Miss Iowa
The Miss Iowa scholarship program's mission is to provide scholarship awards within a competitive system designed to enhance educational and career opportunities for young women. While encouraging young women to serve as positive role models through service and personal development, the Miss Iowa Scholarship Program provides exposure to experiences that personal confidence, showcase talents, and serve the community.
The Miss Iowa competition is the official preliminary for the state of Iowa in the Miss America pageant. No contestant from Iowa has ever won the national Miss America title although two Miss Iowas have been named first runner-up. Cheryl Browne, Miss Iowa 1970, competed in the Miss America 1971 pageant[1] as the first African American contestant.
Contestants at the local and state levels of the Miss Iowa program use the scholarship money they earn to help pay for college and graduate school. In addition to scholarships granted to local and state winners, the Miss Iowa program awards scholarships for outstanding interview skills, talent, and other special awards.
The Miss Iowa pageant is a three-day program held in the Quad-Cities every June.
Winners
Year | Name | Hometown | Age | Local Title | Miss America Talent | Placement at Miss America | Special scholarships at Miss America | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | Kelly Koch | Waukee | 20 | Miss Polk County | Dance | Top 10 | ||
2015 | Taylor Wiebers | Clinton | 21 | Miss Clinton County | Vocal "Don't Forget Me" from Smash | Top 12 | Preliminary Talent Winner Preliminary Swimsuit Winner |
|
2014 | Alysa Lou Olson[2] | Des Moines | 21 | Miss Scott County | Vocal "How Could I Ever Know" from The Secret Garden | Top 12 | Previously Miss Iowa's Outstanding Teen 2010[3] | |
2013 | Nicole Kelly | Keokuk | 23 | Miss Metro | Vocal "Brave" | The first contestant born without her left forearm.[4] | ||
2012 | Mariah Cary | Burlington | 20 | Miss Muscatine | Tap Dance "Scatman (Ski Ba Bop Ba Dop Bop)" | 4th Runner Up at Miss America 2013 | ||
2011 | Jessica Pray[5] | Johnston | 18 | Miss Muscatine | Vocal "You Raise Me Up" | Top 10 | ||
2010 | Pauli Mayfield | Davenport | 24 | Miss Scott County | Vocal "I Know Where I've Been" from Hairspray | Ric Ferentz Non-Finalist Interview Award | ||
2009 | Anne Langguth | Iowa City | 22 | Miss Johnson County | Violin Solo "Zigeunerweisen" | Non-Finalist Talent Award & Quality of Life Finalist | Top 10 at National Sweetheart 2008; Formerly Iowa's Junior Miss 2005, Top 10 at America's Junior Miss 2005 | |
2008 | Olivia Myers[6] | Sperry | 22 | Miss Burlington | Tap Dance "Fever" | 2nd Runner Up at Miss America 2009 | ||
2007 | Diana Reed | Norwalk | 23 | Miss Capital City | Baton "You Can't Stop the Beat" from Hairspray | Top 10 at Miss America 2008 | Preliminary Talent | Former Golden Girl for the University of Iowa, Formerly Iowa's Junior Miss 2002 |
2006 | Emily Nicholas | Clear Lake | 21 | Miss Cedar River | Vocal "Over the Rainbow" | Sister of Miss Iowa 2004 | ||
2005 | Kay Pauszek | Bettendorf | 23 | Miss Muscatine | Irish Step Dance "Tipping Wheel" | |||
2004 | Carolyn Nicholas | Clear Lake | 22 | Miss Cedar River | Flute Solo "The Heebie Jeebies" | Non-finalist Talent | Sister of Miss Iowa 2006 | |
2003 | Nicole White | Eldridge | 22 | Miss Scott County | Vocal "If I Had My Way" | |||
2002 | Stephanie Moore | Okoboji | 22 | Miss Golden Circle | Vocal "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from The Phantom of the Opera | Iowa's Junior Miss 1998 | ||
2001 | Erin Smith | Bettendorf | 20 | Miss Mississippi Valley Fair | Piano Solo "Khachaturian's Toccata" | Miss America Scholar | Iowa's Junior Miss 1999 | |
2000 | Theresa Uchytil | Urbandale | 24 | Miss Johnson County | Baton "The Cup of Life" | Quality of Life 1st runner-up | ||
1999 | Jennifer Caudle | Davenport | 21 | Miss Scott County | Cello "Sabre Dance" | Non-finalist Talent | ||
1998 | Lisa Dondlinger | Des Moines | 24 | Miss Capital City | Violin Solo "Hoe-Down" from Rodeo | Non-finalist Talent | ||
1997 | Sheri Riley | Clear Lake | 19 | Miss Cedar Valley | Gospel Vocal "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" | |||
1996 | Natasha Courter | Davenport | 23 | Miss Mississippi Valley Fair | Tap Dance "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) | |||
1995 | Jennifer Curry | Muscatine | 21 | Miss Johnson County | Vocal "The Last Man In My Life" from Song and Dance | |||
1994 | Tammy Truitt | Davenport | 21 | Miss Scott County | Dramatic Vocal "I Still Believe" from Miss Saigon | |||
1993 | Nancy Van Meter | Burlington | 24 | Miss Burlington | Vocal "Stand by Your Man" | 2nd runner-up Quality of Life | ||
1992 | Catherine Lemkau | Muscatine | 24 | Miss Mississippi Valley Fair | Vocal "Someone Like You" from Jekyll & Hyde | 1st runner-up | Preliminary Talent, Preliminary Swimsuit (tie) | |
1991 | Lisa Somodi | Muscatine | 23 | Miss Muscatine County | Classical Piano "Hungarian Rhapsody No. 15" | 3rd runner-up | Preliminary Talent | |
1990 | Kerri Rosenberg | Burlington | 26 | Miss Mississippi Valley Fair | Classical Vocal "Ah, Je Veux Vivre" from Roméo et Juliette | Top 10 at Miss America 1991 | ||
1989 | Jayna Sanchez | Davenport | 24 | Miss Cedar-Johnson County | Dance / Twirl "Another Cha-Cha" by Santa Esmeralda | Non-finalist Talent | ||
1988 | Tiffany DiBernardo | Bettendorf | 19 | Miss Scott County | Vocal "I Go To Rio" | |||
1987 | Robin Wolfram | Davenport | 24 | Miss Scott County | Popular Vocal "Only He" | |||
1986 | Darcy Benton | Delmar | 19 | Miss Clinton County | Vocal "Someone to Watch Over Me" | Toured with the 1987 Gillette Miss America Show Troupe | ||
1985 | Sherri Bowman | Council Bluffs | 24 | Miss Griswold | Piano Solo | |||
1984 | Debra Deitering | Missouri Valley | 23 | Miss Southwest Iowa | Vocal "This Is My Life" | |||
1983 | Karri Nussle | Des Moines | 19 | Miss Polk County | Vocal "Minute Waltz" | |||
1982 | Linda Simon | DeWitt | 23 | Miss Clinton County | Baton Twirling | Non-finalist Talent | Former Golden Girl for the University of Iowa | |
1981 | Darla Blocker | Davenport | 19 | Miss Scott County | Vocal "But the World Goes Round" | |||
1980 | Jane Patton | Council Bluffs | 24 | Miss Nishna Valley | Semi-Classical Vocal "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" | |||
1979 | Lori Froeling | Keokuk | 20 | Miss Keokuk | Flute Solo "Carnival of Venice" | Top 10 | ||
1978 | Mary England | Davenport | 20 | Miss Davenport | Piano Solo "Spellbound" | |||
1977 | Debra Scheller | Fort Dodge | 23 | Miss Ringsted | Popular Vocal "Country Girl" | |||
1976 | Ronda Frogley | Davenport | 20 | Miss Davenport | Popular Vocal "Tomorrow" | |||
1975 | Debbie Weuve | State Center | 20 | Miss Marshalltown | Vocal "Maybe This Time" from Cabaret | |||
1974 | Jean Bollhoefer | Haverhill | 25 | Miss Marshalltown | Popular Vocal "Starting Here, Starting Now" | Non-finalist Talent | ||
1973 | Lynette Henninger | Bettendorf | 19 | Miss Davenport | Ballet "Color My World" & "Make No Sound" | Toured with Miss America USO Troupe | ||
1972 | Renee Stuedemann | Clinton | 23 | Miss DeWitt | Baton Twirling "Can-Can" | Top 10 | ||
1971 | Judith Stephens | Clarinda | 21 | Miss Clarinda | Piano "Rhapsody In Blue" | |||
1970 | Cheryl Browne | Decorah | 20 | Miss Decorah | Ballet "Deep Purple" | Non-finalist Talent | First African American contestant to compete at the Miss America pageant, toured with Miss America USO Troupe | |
1969 | Lois Koth | Alta | 20 | Miss Storm Lake | Pipe Organ Solo "Toccata" by Charles-Marie Widor | Non-finalist Talent | ||
1968 | Susan Thompson | Des Moines | 21 | Miss Des Moines | Piano Solo "Warsaw Concerto" | 2nd runner-up | Preliminary Swimsuit | |
1967 | Lynda Jeanne Formanek[7] | Belle Plaine | 23 | Miss Newton | Character Portrayal of "Alice In Wonderland" | Top 10 | Died from injuries in an auto accident in March 1969 | |
1966 | Pamela Ericson | Sioux City | 19 | Miss Sioux City | Semi-Classical Vocal, "Love Is Where You Find It" from The Kissing Bandit | |||
1965 | Marie Mushro | Sioux City | 19 | Miss Sioux City | Ballet en Pointe, "The Dying Swan" | Miss Congeniality, Non-finalist Talent | Featured performer in the 1966 Miss America telecast | |
1964 | Carol Johnson | Ames | 21 | Miss Ames | Folk Singing & Guitar | |||
1963 | Carolyn Yochum | Davenport | Miss Davenport | Piano Solo, "Etude in D Flat Major" | Non-finalist Talent | |||
1962 | Joleen Wolf | Des Moines | 19 | Miss Des Moines | Interpretive Ballet "Autumn Concerto" | Non-finalist Talent | Featured performer in the 1963 Miss America Pageant telecast | |
1961 | Patti Whalen | Clinton | 18 | Miss Clinton-DeWitt | Vocal Medley "I Feel Pretty" & "Tonight" from West Side Story | |||
1960 | Sally Neville | Davenport | 18 | Miss Davenport | Dramatic Reading "Mother On a Moment's Notice" | |||
1959 | Jacquelyn Baker | Grinnell | 20 | Modern Interpretive Dance | ||||
1958 | Joanne MacDonald | Ames | Dramatic Recitation "The White Cliffs of Dover" | 1st runner-up | ||||
1957 | Carol Fleck | Oskaloosa | Dance | |||||
1956 | Martha Barsness | Decorah | Vocal, "Ah, Fors'e Lui" from La Traviata | Non-finalist Talent | ||||
1955 | Kay Taylor | Iowa City | Tap Dance, "French Maids' Dreaming of Marriage" | |||||
1954 | Carol Morris | Ottumwa | Violin Solo | Later Miss Iowa USA 1956, Miss USA 1956, Miss Universe 1956 | ||||
1953 | Constance Verhoef | Sheldon | Vocal | |||||
1952 | Carolyn Hill | Cedar Falls | Vocal, "You're My Everything" | |||||
1951 | Jane Nancy Norman | Shenandoah | Vocal, "Romance" from The Desert Song | |||||
1950 | Mary Lines | Clarinda | Piano / Marimba "Stardust" | |||||
1949 | Barbara Juel | Council Bluffs | Classical Vocal, "Strie la Vampa" from Il trovatore | |||||
1947 | Ruth Anderson | Oelwein | Attended Cornell College | Married in 1949 to Gordon Erickson | Vocal "You Made Me Love You" | Resides currently in Solvang, California | ||
1946 | Jacquline Means | Des Moines | Acrobatic Dance | |||||
1945 | Jeanne Gordon | Des Moines | ||||||
1941 | Lorene Snoddy | Des Moines | ||||||
1936 | Carol Bailey | Waterloo | ||||||
1935 | Connie Rosefeld | Des Moines | *competed in Miss America as Miss Des Moines | |||||
1933 | Eleanor Dankenbring | Manning | 20 | Disqualified for not living in Iowa | ||||
1927 | Geneva Roberts | Storm Lake | ||||||
1925 | No Miss Iowa | Dorothy Nordyke competed as Miss Sioux City in the Miss America pageant | ||||||
1924 | No Miss Iowa | Alta Sterling competed as Miss Sioux City in the Miss America Pageant |
References
- ↑ Photographs by Paul Cauley, 1971 Door Gunner, A Co 101st Avn
- ↑ Geyer, Thomas (June 14, 2014). "Miss Scott County crowned Miss Iowa". Quad-City Times. Davenport, IA: Lee Enterprises. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
- ↑ Geyer, Thomas (June 12, 2010). "Davenport woman wins Miss Iowa crown". Quad-City Times. Davenport, IA: Lee Enterprises. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
Iowa also has a new Outstanding Teen. Aly Olson, 17, of Des Moines, who is Miss Capital City’s Outstanding Teen, was crowned Friday during competition at the Adler Theatre.
- ↑ Miss America contestant born without forearm: 'I'm just like you'
- ↑ "Miss Muscatine wins Iowa crown". Quad-City Times. June 11, 2011.
- ↑ "Miss Burlington becomes Miss Iowa 2008". WQAD. 2008-06-15. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
- ↑ "Miss Iowa of '67 Dies in Crash". Waterloo Daily Courier. March 17, 1969.