
- Top 15: Bethany Gerber
Awards
- Best State Costume: Tavia Shackles
- Most Beautiful Eyes: Tavia Shackles
- Best in Swimsuit: Danielle Boatwright
Titleholders
| Year | Name | Hometown | Age1 | Placement at Miss USA | Special awards at Miss USA | Notes |
| 2020 | Hayden Brax | Leawood | 20 | TBA | Cousin of Hope Driskill, Miss Missouri USA 2011 | |
| 2019 | Alyssa Klinzing | Olathe | 20 | Top 10 |
| |
| 2018 | Melanie Shaner | Overland Park | 20 | |||
| 2017 | Catherine Carmichael | Manhattan | 25 | |||
| 2016 | Victoria Wiggins | Junction City | 24 | |||
| 2015 | Alexis Railsback | Shawnee | 19 | |||
| 2014 | Audrey Banach | Kansas City | 22 | |||
| 2013 | Staci Klinginsmith | Lenexa | 26 | |||
| 2012 | Gentry Miller | Kansas City | 24 | |||
| 2011 | Jaymie Stokes | Lenexa | 20 | |||
| 2010 | Bethany Gerber | Winfield | 21 | Top 15, Finishing in 13th Place | Featured in January 2011 issue of Industrial Engineer about her titleholding role | |
| 2009 | Courtney Courter | Olathe | 23 | |||
| 2008 | Michelle Gillespie | Mission Hills | 22 | |||
| 2007 | Cara Gorges | Clearwater | 19 | 2nd runner-up | ||
| 2006 | Ashley Aull | Lansing | 20 | |||
| 2005 | Rachel Saunders | Tonganoxie | 21 | |||
| 2004 | Lisa Forbes | Overland Park | 22 | Later Miss Earth USA 2007, USA representative to Miss Earth 2007. | ||
| 2003 | Alicia Cabrera | Leawood | 23 | |||
| 2002 | Lindsay Douglas | Lawrence | 23 | 1st Runner-up | ||
| 2001 | Kristie Knox | Hutchinson | 25 | |||
| 2000 | Tiffany Meyer | 25 | Top 5 | Previously Miss Missouri Teen USA 1992 Top 6 at Miss Teen USA 1994 | ||
| 1999 | Leah Darby | Wellington | ||||
| 1998 | Cammie Morisseau | Wichita | 18 | |||
| 1997 | Kathryn Taylor | Overland Park | 24 | |||
| 1996 | Danielle Boatwright | Tonganoxie | 20 | 1st Runner-up | Best in Swimsuit | Previously Miss Kansas Teen USA 1992 2nd runner up at Miss Teen USA 1992, sports broadcaster and winner of |
| 1995 | Deborah Daulton | Salina | 18 | |||
| 1994 | Carol Hovenkamp | Overland Park | 19 | Top 12 Semi-finalist, Finishing in 11th Place | ||
| 1993 | Tavia Shackles | Shawnee | 21 | 2nd Runner-up | Best State Costume & Most Beautiful Eyes Award | Previously Miss Missouri Teen USA 1990 and top 12 at Miss Teen USA 1990. Later married Clark Hunt. |
| 1992 | Kimberlee Girrens | Wichita | 26 | Top 6 Finalist, Finishing in 5th Place | Previously Miss Kansas Teen USA 1986, Later Mrs. Kansas America 2004 under her married name, Kimberlee Easter. | |
| 1991 | Kelli McCarty | Liberal | 21 | Miss USA 1991 | Top 6 finalist at Miss Universe 1991Starred as Beth Wallace in the NBC show Passions | |
| 1990 | Rebecca Porter | Wichita | ||||
| 1989 | Nancy Burris | Colby | ||||
| 1988 | Cynthia Decker | Manhattan | ||||
| 1987 | Martina Castle | Overland Park | ||||
| 1986 | Audra Ockerman | Wichita | Mother of Claire-Bailey Lee Miss Kansas Teen USA 2014 | |||
| 1985 | Jill Denzin | Leawood | ||||
| 1984 | Elizabeth Johnson | Prairie View | ||||
| 1983 | Renee Ruch | Mission | Julia Renee Talge, Lake Quivera, First Runner-Up | |||
| 1982 | Stefani Larson | Overland Park | ||||
| 1981 | Missy Kaser | Wichita | ||||
| 1980 | Lisa Boyd | Wichita | ||||
| 1979 | Linda Shields | Lawrence | ||||
| 1978 | Mary Bell | Wichita | ||||
| 1977 | Sherry Brane | Wichita | ||||
| 1976 | Deborah Vitera | Ottawa | ||||
| 1975 | Robbin Loomas | Overland Park | ||||
| 1974 | Lorraine Breckenridge | Wichita | ||||
| 1973 | Brenda Kopmeyer | Overland Park | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1972 | Mona Guesnier | Great Bend | ||||
| 1971 | Nancy Bishop | Overland Park | ||||
| 1970 | Norma Decker | Tecumseh | ||||
| 1969 | Molly McGugin | Frankfurt | ||||
| 1968 | Anne Layton | Baldwin City | ||||
| 1967 | Regina Wolfe | |||||
| 1966 | Pat Ravenscroft | Overland Park | ||||
| 1965 | Linda Bergsten | |||||
| 1964 | Barbara Ford | |||||
| 1963 | Diane Victoria Stalker | |||||
| 1962 | Linda Light | |||||
| 1961 | Dixie Cook | |||||
| 1960 | Peggy Patterson | |||||
| 1955-59 | No Representative | |||||
| 1954 | Sue Ravencroft | |||||
| 1953 | No Representative | |||||
| 1952 | Bette Renick |
1 Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant