Miss Pennsylvania USA
Beauty pageant competition
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The Miss Pennsylvania USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Pennsylvania in the Miss USA pageant. It has been previously known as Miss Pennsylvania Universe.[1] This pageant is independently conducted and produced by Proctor Productions based in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was produced by Sanders & Associates, Inc., dba- Pageant Associates based in Buckhannon, West Virginia from 2001 to 2020. Since 2020 the pageant based in Cincinnati, Ohio.[2]
| Formation | 1952 |
|---|---|
| Type | Beauty pageant |
| Headquarters | Cincinnati |
| Location | |
| Members | Miss USA |
Official language | English |
Key people | Melissa Proctor-Pitchford, State Pageant Director |
| Website | Official website |
The annual competition is currently held in Johnstown and has previously been hosted by Harrisburg, Greensburg, Monroeville, and Pittsburgh.[1][3][4]
Michele McDonald, Miss USA 1971, is the only woman from Pennsylvania to win the Miss USA title.[5] At eighteen, she was the youngest competitor ever to win the crown.[6] Their most recent placement came in 2023 when Jasmine Daniels placed 3rd runner-up.
The current titleholder is Rica Clements of York was crowned on August 2, 2025, at Richland Performing Arts Center in Johnstown. She represented Pennsylvania at Miss USA 2025.
Gallery of titleholders
Michele McDonald, Miss Pennsylvania USA 1971 & Miss USA 1971
Kimmarie Johnson, Miss Pennsylvania USA 1993
Tanya Lehman, Miss Pennsylvania USA 2006
Lindsey Nelsen, Miss Pennsylvania USA 2009
Results summary
- Miss USA: Michele McDonald (1971)
- 3rd runner-up: Jasmine Daniels (2023)
- 4th runners-up: LauRen Merola (2008)
- Top 6: Kimmarie Johnson (1993)
- Top 10/12: Sandy Dell (1978), Julie Page (1983), Denise Epps (1989), Brenda Brabham (2005)
- Top 15/16/20: Jeri Bauer (1953), Margaret Lineman (1962), Barbara Ann Woronko (1967), Gina Cerilli (2010), Jessica Billings (2013), Valerie Gatto (2014), Kailyn Marie Perez (2019)
Pennsylvania holds a record of 15 placements at Miss USA.
Awards
- Best State Costume: Julie Page (1983)
- Best in Swimsuit: Barbara Ann Woronko (1967)
- Best in Evening Gown: Jasmine Daniels (2023)
- Miss Photogenic: Sydney Robertson (2021)
Winners
- Color key
- Winner
- Runner-up or Finalist
- Semifinalist
| Year | Name | City | Age[a] | Local title | Placement at Miss USA | Special awards at Miss USA | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Rica Clements | York | 29 | Miss York | |||
| 2024 | Noni Diarra | Philadelphia | 23 | Miss Philadelphia | |||
| 2023 | Jasmine Daniels | Collegeville | 26 | Miss Collegeville | 3rd runner-up | Best in Evening Gown |
|
| 2022 | Billie LaRaé Owens | Phoenixville | 25 | Miss Upper Providence | Daughter of former basketball player Billy Owens | ||
| 2021 | Sydney Robertson | Williamsport | 23 | Miss Williamsport | Miss Photogenic |
| |
| 2020 | Victoria Piekut | Irwin | 23 |
| |||
| 2019 | Kailyn Marie Perez | Camp Hill | 27 | Top 15 |
| ||
| 2018 | Olivia Ann Suchko[9] | Belle Vernon[9] | 21[9] | ||||
| 2017 | Cassandra Lee Angst | Philadelphia | 22 | ||||
| 2016 | Elena Flora LaQuatra[10] | Pittsburgh | 23 | Triple crown winner; deaf since age 4 due to bacterial meningitis[11][12]
| |||
| 2015 | Elizabeth Lee Cardillo[15] | Pittsburgh | 24 | ||||
| 2014 | Valerie Gatto[16] | Pittsburgh | 24 | Top 20[16] | |||
| 2013 | Jessica Billings | Berwyn | 26 | Top 15 | |||
| Title vacant | |||||||
| 2012 | Sheena Monnin | Pittsburgh | 26 | ||||
| 2011 | Amber-Joi Watkins | Philadelphia | 26 | Former Sixers Dancer | |||
| 2010 | Gina Domenica Cerilli | Greensburg | 23 | Top 15 | Former Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader | ||
| 2009 | Lindsey Nelsen | Stewartstown | 21 | ||||
| 2008 | LauRen Merola | Pittsburgh | 23 | 4th runner-up | Former Miami Dolphins Cheerleader | ||
| 2007 | Samantha Johnson | Philadelphia | 22 | ||||
| 2006 | Tanya Lehman | York | 22 | ||||
| 2005 | Brenda Brabham | Philadelphia | 24 | Top 10 | |||
| 2004 | Nicole Georghalli | East Stroudsburg | 25 | ||||
| 2003 | Camille Young | Philadelphia | 23 | ||||
| 2002 | Nicole Bigham | Belle Vernon | 25 |
| |||
| 2001 | Jennifer Ann Watkins | Monongahela | |||||
| 2000 | Angela Patla | Sweet Valley | 26 | ||||
| 1999 | Melissa Godshall | Philadelphia | 25 | ||||
| 1998 | Kimberly Jaycox[18] | Indiana[18] | |||||
| 1997 | Cara Bernosky | Whitehall | |||||
| 1996 | Susan Barnett | Levittown |
| ||||
| 1995 | Stephanie Fallat | Murrysville | |||||
| 1994 | Linda Chiaraluna[3] | Evans City[3] | 23[3] | ||||
| 1993 | Kimmarie Johnson | Pittsburgh | Top 6 | ||||
| 1992 | Catherine Weber[19] | Sarver | |||||
| 1991 | Adrienne Romano | Philadelphia | |||||
| 1990 | Elizabeth Cebak[20][21] | Ross[20] | 23[20] |
| |||
| 1989 | Denise Epps[22][23] | Lansdale[23] | 22[23] | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1988 | Susan Gray[24] | Lansdale[24] | 20[24] | ||||
| 1987 | Lisa Rynkiewicz | Clarksville | |||||
| 1986 | Sherri Fitzpatrick | Quakertown | 23 | 1983 & 1984 Professional Cheerleader for the USFL Philadelphia Stars Football Team; 1985 Professional Cheerleader for the Philadelphia Eagles | |||
| 1985 | Sandra Ferguson[25][26] | Pittsburgh | 18 | Played Amanda Cory on Another World[27] | |||
| 1984 | Tina Albright | Lansford | |||||
| 1983 | Julie Page[28][29] | Belle Vernon[28] | 18[28] | Semi-finalist | Best State Costume | ||
| 1982 | Theresa Rosa[30] | North Versailles[30] | |||||
| 1981 | Nena Stone[31] | Bethel Park[31] | 21[31] | ||||
| 1980 | Andrea Patrick[32] | Connellsville[32] |
| ||||
| 1979 | Maureen Starinsky[34] | Monongahela[34] | 23[34] | ||||
| 1978 | Sandy Dell[35] | Latrobe[35] | 22[35] | Semi-finalist | |||
| 1977 | Lorraine Lincoski | Daisytown | Miss Daisytown | ||||
| 1976 | Marcy Zambelli | Newcastle | |||||
| 1975 | Pat Hurley | Wilkes-Barre | |||||
| 1974 | Dorisann Gatalski | Bethel Park | |||||
| 1973 | Jill Unbewust | Benton | |||||
| 1972 | Jeanie Zadrozny | Pittsburgh | Miss Allegheny | ||||
| 1971 | Michele McDonald | Butler | Miss USA 1971 |
| |||
| 1970 | Carol Cerully | Altoona | |||||
| 1969 | Marlene Vaughn | Philadelphia | 21 | ||||
| 1968 | Barbara Verlander[36] | White Oak | 20[36] | ||||
| 1967 | Barbara Ann Woronko | Edwardsville | 17 | Miss Wilkes-Barre | Semifinalist | Swimsuit Winner | Former Radio City Rockette. |
| 1966 | Susan Joanne Fennell | Philadelphia | |||||
| 1965 | Beverly Rudolph | Philadelphia | |||||
| 1964 | Maryann Reilly | Philadelphia | |||||
| 1963 | Deborah Cardonick | Philadelphia | |||||
| 1962 | Margaret Lineman | Philadelphia | Semi-finalist | ||||
| 1961 | Gayle Nelson | Philadelphia | Miss Chester | ||||
| 1960 | Betsy Reeves | Philadelphia | |||||
| 1959 | Rhoda Mae Kachilo | Philadelphia | |||||
| 1958 | Natalie Dee | Philadelphia | |||||
| 1957 | Rosalie Culp | Philadelphia | |||||
| 1956 | Serena Kifer | Philadelphia | |||||
| 1955 | Marianne Marcus | Philadelphia | |||||
| 1954 | Helen Vidovich | Philadelphia | |||||
| 1953 | Jeri Hauer[37] | Hatboro[37] | Semi-finalist | ||||
| 1952 | Miriam Smith | Philadelphia | |||||
- Notes
- Age at the time of the crowning