Wikipedia / Miss Nevada
Wikipedia / Miss Nevada
The Miss Nevada competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Nevada in the Miss America competition, and the name of the title held by that winner. The first Nevadan to compete at Miss America was Carol Lampe in 1949.
The competition currently takes place in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Other venues have included Reno, Elko, Las Vegas, Carson City and Mesquite. It has at various times been hosted by the Reno Lions Club and the Soroptimist club of Nevada.
Mariah Larronde of Henderson was crowned Miss Nevada 2026 on June 27, 2026, at Bally's Lake Tahoe in Stateline, Nevada. She will compete for the title of Miss America 2027 in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Results summary
The following is a visual summary of the past results of Miss Nevada 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
2nd runners-up: Stacie James (1988)
3rd runners-up: Teresa Benitez (2003)
Top 7: Heather Renner (2023)
Top 10: Loni Gravelle (1958), Cheryle Thompson (1964), Joan Burachio (1972)
Top 16: Tosca Masini (1951)
Awards
Preliminary awards
Preliminary Interview: Teresa Benitez (2003)
Preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness: Kathryn Blaikie (1966), Gina Giacinto (2000)
Preliminary Talent: Stacie James (1988)
Non-finalist awards
Non-finalist Interview: Elizabeth Muto (2005)
Non-finalist Talent: Vicky Jo Todd (1971), Helen Bennett (1973), Sandra Kastel (1977), Megan Anderson (1979), Sonja Nall (1986), Jennifer Joseph-Lier (1996), Tiffanie Story (2001), Ellie Smith (2015)
Other awards
Equity & Justice Winners: Heather Renner (2023)
Overall Interview Award: Teresa Benitez (2003)
Quality of Life Award Winners: Teresa Benitez (2003), Caleche Manos (2008)
Quality of Life Award 2nd runners-up: Elizabeth Muto (2005), Christina Keegan (2010)
Quality of Life Award/Social Impact Initiative Scholarship Finalists: Bailey Gumm (2017), Nasya Mancini (2020)
STEM Scholarship Award Winners: Alexis Hilts (2019)
STEM Scholarship Award Finalists: Katherine Kelley (2016), Andrea Martinez (2018)
Winners
Year | Name | Hometown | Age | Local Title | Miss America Talent | Placement at Miss America | Special scholarships at Miss America | Notes |
Mariah Larronde | 27 | Miss Henderson | Vocal | TBD | TBD | |||
Abigail Bachman | Lyrical Dance | Previously Miss Nevada Volunteer 2024 | ||||||
Karrina Ferris | 21 | Miss Silver State | Lyrical Dance - "You Will Be Found" | |||||
Taylor Blatchford | 23 | Miss Boulder City | Violin | Distinguished Young Woman of Nevada 2018 | ||||
Heather Renner | 23 | Miss Las Vegas | Vocal | Top 7 | Equity & Justice Winner | Previously Miss Nevada's Outstanding Teen 2016 | ||
Macie Tuell | 24 | Miss Las Vegas | Vocal | Former personal assistant to David Copperfield | ||||
2019–20 | Nasya Mancini | 22 | Miss Washoe County | Comedic Monologue | Social Impact Initiative Scholarship Finalist | |||
Alexis Hilts | 23 | Miss UNLV | Piano, "Transcendental Étude No. 4" by Franz Liszt | STEM Scholarship Award | Previously Miss Nevada's Outstanding Teen 2008 | |||
Andrea Martinez | 23 | Miss Clark County | Vocal, "His Eye in on the Sparrow" | STEM Scholarship Award Finalist | ||||
Bailey Gumm | 20 | Miss Pleasant Valley | Tap Dance, "Sax" by Fleur East | Quality of Life Award Finalist | Previously Miss Nevada's Outstanding Teen 2011Contestant at National Sweetheart 2014 pageant | |||
Katherine Kelley | 23 | Miss Summerlin | Piano, "Etude in D Minor" | STEM Scholarship Award Finalist | ||||
Ellie Smith | 17 | Miss North East Nevada | Vocal, "Somebody to Love" | Non-finalist Talent Award | Sister of Miss Nevada's Outstanding Teen 2014, Amy SmithPreviously Miss Nevada's Outstanding Teen 2012 | |||
Diana Sweeney | 19 | Miss Carson City | Lyrical Dance, "Roads" | Contestant at National Sweetheart 2012 pageant | ||||
Randi Sundquist | 22 | Miss Southern Counties | Contemporary Jazz Dance, "I Won't Give Up" | |||||
Alana Lee | 21 | Miss Clark County | Vocal, "At This Moment" | |||||
24 | Miss Southern Counties | Popular Vocal, "Alone" | ||||||
Christina Keegan | 23 | Miss Northern Counties | Ballet en Pointe, "Bohemian Rhapsody" | Quality of Life Award 2nd runner-up | ||||
Julianna Erdesz | 24 | Miss Carson City | Vocal | Later Miss Nevada USA 2010 | ||||
Caleche Manos | 23 | Vocal, "Love Is a Battlefield" | Quality of Life Award Winner | Contestant at National Sweetheart 2006 pageant | ||||
Caydi Cole | 22 | Miss Clark County | Vocal, "Blues in the Night" | |||||
Crystal Wosik | 23 | Miss Las Vegas | Lyrical Dance, "Don't Rain on My Parade" from Funny Girl | |||||
Elizabeth Muto | 24 | Dramatic Monologue, "Who Will Cry?" | Non-finalist Interview AwardQuality of Life Award 2nd runner-up | Received Presidential Volunteer Service Award from President George W. Bush | ||||
Christina O'Neil | 24 | Miss Gold Country | Vocal, "Your Daddy's Son" from Ragtime | Contestant at National Sweetheart 1999 pageant | ||||
24 | Miss Silver State | Dramatic Monologue from The Laramie Project | 3rd runner-up | Overall Interview AwardPreliminary Interview AwardQuality of Life Award Winner | Majority Floor Leader of the Nevada Assembly | |||
Ashley Huff | 21 | Miss Las Vegas | Polynesian Dance, "Welcome to Polynesia" | Later Miss Nevada USA 2003 | ||||
Tiffanie Story | 19 | Miss UNR/Truckee Meadows | Vocal, "Ain't Misbehavin'" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||||
Gina Giacinto | 24 | Miss Las Vegas | Original Vocal Presentation, "Dreams Were Given Wings To Fly" | Preliminary Swimsuit Award | Later Miss Nevada USA 20013rd runner-up at Miss USA 2001 pageant | |||
Anna Carpenter | 18 | Miss Mesquite | Monologue | |||||
Amanda Gunderson | 19 | Miss Northern Counties | Classical Vocal, "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" | |||||
Annette Albertson | 24 | Miss Truckee Meadows | Vocal, "Luck Be a Lady" | |||||
Jennifer Joseph-Lier | 24 | Miss Elko County/Northeast Nevada | Vocal, "I Am Changing" | Non-finalist Talent Award | Contestant on the E! reality show "The Entertainer" | |||
Laura Hubach | 22 | Miss Reno | Classical Piano | |||||
Mitzie Cox | 20 | Miss Sparks | Vocal / Dance, "I'm a Brass Band" from Sweet Charity | |||||
Sandra Dornak | 25 | Miss Las Vegas | Ventriloquism, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from Mary Poppins | |||||
Malia Winn | 17 | Miss Douglas County | Interpretive Ballet, music from Somewhere in Time | |||||
Tia Marie Zorne | 21 | Miss Las Vegas | Acro-Jazz Dance, "Julie's Theme" from American Anthem | |||||
Brenda Linscott | 23 | Miss Cosmopolitan Counties | ||||||
Deborah Schuler | 22 | Vocal, "The Woman in the Moon" from A Star Is Born | ||||||
Stacie James | 23 | Miss Las Vegas | Vocal, "On My Own" from Les Misérables | 2nd runner-up | Preliminary Talent Award | |||
Kelsey Kara | 23 | Miss Las Vegas | Flamenco Dance | |||||
Sonja Nall | 23 | Classical Ballet en Pointe, "Kitri's Variation" from Don Quixote | Non-finalist Talent Award | |||||
LeAnna Grant | 22 | Vocal, "I Love Paris" | Later Miss Nevada USA 1986 | |||||
Kim Pacini | 24 | Miss North Lake Tahoe | Vocal, "You're the Top" | |||||
Kim King | 21 | Miss Clark County | Banjo, "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee" | |||||
Suzanne Bowman | 20 | Miss Reno | Modern Rhythmic Gymnastics, "Zero to Sixty in Five" | |||||
Phyllis Hamlin | 23 | Piano, Warsaw Concerto | ||||||
Jeanne Cangemi | North Lake Tahoe | 22 | Miss North Lake Tahoe | Classical & Jazz Saxophone, "Harlem Nocturne" & "Csárdás" | ||||
Megan Anderson | 19 | Miss Washoe County | Classical Vocal, "Vissi d'arte" from Tosca | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||||
Lori Isom | 18 | Miss Clark County | Jazz Dance, "Classical Blues" | |||||
Sandra Kastel | 21 | Miss Las Vegas | Vocal, "My Man" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||||
Sherri Ann Lowe | 21 | Baton Twirling / Variety Act | ||||||
Jacqueline Barker | 19 | Miss Sparks | Popular Vocal, "The Way We Were" | |||||
Echo Rost | 20 | Modern Jazz Dance, "I Feel the Earth Move" | Neat As A Pin Award (tie) | |||||
Helen Bennett | 23 | Miss Reno | Classical Ballet, "Dance of the Gypsy" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||||
Joan Burachio | 21 | Miss Las Vegas | Accordion, "Csárdás" | Top 10 | ||||
Vicky Jo Todd | 20 | Miss Sparks | Vocal / Guitar, "Time" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||||
Karen Wastun | 21 | Miss Lyon County | Dramatic Presentation, "Lizzie" from The Rainmaker | |||||
Sharon Davis | 19 | Miss University of Nevada | Classical Vocal, "Quando m'en vò" from La bohème | |||||
Vicky Landeck | 18 | Miss Reno | Dramatic Reading, "Ruth, the Moabitess" by N.A. Truell | |||||
Roberta Sharp | 18 | Miss Carson City | Piano | |||||
Kathryn Blaikie | 18 | Musical Comedy, "I'm Late" | Preliminary Swimsuit Award | |||||
Ellen Roseman | 21 | Miss South Lake Tahoe | Comedy Skit | |||||
Cheryle Thompson | Miss Las Vegas | Folk Singing, "My Lover Has Gone" | Top 10 | |||||
Audrey Chambers | 19 | Miss Reno | Baton Twirling, Fire Baton & Dance | |||||
Sherry Wagner | 19 | Miss Reno | Tap Dance, "Oh Them Golden Slippers" | |||||
Nancy Marie Bowen | 19 | Humorous Reading & Piano | ||||||
20 | Miss Reno | Dramatic Reading from Antigone | Played role of Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island | |||||
Judy Wadsworth | 18 | Dramatic Monologue from The Lark | ||||||
Loni Gravelle | 19 | Miss Reno | Piano, "Piano Concerto in A Minor" by Edvard Grieg | Top 10 – 6th place | ||||
Carmen Ruggeroli | 19 | Vocal | ||||||
Vivienne Potter | 21 | Miss Reno | Dramatic Monologue, "An Address to the Jury" | |||||
Janice Elaine Babcock | 18 | Miss Reno | Grecian Interpretive Dance | |||||
Jeannine McColl | 18 | Miss Las Vegas | Ballet, "Something to Dance About" | |||||
Bonnie LeClaire Wilson | 18 | Miss Reno | Ballet, "Something to Dance About" | Assumed the title after the original winner, Sylvia Russell, chose to marry | ||||
Donna JoAnn Sollars | 21 | Miss Reno | Vocal & Ukulele, "Has Anybody Seen My Gal?" & "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" | |||||
Tosca Masini | 24 | Miss Sparks | Comedy Characterization | Top 16 – 7th place | ||||
Carol Lampe | 20 | Speech, "4-H" | ||||||
No Nevada representative at Miss America pageant | ||||||||
1934 | No national pageant was held | |||||||
No Nevada representative at Miss America pageant | ||||||||
1932 | No national pageants were held | |||||||
1931 | ||||||||
1930 | ||||||||
1929 | ||||||||
1928 | ||||||||
No Nevada representative at Miss America pageant |
References
External links