Miss Wisconsin

For the state pageant affiliated with Miss USA, see Miss Wisconsin USA.

The Miss Wisconsin competition is the pageant, held annually in Oshkosh, that selects the representative for the U.S. state of Wisconsin in the annual Miss America pageant.

Miss Wisconsin

Formation	1927
Type	Beauty pageant
Headquarters	New Berlin, Wisconsin
Membership	Miss America
Official language	English
Website	Miss Wisconsin official website

Laura Kaeppeler, Miss Wisconsin 2011 & Miss America 2012

Christina Anna Thompson, Miss Wisconsin 2007

Tracy Ann Gest, Miss Wisconsin 2005

Wisconsin has won the Miss America crown three times (1973, 2012, and 2023).

Mandi Jo Genord of Montello was crowned Miss Wisconsin 2024 on June 22, 2024, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

On September 17, 2024, the state pageant announced that the Miss Wisconsin pageant (as well as the Miss Wisconsin's Teen pageant) will be held in New Berlin, Wisconsin. This will mark the first time that Waukesha County will host the annual state pageants. Miss Wisconsin moved to Oshkosh in 1963 after four years being held in Kenosha.

Results summary

The following is a visual summary of the past results of Miss Wisconsin 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 Americas: Terry Meeuwsen (1973), Laura Kaeppeler (2012), Grace Stanke (2023)
• 1st runners-up: Mary Alice Fox (1960), Joan Mary Engh (1963), Judith Hieke (1974)
• 2nd runners-up: Barbara Burk Baugh (1968), Tina Marie Sauerhammer (2004)
• 3rd runners-up: N/A
• 4th runners-up: Sharon Singstock (1966)
• Top 8: Christina Thompson (2008)
• Top 10: Keungsuk Kim (1982), Tania Ziegler (1994), Mary-Louise Kurey (2000)
• Top 12: Paula Mae Kuiper (2014)
• Top 15: Clara Ethel Koehler (1924), Betty Miller (1941), Phyllis Ann Kessler (1949), Tianna Vanderhei (2019)
• Top 16: Antoine Lunde (1946)
• Top 18: Marie Marguerite Huebner (1933)

Awards

Preliminary awards

• Preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness: Mary Alice Fox (1960), Joan Engh (1963), Terry Meeuwsen (1973), Judy Hieke (1974)
• Preliminary On Stage Interview: Tianna Vanderhei (2019)
• Preliminary Talent: Terry Meeuwsen (1973), Maria Kim (1988), Mary-Louise Kurey (2000), Tina Sauerhammer (2004), Laura Kaeppeler (2012), Grace Stanke (2023)

Non-finalist awards

• Non-finalist Interview: Nicole Jean Locy (1998)
• Non-finalist Talent: Lynn Byron Holden (1957), Marilyn Sembell (1976), Gail Marie Soller (1983), Maria Kim (1988), Tricia Luedtke (1991), Stephanie Klett (1993), Joya Zamora (2001)

Other awards

• Miss Congeniality: N/A
• Bernie Wayne Performing Arts Award: Mary-Louise Kurey (2000)
• Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship: Carol Ann Schmitt (1975)
• Quality of Life Award Finalists: Laura Herriot (2002), Molly McGrath (2005)
• Special Education Award: Carol Ann Schmitt (1975)
• Special Scholarship Award: Barbara Jean Bonville (1964)
• STEM Scholarship 2nd runner-up: Jennifer Marie Schmidt (2022)

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	Mandi Jo Genord	Beaver Dam	22	Miss Northern Lights	Lyrical jazz dance "You Don't Own Me" by Lesley Gore	TBA	TBA	Previously Miss Wisconsin's Outstanding Teen 2018
2023	Lila Hui Szyryj	Madison	22	Miss South Central	Classical piano, "Revolutionary Etude" by Frederic Chopin			She is the fifth Asian-American, first Chinese-American, and first Madison native to win Miss Wisconsin.
2022	Kylene Elizabeth Spanbauer	Fond du Lac	23	Miss Harbor Cities	Baton, "Holding Out for a Hero"	Did not compete; originally 1st runner-up, later assumed the title after Stanke won Miss America 2023[1]
								Previously Miss Wisconsin's Outstanding Teen 2016
	Grace Stanke	Wausau	20	Miss Badgerland	Classical Violin, "The Storm" by Antonio Vivaldi	Winner	Preliminary Talent Award Winner	Previously Miss Wisconsin's Outstanding Teen 2017;[2] first woman to hold both state titles[citation needed]
2021	Jennifer Marie Schmidt[3]	Racine	25	Miss Rock River Valley	Jazz Dance		STEM Scholarship 2nd runner-up
2019–20[a]	Alyssa Marie Bohm[6]	Mount Pleasant	24		Tap Dance, "Feeling Good"
2018	Tianna Marie Vanderhei[7]	Wisconsin Rapids	25	Miss Wood Violet	Contemporary Dance, "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers	Top 15[8]	Preliminary On Stage Interview Award[9]	Competed for Miss Wisconsin six times, a state pageant record[citation needed]
2017	McKenna Holly Collins[10]	Waunakee	20	Miss Madison	Ballet en Pointe, “Habanera” from Carmen			Previously a company member at the Madison Ballet[11] Daughter of Wisconsin's Alice in Dairyland 1992, Kristan Ann Conrad[12]
2016	Courtney Jean Pelot[13]	Manitowoc	22	Miss Green Bay Area	Dance, "Burnin' Up" by Jessie J
2015	Rosalie Elizabeth Smith[14]	Waukesha	19	Miss New Berlin	Lyrical Dance, "Heaven" by Beyoncé
2014	Raeanna Mary Johnson	Holmen	24	Miss Madison	Lyrical Dance, "Hallelujah"			3rd runner-up at National Sweetheart 2011 pageant[15] First woman to hold the Miss Wisconsin title twice 4th runner-up at Miss Wisconsin USA 2017 pageant[16]
2013	Paula Mae Kuiper[17]	Mount Pleasant	19	Miss Madison	Piano, "Hungarian Rhapsody"	Top 12
2012	Kathryn (Kate) Bess Gorman[citation needed]	Onalaska	23	Miss La Crosse/Oktoberfest	Vocal, "20th Century Fox Mambo" from Smash
2011	Raeanna Mary Johnson[18]	Holmen	21	Miss Seven Rivers	Lyrical Dance, "Hallelujah" by Alexandra Burke	Did not compete; originally 1st runner-up, later assumed the title after Kaeppeler won Miss America 2012
	Laura Kaeppeler	Kenosha	23	Miss Southern Wisconsin	Operatic Vocal, "Il Bacio" by Luigi Arditi	Winner[19]	Preliminary Talent Award	Contestant at National Sweetheart 2010 pageant[citation needed] Married TV producer, Mike Fleiss in 2014[20]
2010	Kimberly Brooke Sawyer	Egg Harbor	22	Miss Green Bay Area	Classical Vocal, "Donde lieta uscì" from La bohème
2009	Kristina Kelly Smaby	Holmen	22	Miss Madison	Ballet en Pointe, "River Deep – Mountain High"
2008	Briana Rose Lipor	Racine	21	Miss South Central	Classical Vocal, "Chi Il Bel Sogno di Doretta" from La rondine
2007	Christina Anna Thompson[21]	Pleasant Prairie	23	Miss Madison	Classical Violin, "Praeludium & Allegro" by Fritz Kreisler	Top 8
2006	Meghan Marie Coffey	New Berlin	22	Miss New Berlin	Baton Twirling, "Stuff Like That There"			Previously Wisconsin's National Teenager 2003
2005	Tracy Ann Gest	Menomonee Falls	20	Miss New Berlin	Classical Piano, "Morceaux de fantaisie"			Previously Beauties of America Teen 2003[citation needed]
2004	Molly Jean McGrath	Wisconsin Rapids	22	Miss Madison	Theatrical Ballet en Pointe, "All That Jazz"		Quality of Life Award Finalist
2003	Tina Marie Sauerhammer	Green Bay	22	Miss Madison	Classical Cello, "Le cygne"	2nd runner-up	Preliminary Talent Award
2002	Jayme Michel Dawicki	New Berlin	22	Miss Southern Wisconsin	Classical Piano, "Wedding Day at Troldhaugen"
2001	Laura Margaret Herriot	Princeton	23	Miss Berlin	Vocal, "Oh, Lady Be Good!"		Quality of Life Award Finalist
2000	Joya Josephine Zamora	Kenosha	23	Miss Eastern Shore	Vocal, "Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries"		Non-finalist Talent Award
1999	Mary-Louise Kurey	Brookfield	24	Miss West Allis	Classical Vocal, "Il Bacio"	Top 10	Bernie Wayne Performing Arts Award Preliminary Talent Award
1998	Jill Marie Patzner	Arcadia	22	Miss Western Wisconsin	Semi-classical Vocal, "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from The Phantom of the Opera
1997	Nicole Jean Locy	Glendale	22	Miss Western Wisconsin	Vocal, "Someone Else's Story" from Chess		Non-finalist Interview Award
1996	Jennifer Marie Streblow	Oshkosh	18	Miss Oshkosh	Vocal, "Someone Like You" from Jekyll & Hyde
1995	Pamela Lynn Polk	Berlin	22	Miss Southeastern Wisconsin	Vocal, "Operator"
1994	Laura Jean Voss	Green Bay	22	Miss Green Bay	Semi-classical Vocal, West Side Story Medley
1993	Tania Elizabeth Ziegler	Fond du Lac	18	Miss Fond du Lac	Classical Violin, "Bruch's Concerto No. 1 in G Minor"	Top 10
1992	Stephanie Klett	Beloit	25	Miss Wisconsin Central	Coronet Medley, "Basin Street Blues" & "Ciribiribin"		Non-finalist Talent Award[22]	Later Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism[22] (2011-2019)
1991	Brenda Jo Haines	Arcadia	19	Miss Arcadia	Jazz Clarinet
1990	Tricia Ann Luedtke	Oostburg	19	Miss Oshkosh	Classical Piano, "Polichinelle in F Sharp Minor"		Non-finalist Talent Award
1989	Kimberly Jean Totdahl	Racine	23	Miss Kenosha	Vocal & Dance, "Being Alive"			Previously Miss Wisconsin T.E.E.N. 1982 Later Miss Wisconsin USA 1991
1988	Jeanie Marie Pfeiffer	Franksville	25	Miss Milwaukee	Vocal, "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody"
1987	Maria Kim	Shorewood	20	Miss Madison	Classical Piano, "Fantaisie-Impromptu"		Non-finalist Talent Award Preliminary Talent Award	Previously Miss Wisconsin National Teenager 1983 Previously Miss Wisconsin Teen USA 1985
1986	Mara Ann Nesemann	Brookfield	20	Miss Waukesha County	Gymnastics Dance Routine, "1980"
1985	Mary Kay Anderson	St. Francis	20	Miss St. Francis	Piano, "Frederik Chopin's Etude, Winter Wind, Op 25, No 11"			Later Miss Wisconsin USA 1988
1984	Barbara Marie Mullally	Onalaska	22	Miss La Crosse/Oktoberfest	Vocal, "Here I Am"			Toured with Miss America USO Troupe, 1985
1983	Wendy Lynn Wagner	Menomonie / Des Plaines, Illinois	22	Miss Menomonie	Vocal, "Mira" from Carnival!
1982	Gail Marie Soller	La Crosse	24	Miss La Crosse/Oktoberfest	Classical Vocal, "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix"		Non-finalist Talent Award
1981	Keungsuk Kim	Shorewood	19	Miss Milwaukee	Classical Piano, "Kabalevsky's Prelude"	Top 10
1980	Dana Lorraine Spychalla	Appleton	19	Miss Fond du Lac	Vocal, "The Music and the Mirror" from A Chorus Line
1979	Kristine Kay Konrad	Oshkosh	19	Miss Oshkosh	Vocal, "Starting Here, Starting Now"
1978	Carin Ann Kizewic	Racine	24	Miss Milwaukee	Ballet en Pointe, "The Overture" from Die Fledermaus
1977	Jennifer Mae Woychik	Arcadia	19	Miss Arcadia	Vocal Comedy, "I Love Trash"
1976	Julie Ann Nowak	Greendale	19	Miss West Allis	Popular Vocal, "Do You Know Where You're Going To?"
1975	Marilyn Jean Sembell	Beloit / St. Louis, Missouri	25	Miss Lake Geneva	Classical Piano, "Prelude in G minor"		Non-finalist Talent Award
1974	Carol Ann Schmitt	Green Bay	22	Miss Milwaukee	Vocal, "Speak Softly Love"		Dr. David B. Allman Medical Scholarship Special Education Award
1973	Judith Hieke	Menomonee Falls	19	Miss Milwaukee	Flute Medley including "Cuanto le Gusta"	1st runner-up	Preliminary Swimsuit Award
1972	Linda Marie Henderson	Elm Grove	20	Miss Milwaukee-Summerfest	Ballet[citation needed]	Did not compete; originally 1st runner-up, later assumed the title after Meeuwsen won Miss America 1973
	Terry Meeuwsen	De Pere	23	Miss Appleton	Vocal, "He Touched Me" from Drat! The Cat!	Winner	Preliminary Swimsuit Award Preliminary Talent Award
1971	Patricia Ann Jacobs	Wauwatosa	19	Miss Stevens Point	Vocal & Dance, "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever"			Toured with Miss America USO Troupe
1970	Linda Jane Johnson	Milwaukee	19	Miss Madison	Piano, "Polonaise"
1969	Cynthia Ann Morgan	Janesville	18	Miss Janesville	Vocal, "Old Devil Moon"
1968	Marilyn Kay Brahmsteadt	Wisconsin Rapids	21	Miss La Crosse	Vocal, "What a Diff'rence a Day Made"
1967	Barbara Burk Baugh	Brookfield	20	Miss Milwaukee	Vocal, "Mira" from Carnival!	2nd runner-up		Barbara Burk Baugh Waters died at age 55 on October 26, 2002, at home in Brookfield, Wis. after a long battle with cancer.
1966	Candace Gail Hinz	Milwaukee	19	Miss West Allis	Piano & Watercolor Painting, "Tara's Theme" from Gone with the Wind
1965	Sharon Mae Singstock	Oshkosh	20	Miss Oshkosh	Vocal, "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody"	4th runner-up
1964	Angela Gina Baldi	Glendale	18	Miss North Shore	Piano, "On Wisconsin in Three Variations"
1963	Barbara Jean Bonville	Whitefish Bay	19	Miss North Shore	Cello, "Pièce en forme de Habanera" by Maurice Ravel		Special Scholarship Award
1962	Joan Mary Engh	La Crosse	21	Miss La Crosse	Vocal Comedy, "I'll Be Anything You Want Me to Be"	1st runner-up	Preliminary Swimsuit Award	Served as Wisconsin's Alice in Dairyland in 1960.
1961	Diane Margaret Anderson	Eau Claire	19	Miss Eau Claire	Violin & Ballet en Pointe, "The Swan"
1960	Karen Marie Fahrenbach	Racine	21	Miss Racine	Classical Ballet en Pointe, "The Sleeping Beauty"			Karen Marie Fahrenbach Thompson died of cancer at age 68 on November 6, 2007, in Racine, Wisconsin.
1959	Mary Alice Fox	Sheboygan	20	Miss Sheboygan	Soft Shoe Comedy Dance	1st runner-up	Preliminary Swimsuit Award
1958	Kay Joan Ross	West Allis	24	Miss West Allis	Art Presentation with Vocal & Dance
1957	Joan Carol Hentschel	Wauwatosa	18	Miss Wauwatosa	Interpretive Ballet, "3:00 in the Morning"
1956	Lynn Byron Holden	Milwaukee	19	Miss Ripon	Piano		Non-finalist Talent Award
1955	Margaret Carolynne Walls	Milwaukee	18	Miss Milwaukee	Ballet, "Dying Swan"
1954	Dixie Ann Sarchet	Stevens Point	19	Miss Wisconsin Rapids	Modern Dance, "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue"			Dixie Ann Sarchet Kuenn married Detroit Tigers baseball player and future Milwaukee Brewers coach and manager Harvey Edward Kuenn on October 29, 1955, in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. She died at 69 on March 12, 2004, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1953	Judith Lee Jacobsen	Wauwatosa	19	Miss Milwaukee	Vocal & Dance, "Make Believe" & "Come Back to Sorrento"
1952	Jeannie Eleanore Huston	La Crosse	19	Miss La Crosse	Cello
1951	Sheila Marie Murphy	Marshfield	18	Miss Marshfield	Monologue
1950	Gloria Betty Lange	Milwaukee	20	Miss Milwaukee	Operatic Vocal, "The Donkey Serenade" from The Firefly
1949	Phyllis Ann Kessler	Green Bay	18	Miss Green Bay	Baton Twirling	Top 15		Phyllis Ann Kessler Lynn Sacho died at age 90 on March 7, 2022, in De Pere, Wisconsin. At the time of her passing, she was the oldest and earliest living Miss Wisconsin titleholder.
1948	Marvene Margaret Fischer	Milwaukee	19	Miss Milwaukee
1947	Gladys Elaine Berkley	Baraboo	19	Miss Baraboo	Monologue			Gladys Elaine Berkley Stracy died of a brief illness in Madison, Wisconsin at age 38 on September 10, 1965. She remains as the only Miss Wisconsin from Sauk County.
1946	Antoine (Toni) Bernice Lunde	Milwaukee / Westby	20	Miss Milwaukee		Top 16		Antonie Lunde Early died at age 78 on March 9, 2006, at home in Greenwood, South Carolina.
1945	Eileen Christianson (Christy)	Menomonie	20	Miss Menomonie
1944	Elsie (Elyse) Sutter	Milwaukee	20	Miss Milwaukee		N/A		Did not compete in the Miss America 1944 pageant. She died on September 16, 2019, at 95.
1943	No Wisconsin representative at Miss America pageant
1942	Charlotte Ruth Lemmer	Milwaukee	18	Miss Milwaukee
1941	Betty Ann Miller[23]	Milwaukee	18	Miss Milwaukee Mid-Summer Festival	Artistic Caricature of President Franklin D. Roosevelt	Top 15
1940	No Wisconsin representative at Miss America pageant
1939
1938
1937
1936	Aline Fern Schwartz	Milwaukee	18	Miss Milwaukee
1935	No Wisconsin representative at Miss America pageant
1934	No pageant was held
1933	Marie Marguerite Huebner	Portage[24]	20	Miss Portage		Top 18		Marie Huebner Raimer died at 93 on February 15, 2007, in Puyallup, Washington after a brief illness.
1932	No pageants were held
1931
1930
1929
1928
1927	Marjorie Mae Leffingwell	Madison / Rio, Wisconsin		Miss Madison			Marjorie Mae Leffingwell Grate died at age 83 in Madison, Wisconsin on December 23, 1992.	Multiple Wisconsin representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
	Virginia June Hillyer	Fort Atkinson	17	Miss Wisconsin			Virginia June Hillyer Kincaid was the first-ever crowned Miss Wisconsin and later died at 77 of heart complications in Panama City, Florida on November 25, 1986.
1926	Dorothy Bernadine Seiler	Madison		Miss Madison			Dorothy Bernadine Seiler Bowley died at age 90 on April 3, 1996, in Augusta, Wisconsin.	Multiple Wisconsin representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
	Florence Andrees	Milwaukee		Miss Milwaukee
	Name not known			Miss Racine
1925	Virginia Sara Armstrong	Milwaukee		Miss Milwaukee			Was later named Miss South Bend (Indiana) 1927. Virginia "Ginny" Sara Armstrong Mahn died in Mount Dora, Florida, on July 16, 2009, at age 99.	No Miss Wisconsin Competed under local title at Miss America pageant
1924	Clara Ethel Koehler	Milwaukee	26	Miss Milwaukee		Top 15	Clara Ethel Koehler Lord died in Milwaukee at age 86 on June 30, 1984. She was the only contestant from Wisconsin to compete at Miss America who was born in the 19th century (June 1898).	No Miss Wisconsin Competed under local title at Miss America pageant
1923	No Wisconsin representative at Miss America pageant
1922
1921

Notes

1. Titleholder extended to a full year in 2020 after state and national pageants postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic^[4][5]

References

1. Craft, Kevin (December 26, 2022). "Kylene Spanbauer to assume the role of Miss Wisconsin". WJFW-TV. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
2. "Conservatory student Grace Stanke named Miss Teen Wisconsin". Wausau Conservatory of Music. Wausau Conservatory. September 27, 2017.
3. Northwestern, Oshkosh. "Miss Rock River Valley Jennifer Schmidt crowned Miss Wisconsin". The Oshkosh Northwestern. Retrieved 2021-06-20.
4. "Miss Wisconsin Pageant canceled". WHBY. May 11, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
5. Kuperinksy, Amy (May 8, 2020). "Miss America postpones pageant until 2021, N.J. pageant still set for September". Press of Atlantic City.
6. Shuda, Nathaniel (June 15, 2019). "Miss Wisconsin 2019 title goes to Miss Rock River Valley Alyssa Bohm". Oshkosh Northwestern.
7. Shuda, Nathaniel (June 16, 2018). "Miss Wisconsin 2018 title goes to Miss Wood Violet Tianna Vanderhei". Oshkosh Northwestern.
8. Serpico, Erin (September 8, 2018). "Miss New York crowned Miss America 2019 in Atlantic City". Press of Atlantic City.
9. "The Latest: Swimsuit-less Miss America competition begins". ABC News. September 5, 2018.
10. "Miss Madison Capital City McKenna Collins crowned Miss Wisconsin 2017". The Northwestern. June 17, 2017.
11. "Two sisters, two pageants". The Waunakee Tribune. June 16, 2017.
12. "Kristan Collins: She shares her passions with her kids". July 3, 2013.
13. "Miss Green Bay captures statewide crown". Daily Union. June 27, 2016.
14. Dickmann, Noell (June 21, 2015). "There she is: Meet Miss Wisconsin 2015 Rosalie Smith". Oshkosh Northwestern. Oshkosh, WI: Gannett.
15. "Holmen's Raeanna Johnson places fourth in national pageant". Onalaska Holmen Courier-Life. September 8, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
16. "Miss Wisconsin USA & Teen USA pageant results". Pageant Update. August 14, 2019.
17. Bauter, Alison (June 22, 2013). "Former Miss Racine the newest Miss Wisconsin". The Journal Times.
18. "New Miss Wisconsin announced". News8000.com. WKBT La Crosse. January 21, 2012. Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
19. Oldenburg, Ann (January 14, 2012). "Miss America pageant crowns 2012 winner". USA Today. Gannett.
20. "Mike Fleiss Marries Laura Kaeppeler", People Magazine, April 9, 2014
21. "Miss Madison is new Miss Wisconsin". Appleton Post Crescent. 2007-07-01. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
22. "Stephanie Klett biography". Wisconsin Department of Tourism. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
23. "Miss Delaware to Give Atlantic City Beauties Run for U. S. Honors". Wilmington, Delaware: The Morning News. September 4, 1941.
24. http://missamerica1933.com/newspapers/19330819IronwoodMI-wi.jpg ^{[bare URL image file]}

External links

• Miss Wisconsin official website