Miss New Jersey

For the state pageant affiliated with Miss USA, see Miss New Jersey USA.

The Miss New Jersey competition is an annual pageant held to select the representative for the state of New Jersey in the Miss America pageant.

Miss New Jersey

Formation	1921
Type	Beauty pageant
Headquarters	Newark
Location	New Jersey
Membership	Miss America
Official language	English
Website	Miss New Jersey official website

Two Miss New Jersey winners have gone on to hold the title of Miss America: Bette Cooper who won in 1937 and Suzette Charles who did not win, but took over the title for the last 7 weeks of Vanessa Williams's reign in 1984. They also have one unofficial Miss America: Dorothy Hann (1932).

In the fall of 2018, the Miss America Organization terminated the Miss New Jersey organization's license as well as licenses from Florida, Georgia, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia.^[1][2] On December 26, 2018; MAO reinstated the license for the Miss New Jersey organization for one year, contingent on leadership changes and the recruitment of new sponsors and board members.^[3]

Elizabeth Mendel was crowned Miss New Jersey 2024 on June 8, 2024, at the Superstar Theater in the Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. She will compete for the title of Miss America 2025.

Gallery of past titleholders

• 
  Suzette Charles,
  Miss New Jersey 1983 and Miss America 1984-B
• 
  Toni Georgiana,
  Miss New Jersey 1985
• 
  Ashley Fairfield,
  Miss New Jersey 2008, at the 2008 Montclair 4th of July Parade
• 
  Lindsey Petrosh,
  Miss New Jersey 2012, at the 2012 Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade
• 
  Cierra Kaler-Jones,
  Miss New Jersey 2014

Results summary

The following is a visual summary of the past results of Miss New Jersey titleholders at the national Miss America pageants/competitions. The year in parentheses indicates the year of the national competition during which a placement and/or award was garnered, not the year attached to the contestant's state title.

Placements

• Miss America: Bette Cooper (1937)
• 1st runners-up: Kathryn M. Gearon (1921), Suzette Charles (1984)^[a]
• 2nd runners-up: Cheryl Carter (1970), Suzanne Plummer (1974), Therese Hanley (1981), Jennifer Makris (1995), Kaitlyn Schoeffel (2018)
• 3rd runners-up: Ruth Brady (1938), Madeline Layton (1942), Mary D'Arcy (1978)
• Top 10: Emerita Monsch (1924), Emily Borbach (1924), Kathleen Harris (1943), Betty Jane Crowley (1949), Michele Sexton (1994), Victoria Paige (2000), Jill Horner (2001)
• Top 12: Mary Dillinger (1935), Elizabeth Koehler (1935)
• Top 15: Edith Becker (1924), Helen Corcoran (1925), Frances M. Glowaski (1925), Evelynne Jeanne Crowell (1926), Mildred Morlock (1926), Carolyn Pierson (1927), Margo Lundgren (1939), Delores Mendes (1947), Jennifer Farrell (2004), Jade Glab (2020)
• Top 16: June Stephens (1951)
• Top 18: Gertrude Christman (1933)

Awards

Preliminary awards

• Preliminary Evening Wear: Alicia Luciano (2003)
• Preliminary Lifestyle & Fitness: Suzanne Plummer (1974), Kathy Nejat (1998)
• Preliminary On Stage Interview: Jade Glab (2020)
• Preliminary Talent: Ruth E. Brady (1938), Suzette Charles (1984), Heather Hertling (1993)

Non-finalist awards

• Non-finalist Talent: Marilyn Beryl Rockafellow (1959), Georgia Malick (1963), Linda Gialanella (1973), Debra Naley (1982), Patricia La Terra (1985), Patricia Bowman (1989), Laura Murray (1990), Heather Hertling (1993), Dena Querubin (1996), Kathy Nejat (1998), Stephanie Ferrari (1999), Erica Scanlon (2005), Amy Polumbo (2008)

Other awards

• Miss Congeniality: Betty Jane Crowley (1949) (tie), Patricia Condon (1954)
• Amateur Beauty Award: Kathryn M. Gearon (1921)
• Amateur Beauty Award Second Prize: Mary Elizabeth Edwards (1922)
• Amateur Beauty Award Third Prize: Estelle Marks (1922)
• Jean Bartel Social Impact Initiative 2nd runner-up: Alyssa Sullivan (2022)
• Overall Elegance and Lifestyle Award: Alicia Luciano (2003)
• Quality of Life Award Winners: Dena Querubin (1996), Lindsey Gianinni (2016)
• Quality of Life Award 2nd runners-up: Jill Horner (2001), Ashleigh Udalovas (2011)
• Quality of Life Award Finalists: Jaime Gialloreto (2019), Cierra Kaler-Jones (2014)

Winners

•   Declared as winner
•   Ended as a runner-up
•   Ended as a finalist or semi-finalist

Year	Name	Hometown	Age	Local Title	Miss America Talent	Placement at Miss America	Special scholarships at Miss America	Notes
2024	Elizabeth Mendel		22	Miss South Jersey
2023	Victoria Mozitis	Northfield	22	Miss Cape Shores	Musical Theater Vocal
2022	Augostina Mallous	Cape May Court House	20	Miss Southern Maritime	Acrobatic Dance		Miss America Scholarship Foundation For Fundraising 2nd Runner up.	Previously Miss New Jersey's Outstanding Teen 2017
2021	Alyssa Marie Sullivan[4]		25	Miss Seashore Line	Vocal		Jean Bartel Social Impact Initiative 2nd runner-up	Previously Miss New Jersey's Outstanding Teen 2013
2019–20[b]	Jade Glab[6]	Belmar	19	Miss Central Jersey Beaches	Classical Vocal, "O mio babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi	Top 15[7]	Preliminary On Stage Interview Award[8]	Later Miss DC World America 2023 (2RU at Miss World America 2023)[9]
2018	Jaime Gialloreto[10]	Woolwich Township	18	Miss South Shore	Contemporary Jazz Dance, "Natural Woman"		Quality of Life Award Finalist[11]	Later Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader[12]
2017	Kaitlyn Schoeffel[13]	Egg Harbor Township	24	Miss Eastern Shore	Dance, "SHUT UP + DANCE"	2nd runner-up[14]		Previously Miss New Jersey's Outstanding Teen 2007[15]
2016	Brenna Weick[16]	Mantua Township	22	Miss Seashore Line	Vocal			Previously Miss New Jersey's Outstanding Teen 2009[17] 1st runner-up at Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2010 pageant[18] Top 10 at National Sweetheart 2013 pageant
2015	Lindsey Giannini[19]	Hammonton	21	Miss Central Coast	Jazz Dance, "Celebrate" by Pitbull		Quality of Life Award
2014	Cierra Kaler-Jones[20]	Galloway	21	Miss Coastal Shore	Dance, "Listen" by Beyoncé
2013	Cara McCollum[21]	Princeton	21	Miss Island Resort	Piano, "White Water Chopsticks"			Died on February 22, 2016, after being in a single-vehicle accident a week prior[22]
2012	Lindsey Petrosh[23]	Egg Harbor City	23	Miss Atlantic County	Vocal, "Battle Hymn of the Republic"			Previously Miss New Jersey's Outstanding Teen 2006[24]
2011	Katharyn Nicolle[25]	Wenonah	20	Miss Coastal Shore	Ballet en Pointe, "Theme from Superman"			Previously Miss New Jersey's Outstanding Teen 2008[26]
2010	Ashleigh Udalovas[27]	Millville	22	Miss All State	Tap Dance, "Star Dancer"		Quality of Life Award 2nd runner-up	Contestant at National Sweetheart 2007 & 2008 pageants
2009	Ashley Shaffer[28]	Perrineville	23	Miss Columbus Day	Classical Vocal, "Nessun dorma"
2008	Ashley Fairfield	Egg Harbor Township	22		Jazz Dance, "Man of La Mancha"
2007	Amy Polumbo[29]	Howell	23	Miss Seashore Line	Vocal, "Astonishing" from Little Women		Non-finalist Talent Award
2006	Georgine DiMaria	Lodi	22	Miss All State	Violin, "Csárdás" by Vittorio Monti			Contestant at National Sweetheart 2004 pageant. Georgine M. DiMaria died at home in Lodi, N.J. at age 37 on August 28, 2021.
2005	Julie Robenhymer[30]	Moorestown	24	Miss Burlington County	Dance, "Hit Me With a Hot Note" from Sophisticated Ladies
2004	Erica Scanlon	Pitman	22	Miss Brigantine Resort	Vocal, "Glitter & Be Gay" from Candide		Non-finalist Talent Award
2003	Jennifer Farrell	Margate	19	Miss Atlantic County	Ballet en Pointe, "Via Dolorosa"	Top 15
2002	Alicia Luciano	Stanhope	19	Miss Tri County	Lyrical Dance, "The Prayer"		Overall Elegance and Lifestyle Award Preliminary Evening Wear Award	Former Radio City Rockette[31]
2001	Julie Barber	Vineland	24	Miss Union County	Ballet en Pointe, "Do You Wanna Dance?"
2000	Jill Horner	Gloucester Township	21	Miss Monmouth County Area	Vocal, "You're Gonna Hear From Me" from Inside Daisy Clover	Top 10	Quality of Life Award 2nd runner-up
1999	Victoria Paige	Sparta	20	Miss Watchung Valley	Classical Vocal, "Non so più cosa son" from The Marriage of Figaro	Top 10
1998	Stephanie Ferrari	Glen Rock	24	Miss Bergen County	Vocal, "My Heart Will Go On"		Non-finalist Talent Award
1997	Kathy Nejat	Voorhees	21	Miss Central Coast	Classical Ballet en Pointe, "The Dying Swan"		Non-finalist Talent Award Preliminary Swimsuit Award
1996	Melanie Bell	Vernon	20	Miss Northern Lights	Dance, "They Can't Take That Away From Me"
1995	Dena Querubin	Waterford	23	Miss Spring Lake Heights	Classical Piano		Non-finalist Talent Award Quality of Life Award	Now known as Dena Blizzard, comedienne and often host of Miss America preliminary competition[32]
1994	Jennifer Makris	Cherry Hill	21	Miss Essex County	Jazz Vocal, "The Man that Got Away"	2nd runner-up		Later Miss New Jersey USA 1997 Top 10 at Miss USA 1997 pageant
1993	Michele Sexton	Spring Lake Heights	24	Miss Central Coast	Classical Vocal, "Vissi d'arte"	Top 10
1992	Heather Hertling	Randolph	24	Miss Morris County	Classical Vocal, "Ernani Involami"		Non-finalist Talent Award Preliminary Talent Award	Judge at the Miss America 1997 pageant[citation needed]
1991	Amy Fissel	Ocean City	24	Miss Shore Resort	Comedic Monologue, "Mountaineer's Motorcycle"			Later Miss New Jersey USA 1993 Top 6 at Miss USA 1993 pageant
1990	Lynette Falls	Ridgewood	25	Miss Camden County	Classical Piano, "4th Movement of Piano Sonata No. 1, Op. 22" by Alberto Ginastera			Mother of Miss Louisiana 2017, Laryssa Bonacquisti[33]
1989	Laura Murray	Livingston	25	Miss Shore Resort	Popular Vocal, "With One More Look At You" from A Star Is Born		Non-finalist Talent Award
1988	Patricia Bowman	Ocean City	19	Miss Cape May County	Vocal, "Wind Beneath My Wings"		Non-finalist Talent Award
1987	Robin Lange	Medford	22	Miss Burlington County	Dramatic Monologue
1986	Karyn Zosche	Pine Brook	25	Miss Passaic County	Piano, Rhapsody in Blue
1985	Toni Georgiana	Cherry Hill	21	Miss Mercer County	Acrobatic Dance, "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue"
1984	Patricia La Terra	West New York	24	Miss Bergen County	Dramatic Monologue		Non-finalist Talent Award
1983	Suzette Charles	Mays Landing	20	Miss Columbus Day	Popular Vocal, "Kiss Me In the Rain"	1st runner-up	Preliminary Talent Award	Named Miss America when Vanessa Williams relinquished title[34][35]
1982	Christina Criscione	Pequannock	22	Miss Dover-Morris	Classical Vocal, "Non Piu Mesta" from La Cenerentola
1981	Debra Naley	Rockaway	26	Miss Greater Dover-West Morris	Violin Medley, "Csárdás" & "Orange Blossom Special"		Non-finalist Talent Award
1980	Therese Hanley	Jersey City	17	Miss Bergen County	Popular Vocal, "Starting Here, Starting Now"	2nd runner-up (tie)
1979	Mary McGinnis	Somers Point	22	Miss Collegiate	Clarinet, "Hora"
1978	Laurie Berchtold	Ocean City	21	Miss Glassboro State College	Vocal, "Money, Money" from Cabaret
1977	Mary D'Arcy	Yardville	21	Miss Glassboro State College	Semi-classical Vocal, "Summertime"	3rd runner-up		Judge at the Miss America 1991 pageant[citation needed]
1976	Lori Johnson	Medford	19	Miss Burlington County	Acrobatic Dance, "Love Is the Answer"
1975	Nancy Craig	Trenton	25	Miss Trenton State College	Classical Ballet en Pointe, Swan Lake
1974	Elizabeth Bracken	Mahwah	21	Miss Bergen County	Dramatic monologue, "Elizabeth Umpstead" by Carl Sandburg
1973	Suzanne Plummer	Wildwood	21	Miss Cape May County	Piano, "Stardust"	2nd runner-up	Preliminary Swimsuit Award	Previously Miss District of Columbia USA 1971 Top 12 at Miss USA 1971 pageant Former leader of Nevada State Republican Party and 2010 Senate Candidate[citation needed]
1972	Linda Gialanella	Maplewood	22	Miss Fanwood-Scotch Plains	Sketching Presentation, "Teaching the World to Draw"		Non-finalist Talent Award
1971	Lynn Hackerman	Mount Laurel	18	Miss Greater Moorestown & Miss Burlington County	Pantomime Dance			Formerly served on the Miss America board of directors with Sam Haskell[36]
1970	Hela Yungst	Hillside	20	Miss Fanwood-Scotch Plains	Dramatic Vocal, "Aldonza" from Man of La Mancha
1969	Cheryl Carter	Matawan	19	Miss Monmouth County	Piano, Theme from An Affair to Remember	2nd runner-up (tie)
1968	Jeannette Phillipuk	Laurel Springs	20	Miss Glassboro State College	Vocal Medley, "The Sweetest Sounds" & "Nobody Told Me" from No Strings
1967	Linda Ann Wilmer		18		Classical Vocal, "Quando m'en vò" from La bohème
1966	Christine Ebright	Rahway	19	Miss Newark State College	Operatic Vocal, "Un bel di vedremo"
1965	Kathleen Holmes	Toms River	19	Miss Toms River	Vocal / Tap Dance, "Steppin' Out with My Baby"
1964	Susan Krasnomowitz	Fair Lawn	19	Miss Paterson	Jazz Dance
1963	Janet Bryan Adams	Hopatcong		Miss Pequannock	Dramatic Monologue
1962	Georgia Malick	Cherry Hill	18	Miss Cherry Hill	Piano, "Deep Purple"		Non-finalist Talent Award
1961	Marilyn Haufler	Watchung	18	Miss Fanwood-Scotch Plains	Comedic Monologue
1960	Ann Barber	Westfield	18
1959	Beverly Ann Domareki	Mountainside	20		Original Dramatic Interpretation of a Beatnik
1958	Marilyn Beryl Rockafellow	New Monmouth	19		Vocal		Non-finalist Talent Award
1957	Janet Ressler	Union			Vocal
1956	Beverly Cass	Fair Lawn			Piano
1955	Patricia Campbell	Camden			Dance
1954	Sally Joan Waller	West Orange			Vocal / Dance, "Singin' in the Rain"			Sally Joan "Joni" Waller Jaeger died at age 87 on March 16, 2024.
1953	Patricia Condon	Maplewood			Vocal		Miss Congeniality
1952	Mary Parker	Gibbsboro			Drama
1951	Bernice Massi	Camden
1950	June Stephens	Ship Bottom			Comic Sketch, "The Older Set"	Top 16
1949	Betty Jane Crowley	Green Bank			Poetry Recitation & Vocal, "Might Like a Rose"	Top 15	Miss Congeniality (tie)
1948	Barbara Anderson	Bloomfield
1947	Delores Mendes	Newark			Vocal & Guitar medley, "I Close My Eyes" & "Siboney"	Top 15
1946	Helen Sprinitis	Kearny
1945	Matilda Agin	New Brunswick
1944	Janice Hansen	Union City
1943	Kathleen Harris	Newark			Vocal, "Gianni Mio"	Top 10
1942	Madeline Layton	Maywood			Vocal, "Saturday Night"	3rd runner-up
1941	Marjorie Eleanor Jennings	Dover
1940	Mildred Marie Selko	Kearny
1939	Kathleen Kirkland[citation needed][37]	Maplewood				N/A
	Margo Lundgren[37]	Harrison			Whistling Tunes Vocal, "Don't Worry About Me"	Top 15
1938	Ruth E. Brady	Asbury Park		Miss Asbury Park	Vocal & Tap Dance	3rd runner-up	Preliminary Talent Award	Multiple New Jersey representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
	Ruth Joan Sada	Burlington		Miss Burlington
	Gloria Martha Riley	Paterson		Miss New Jersey
	Dorothy Kathryn Powers	Riverside		Miss Riverside
1937	Bette Cooper	Hackettstown	17	Miss Bertrand Island	Vocal, "When the Poppies Bloom Again"	Winner	Evening Gown Award	Multiple New Jersey representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
	Helen Frances Murphy	Riverside		Miss Riverside
	Margaret Julia Jardon	Burlington		Miss South Jersey
1936	Thelma Bieber	Camden		Miss Camden				Multiple New Jersey representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
	Evelyn Pierce	Riverside		Miss South Jersey
1935	Mildred Hughes			Miss Bloomfield				Multiple New Jersey representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
	Geraldine Hester	Bridgeton		Miss Bridgeton
	Mary Dillinger	Burlington		Miss Burlington	Vocal, "Every Little Moment"	Top 12
	Lena Melamed	Camden		Miss Camden
	Dorothy Wainwright	Hillside		Miss Hillside
	Ann Golden			Miss Lake Hopatcong
	Esther Moore	Mount Holly		Miss Mount Holly
	Ann Harvey	Newark		Miss Newark
	Norine Hughes	Glen Ridge		Miss New Jersey
	Elizabeth Koehler	Penns Grove		Miss Penns Grove	Vocal Medley, "Without a Song" & "Roll Out of Bed with a Smile"	Top 12
	Othelia March	Riverside		Miss Riverside
	Ann Halko	West Orange		Miss West Orange
	Thelma Fouks	Woodbury		Miss Woodbury
1934	No national pageant was held[38]
1933	Gertrude Christman		15			Top 18
1932	No national pageants were held[38]
1931
1930
1929
1928
1927	Helen Mankus			Miss Elizabeth				Multiple New Jersey representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
	Eunice Geiser			Miss Jersey City
	Carolyn Pierson			Miss Newark		Top 15
	Harriet Rita Shelby			Miss Passaic
	Sue Hoch			Miss Union City
1926	Mary Mavretic			Miss Brigantine Beach				Multiple New Jersey representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
	Name not known			Miss Canarsie
	Lucy Taylor			Miss Elizabeth
	Anita Limbacker			Miss Hoboken
	Mildred Morlock			Miss Newark		Top 15
	Evelynne Jeanne Crowell			Miss Orange		Top 15
	Elizabeth Welch			Miss Union City
	Kathleen Coyle			Miss Wildwood Gables
1925	Lee Bartlett							Multiple New Jersey representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
	Frances M. Glowaski			Miss Jersey City		Top 15
	Helen Corcoran			Miss Newark		Top 15
1924	Edith Wright			Miss Bradley Beach				Multiple New Jersey representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
	Emily Borbach			Miss Cape May		Top 10
	Helen Mankus			Miss Elizabeth
	Alice Kind			Miss Hammonton
	Emerita Monsch			Miss Hoboken		Top 10
	Bonnie Blair			Miss Jersey City
	Name not known			Miss Kearny
				Miss Long Beach
	Myrtle Marshall			Miss Margate City
	Edith Becker			Miss Newark		Top 15
	Gertrude McDonough			Miss Pleasantville
	Ethel Sipps			Miss Somers Point
1923	Alice Kind[39]	Hammonton		Miss Hammonton	N/A[40]			Multiple New Jersey representatives Contestants competed under local title at national pageant
	Mildred McCann[39]	Cape May		Miss Cape May
	Florence Nurock[39]	Camden		Miss Camden
	Elene Hicks[40]	Long Branch	19	Miss Long Branch
	Grace Taylor[41]	Philadelphia[41]		Miss Ocean City
	Alma D. DeCone[39]	Trenton		Miss Trenton
	Mary E. Edwards[39]	Vineland		Miss Vineland
	Eleanor Addis[39]	Wildwood		Miss Wildwood
1922	Estelle Marks[42]	Atlantic City		Miss Atlantic City			Amateur Beauty Award Third Prize[43]	Multiple New Jersey representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
	Sarah Alice Bell[44]	Bridgeton		Miss Bridgeton
	Eleanor Lindley[45]	Greater Camden		Miss Greater Camden
	Marion Steelman[46]	Ocean City		Miss Ocean City
	Mary Elizabeth Edwards[47]	Vineland	18	Miss Vineland			Amateur Beauty Award Second Prize[43]
1921	Kathryn M. Gearon[48]	Camden		Miss Camden		1st runner-up[48]	Amateur Beauty Award	Multiple New Jersey representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
	Margaret Bates[49]	Newark		Miss Newark

Popular culture

In Philip Roth's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, "American Pastoral", the central character Seymour "Swede" Levov marries Dawn Dwyer, an Irish Catholic winner of Miss New Jersey 1949, from nearby Elizabeth, whom he met at Upsala College in East Orange, New Jersey.

In the Drake & Josh episode "Vicious Tiberius", the boys find out their teacher, Mrs. Hayfer, was the winner of Miss New Jersey 1976 while house sitting for her.^{[citation needed]} The winner of the 1957 pageant is mentioned by title in the Martin Scorsese film Taxi Driver.^[50]

Notes

1. Served as Miss America 1984 for seven weeks after the resignation of Vanessa Williams
2. Titleholder extended to a second full year in 2020 after state and national pageants postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic^[5]