Miss Oregon USA

For the state pageant associated with the Miss America pageant, see Miss Oregon.

Miss Oregon USA
Formation1952
TypeBeauty pageant
HeadquartersPuyallup
Location
MembershipMiss USA
Official language
English
Key people
Maureen Francisco
WebsiteOfficial Website

The Miss Oregon USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Oregon in the Miss USA pageant and the name of the title held by that winner. It is currently produced by Pageants NW Productions based in Puyallup, Washington and is previously produced by ABC Pageant Productions based in Bend, Oregon until 2015.

Oregon has only had limited success at Miss USA and has yet to win the title. The highest placed Miss Oregon USA was Gail Atchison who finished 2nd runner-up to Barbara Peterson in 1976. The most recent finalist was Toneata Morgan in 2018.

Three Miss Oregon USA titleholders have formerly held the Miss Oregon Teen USA title and competed at Miss Teen USA.

The current titleholder is Shayla Montgomery of Happy Valley and was crowned on May 4, 2024, at Sherwood Center for the Fine Arts in Sherwood, Oregon. She will represent Oregon at Miss USA 2024.

Results summary

  • 2nd runners-up: Gail Atchison (1976)
  • Top 10: Debbie Epperson (1984), Endia Albrante (2001), Jennifer Murphy (2004)
  • Top 11: Olga Calderon (1991)
  • Top 15/16: Maralyn Turner (1956), Joyce Collin (1962), Toye Esch (1964), Maureen Bassett (1967), Laura Smith (1970), Toneata Morgan (2018)
  • Oregon holds a record of 11 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

  • Miss Congeniality: Denise White (1994), Gabrielle Neilan (2013)
  • Miss Photogenic: Alaina Bergsma (2012)

Winners

  •   Declared as Winner
  •   Ended as runner-up
  •   Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
Year Name Hometown Age[a] Local title Placement at Miss USA Special awards at Miss USA Notes
2024 Shayla Montgomery Happy Valley 21 Miss Portland
2023 Manju Bangalore Corvallis 25 Miss Benton County
2022 Arielle Freytag Harrisburg 28
2021 Allison Cook Portland 27
2020 Katerina Villegas Hillsboro 26
2019 Natalie Tonneson[citation needed] Portland 28
2018 Toneata Morgan Coquille[2][3] 22 Top 15 Contestant of Beauty and the Geek Australia[4]
2017 Elizabeth (Liz) Denny Roseburg 26
2016 Natriana Shorter Eugene 25
2015 Bridget Wilmes Canby 22
2014 Emma Pelett Portland 25
2013 Gabrielle Neilan[citation needed] Gresham 23 Miss Congeniality
2012 Alaina Bergsma Eugene 22 Miss Photogenic Former member of the Oregon Ducks volleyball team and National Volleyball Player of the Year 2012[5]
2011 Anna Prosser Portland 26 Contestant at National Sweetheart 2008
2010 Kate Paul Mitchell 24
2009 Sylvie Tarpinian Eugene 24
2008 Mary Lee Horch Corvallis 24
2007 Sharitha McKenzie Portland 23
2006 Allison Machado Medford 24
2005 Jessica Carlson Portland 24
2004 Jennifer Murphy Medford 25 Top 10 Contestant on the fourth season of The Apprentice[6]
2003 Myah Moore Portland 21
2002 Kristi Walkoski Wilsonville 23
2001 Endia Albrante Eugene 21 Top 10
2000 Elizabeth Heitmanek Medford 19
1999 Amy Nelson Eugene 20
1998 Kara Jones Eugene 20
1997 Heather Williams Gold Beach 25
1996 Jill Chartier Roseburg 21
1995 Karrie Grove Portland 24
1994 Denise White Lake Oswego 25 Miss Congeniality
1993 Dawn Kennedy Lake Oswego 24
1992 Terrie House Astoria 22
1991 Olga Calderon Beaverton 22 Top 11[8]
1990 Elizabeth Michaud Portland 24
1989 Jenifer Blaska
1988 Elaine Rohrer
1987 Taime Primiano Portland
1986 Kimberly Stubblefield Lake Oswego 18
  • Later Mrs. Oregon America 2007 under her married name, Kimberly Takla;[10] mother of Miss Oregon 2022 Sophia Takla[11]
1985 Jodi Unruh Eugene 20 Top 20
  • Later an award-winning TV anchor/reporter, entertainment host and producer[12]
1984 Debbie Epperson Portland 21 Semi-finalist
1983 Shelley Kiser Tigard 19
1982 Kristina Bauer[13] Dundee[13] 17[13]
1981 Dawn Lewis Portland
1980 Martha Viducich Salem
1979 Katie Fitzpatrick[14] Salem[14]
1978 Julie Heater Salem
1977 Charisse Charlton
1976 Gail Atchison 2nd runner-up
1975 Theresa Favreau Portland
1974 Peggy Ann Gerding
1973 Judy Bishop
1972 Yvonne Philes
1971 Connie Oost
1970 Laura Smith Portland 18 Semi-finalist
1969 Karen Morton
1968 Marsha Mayer
1967 Maureen Bassett Semi-finalist
1966 Sharon Gerritz
1965 Leslie Brucher
1964 Toye Esch Salem Semi-finalist
1963 Joset Fisher
1962 Joyce Collin Semi-finalist
1958–1961 did not compete
1957 Sonja Landsem
1956 Maralyn Turner Semi-finalist
1955 Rose Karcha
1954 Charlotte Miller
1953 did not compete
1952 Beth Bailey
  1. ^ Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

References

  1. ^ Avery-Page, Nora (July 12, 2013). "New Miss Oregon from Klamath Falls". Herald and News. Klamath Falls, OR: Pioneer News Group. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  2. ^ "Toneata Morgan". Miss Universe. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  3. ^ "Coquille resident crowned Miss Oregon USA". Coos Bay World. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  4. ^ Vnuk, Helen (12 July 2021). "In jail and married to a farmer: What the Beauty And The Geek stars are doing now". Mamamia. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  5. ^ Herrera, Hayden (30 May 2023). "Six Ducks highlight Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2023". KTVL. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  6. ^ "'Apprentice' star: Trump kissed me, I wasn't offended | CNN Politics". 15 October 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Miss Teen Finalists". Sun Herald. 11 August 1993. p. 10. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Kansas communications student now wears new Miss USA crown". The Times-News. 24 February 1991. p. 13. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Feathered Headdress". The Miami News. 5 January 1985. p. 13. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  10. ^ "2007 Mrs America". Archived from the original on October 13, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  11. ^ Vondersmith, Jason (15 December 2022). "Miss Oregon Sophia Takla finishes in top 10 at Miss America". PortlandTribune.com. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  12. ^ "Jodi Unruh". KVAL. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  13. ^ a b c "Daughter fulfills mother's dream, wins Miss Oregon U.S.A. crown". Statesman-Journal. 1982-05-07. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  14. ^ a b Apley, Kay (1979-04-18). "Miss Oregon USA off to 'Miss Universe' contest". Statesman Journal. Retrieved 2018-04-11.


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