Miss Pennsylvania USA

For the state pageant affiliated with Miss America, see Miss Pennsylvania.

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]

Miss Pennsylvania USA

Formation	1952
Type	Beauty pageant
Headquarters	Cincinnati
Location	Ohio
Membership	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 just 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 Noni Diarra of Philadelphia was crowned on June 29, 2024, at Richland Performing Arts Center in Johnstown. She will represent Pennsylvania at Miss USA 2024.

Gallery of titleholders

• 
  Michele McDonald, Miss Pennsylvania USA 1071 & 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
2024	Noni Diarra	Philadelphia	23	Miss Philadelphia
2023	Jasmine Daniels	Collegeville	26	Miss Collegeville	3rd runner-up	Best in Evening Gown	Previously Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA 2015 Semi-finalist at Miss Teen USA 2015
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	Previously Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA 2014[7] 2nd runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2014
2020	Victoria Piekut	Irwin	23				Previously International Junior Miss Teen 2015[8] Longest reigning Miss Pennsylvania USA (1 year, 8 months, and 28 days)
2019	Kailyn Marie Perez	Camp Hill	27		Top 15		Previously Miss Florida World 2015 Top 12 at Miss World America 2015
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] Previously Miss Pennsylvania's Outstanding Teen 2007[13] 2nd runner-up at Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2008[11] Previously Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA 2010[14]
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				Resigned the title after the Miss USA competition, alleging that the pageant was a fraud.[17] Shortest reigning Miss Pennsylvania USA (6 months and 1 day)
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				Previously Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA 1994 top 12 at Miss Teen USA 1994
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					Previously Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA 1990 top 12 at Miss Teen USA 1990
1995	Stephanie Fallat	Murrysville
1994	Linda Chiaraluna[3]	Evans City[3]	23[3]
1993	Kimmarie Johnson	Pittsburgh			Top 6
1992	Catherine Weber	Philadelphia
1991	Adrienne Romano	Philadelphia
1990	Elizabeth Cebak[19][20]	Ross[19]	23[19]				Later Miss World Pennsylvania 1992 4th runner up at Miss World USA 1992
1989	Denise Epps[21][22]	Lansdale[22]	22[22]		Semi-finalist
1988	Susan Gray[23]	Lansdale[23]	20[23]
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[24][25]	Pittsburgh	18				Played Amanda Cory on Another World[26]
1984	Tina Albright	Lansford
1983	Julie Page[27][28]	Belle Vernon[27]	18[27]		Semi-finalist	Best State Costume
1982	Theresa Rosa[29]	North Versailles[29]
1981	Nena Stone[30]	Bethel Park[30]	21[30]
1980	Andrea Patrick[31]	Connellsville[31]					Later Miss West Virginia 1983. Married Fabian in 1998[32]
1979	Maureen Starinsky[33]	Monongahela[33]	23[33]
1978	Sandy Dell[34]	Latrobe[34]	22[34]		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		Semi-finalist at Miss Universe 1971 Michele Marlene McDonald-Boeke died in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania on January 23, 2020, at age 67 from complications stemming from a 2018 double-lung transplant surgery.
1970	Carol Cerully	Altoona
1969	Marlene Vaughn	Philadelphia	21
1968	Barbara Verlander[35]	White Oak	20[35]
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
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[36]	Hatboro[36]			Semi-finalist
1952	Miriam Smith	Philadelphia

Notes

1. Age at the time of the crowning