Miss California USA facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the state pageant to select a California delegate to the Miss USA pageant. For the Miss America state pageant, see Miss California.

Quick facts for kids
Miss California USA
Formation	1952
Type	Beauty pageant
Headquarters	Santa Monica
Location	California
Membership	Miss USA
Official language	English
Key people	Kristen Bradford

Miss California USA is a special competition where a young woman is chosen to represent the state of California in the national Miss USA pageant. The winner of this competition gets the title "Miss California USA." Crown Diva Productions currently organizes this event.

California has had great success in the Miss USA pageant. Six times, a Miss California USA has won the national Miss USA title. These winners include Terry Huntingdon (1959), Maria Remenyi (1966), Summer Bartholomew (1975), Julie Hayek (1983), Shannon Marketic (1992), and Alyssa Campanella (2011).

The current Miss California USA is Samantha Ramos from Santa Monica. She won her title on June 23, 2024, and represented California at Miss USA 2024.

History of the Pageant
California's Achievements at Miss USA
- Special Awards
Meet the Winners
Images for kids
See also

History of the Pageant

The Miss California USA pageant has been organized by different groups over the years. Many people have helped make it a successful event.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Faye Smith was in charge.
Later, Dr. Leanord Stallcup and Guyrex Productions took over.
Top 10 Productions, Inc., based in San Diego, also produced the pageant. This group was led by Pam Wilson and Alex Kuty.
In 2013, Top 10 Productions took over from K2 Productions. K2 Productions was known for making California the top-placing state at Miss USA during its nine years. They also made the pageant the largest state competition in Miss USA history and brought it back to live television. K2 Productions was first led by Keylee Sue Sanders, who was Miss Teen USA 1995, and Keith Lewis. Later, Shanna Moakler, who was Miss USA 1995, briefly co-produced it.
From 2018 to 2021, the Chrisley family's Chrisley Productions managed the pageant.
In October 2021, Kristen Bradford of Crown Diva Productions became the new director for the California pageants.

In 2009, Carrie Prejean was the first runner-up at Miss USA 2009. She later had to give up her Miss California USA title. The pageant organizers stated this was due to her not following her contract rules.

California is one of the most successful states in the Miss USA pageant. It has had a Miss USA winner in almost every decade since the 1950s. Only the 2000s did not have a winner from California. California is ranked second among all states for how many times its representatives have placed high in the Miss USA competition, right after Texas.

Shauna Gambill is the only Miss California USA who had also won the Miss Teen USA title before. She won Miss Teen USA 1994. As Miss California USA in 1998, Shauna Gambill placed as the first runner-up at Miss USA. Three Miss California USA titleholders have also competed in the Miss America pageant. Two others were former winners of the Miss Teenage California Scholarship Pageant.

California's Achievements at Miss USA

California has a strong history at the Miss USA pageant, with many winners and high placements.

Miss USAs: Terry Huntingdon (1959), Maria Remenyi (1966), Summer Bartholomew (1975), Julie Hayek (1983), Shannon Marketic (1992), Alyssa Campanella (2011)
1st Runners-Up: Pamela Stettler (1961), Susan Bradley (1967), Diana Magaña (1988), Shauna Gambill (1998), Brittany Hogan (2005), Tamiko Nash (2006), Carrie Prejean (2009)
2nd Runners-Up: Kim Hobson (1972), Diane Schock (1991), Angelique Breaux (1999)
3rd Runners-Up: Donna Schurr (1955), Marilyn Tindall (1962), Gayle Gorrell (1974), Pamela Gergely (1977), Cynthia Kerby (1981), Meagan Tandy (2007)
4th Runners-Up: Francine Herack (1963), Troas Hayes (1969), Kelly Parsons (1986)
Top 5: Nadia Mejía (2016)
Top 10/12: Karin Morrell (1971), Carol Herrema (1973), Joni Pennock (1976), Donna Adrain (1978), Linda Fogarty (1979), Christina Faust (1989), Jane Olvera (1993), Tarah Peters (2002), Nicole Johnson (2010), Cassandra Kunze (2014), India Williams (2017), Kelley Johnson (2018), Allyshia Gupta (2020)
Top 15/16/20: Marcella Roulette (1953), Sandra Constance (1954), Peggy Jacobson (1957), Donna Brooks (1958), Teri Janssen (1960), Jeanne Venables (1964), Kathryn Hage (1965), Suzanne Fromm (1968), Linda Hall (1970), Raquel Beezley (2008), Mabelynn Capeluj (2013), Tiffany Johnson (2022), Tianna Clark (2023), Samantha Ramos (2024)

California has achieved 53 placements at Miss USA. This is the second-highest number of placements for any state, after Texas.

Special Awards

California's representatives have also won special awards at Miss USA:

Miss Congeniality: Jeanne Venables (1964), Cynthia Kerby (1981), Lori Dickerson (1987)
Miss Photogenic: Maria Remenyi (1966), Cynthia Kerby (1981), Shannon Marketic (1992), Cassandra Kunze (2014)
Best State Costume: Suzanne Fromm (1968)

Meet the Winners

This table shows the young women who have held the title of Miss California USA.

Color key

Winner
Runner-Up
Semifinalist

Year	Name	Hometown	Age	Local Title	Placement at Miss USA	Special awards at Miss USA	Notes
2024	Samantha Ramos	Santa Monica	24	Miss Santa Monica	Top 20
2023	Tianna Clark	Perris	27	Miss Perris	Top 20
2022	Tiffany Johnson	Lancaster	26	Miss Lancaster	Top 16		Was a professional dancer for the Los Angeles Clippers
2021	Sabrina Lewis	Berkeley	23	Miss Berkeley			Later became Miss California 2023
2020	Allyshia Gupta	Los Angeles	25	Miss Los Angeles	Top 10		Appeared on season 29 of The Bachelor
2019	Erica Dann	San Francisco	27	Miss San Francisco
2018	Kelley Johnson	Los Angeles	24	Miss Redondo Beach	Top 10		Previously Miss Colorado 2015 (and 2nd runner-up at Miss America 2015)
2017	India Williams	Lafayette	20	Miss Santa Monica	Top 10
2016	Nadia Mejia	Diamond Bar	20	Miss Corona Del Mar	Top 5		Daughter of Gerardo Mejia and Kathy Eicher, who was Miss West Virginia USA 1989 Later First runner-up Miss Universe Ecuador 2024
2015	Natasha Martinez	Chino Hills	23	Miss Santa Anita Park			Was a Los Angeles Laker Girl
2014	Cassandra Kunze	San Diego	20	Miss Beverly Hills	Top 10	Miss Photogenic
2013	Mabelynn Capeluj	San Diego	21	Miss Greater San Diego	Top 15		Competed in Nuestra Belleza Latina 2015
2012	Natalie Pack	Palos Verdes	22	Miss Hoag Hospital			Competed in cycle 12 of America's Next Top Model
2011	Katie Blair	Los Angeles	23	Miss Laurel Canyon	did not compete		Was originally first runner-up, took the title when Alyssa Campanella won Miss USA Previously Miss Montana Teen USA 2006 and Miss Teen USA 2006
2011	Alyssa Campanella	Los Angeles	20	Miss Hillsbourough	Miss USA 2011		Previously Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2007 (and 1st runner-up at Miss Teen USA 2007)
2010	Nicole Johnson	Westlake Village	24	Miss Sherwood	Top 10		Married to swimmer Michael Phelps
2009	Tami Farrell	Los Angeles	25	Miss Malibu	did not compete		Was originally first runner-up, took the title when Carrie Prejean was no longer Miss California USA Previously Miss Oregon Teen USA 2003 and Miss Teen USA 2003
2009	Carrie Prejean	San Diego	21	Miss La Jolla	1st Runner-Up		Later had her title removed by the Miss California USA Organization
2008	Raquel Beezley	Barstow	21	Miss Barstow	Top 15
2007	Meagan Tandy	Fontana	21	Miss Inland Empire	3rd Runner-Up
2006	Tamiko Nash	Los Angeles	26	Miss North Los Angeles	1st Runner-Up
2005	Brittany Hogan	Escondido	20	Miss City of San Diego	1st Runner-Up
2004	Ellen Chapman	San Jose	22	Miss San Francisco-Bay Area			Sister of Sarah Chapman, Miss Nevada USA 2011
2003	Candice Sanders	La Habre	26	Miss Greater Los Angeles
2002	Tarah Peters	San Diego	21	Miss Greater San Diego	Top 12
2001	Jennifer Glover	Castro Valley	21	Miss Bay City			Previously Miss United States International 1999 Later became Miss California 2002
2000	Rebekah Ann Keller	Lakewood	25	Miss Greater Lakewood			Previously Miss California 1997 (and 4th runner-up at Miss America 1997)
1999	Angelique Breaux	San Diego	21	Miss Vista	2nd Runner-Up		1st Runner-up at Miss World USA 1999 Later became Miss World USA 2000 (Top 10 at Miss World 2000)
1998	Shauna Gambill	Acton	21	Miss Acton	1st Runner-Up		Previously Miss California Teen USA 1994 and Miss Teen USA 1994 Later became Miss World USA 1998 (Top 10 at Miss World 1998)
1997	Alisa Kimble	Lake Elsinore	27	Miss Lake Elsinore
1996	Shauna Lyn Searles	Tustin	26	Miss Tustin			Was Miss California USA 1992, after Shannon Marketic won Miss USA 1992
1995	Deana Avila	Laguna Niguel		Miss Laguna Niguel
1994	Toay Lynn Foster	Oxnard		Miss Tulare County
1993	Jane Olvera	Fresno	23	Miss Central Valley	Top 12
1992	Shauna Lyn Searles	Los Angeles		Miss Sacramento Valley	did not compete		Was originally first runner-up, took the title when Shannon Marketic won Miss USA 1992 Later won Miss California USA 1996
1992	Shannon Marketic	Malibu	21	Miss West Los Angeles	Miss USA 1992	Miss Photogenic
1991	Diane Schock	Fontana	24	Miss Claremont	2nd Runner-Up
1990	Cynthia Nelson	Gilroy		Miss Gilroy
1989	Christina Maria Faust	San Fernando Valley	23	Miss San Fernando Valley	Top 10
1988	Diana Magaña	Rancho Palos Verdes	22	Miss Los Angeles County	1st Runner-Up		Later became Miss World USA 1988 (Top 10 at Miss World 1988)
1987	Lori Dickerson	Lodi		Miss San Joaquin County		Miss Congeniality
1986	Kelly Parsons	Los Angeles	22	Miss Northridge	4th Runner-Up
1985	Zina Ponder	Long Beach		Miss Long Beach
1984	Theresa Ring	San Diego		Miss Greater San Diego			Was a spokesmodel on Star Search in 1987
1983	Julie Lynne Hayek	Westwood	22	Miss Westwood	Miss USA 1983
1982	Suzanne Dewames	Thousand Oaks		Miss Ventura County
1981	Cynthia Kerby	Westlake Village		Miss Las Virgenes	3rd Runner-Up	Miss Photogenic Miss Congeniality
1980	Kari Lloyd	Thousand Oaks
1979	Linda Fogarty	Fullerton			Top 12
1978	Donna Adrain	Anaheim			Top 12
1977	Pamela Gergely	San Rafael			3rd Runner-Up
1976	Joni Pennock	Fullerton	20		Top 12
1975	Summer Bartholomew	Merced	23		Miss USA 1975
1974	Gayle Gorrell	Los Angeles			3rd Runner-Up
1973	Carol Herrema	Artesia			Top 12
1972	Kim Hobson	San Mateo			2nd Runner-Up
1971	Karin Morrell	Auburn			Top 12
1970	Linda Hall	Los Angeles			Top 15
1969	Troas Hayes	Sacramento			4th Runner-Up
1968	Suzanne Fromm	Los Angeles			Top 15	Best State Costume
1967	Susan Bradley	Tustin			1st Runner-Up
1966	Maria Remenyi	El Cerrito	20		Miss USA 1966	Miss Photogenic
1965	Kathryn Lee Hage	Santa Monica			Top 15
1964	Jeanne Venables	Sacramento			Top 15	Miss Congeniality
1963	Francine Herack	Encino			4th Runner-Up
1962	Marilyn Tindall	Los Angeles			3rd Runner-Up
1961	Pamela Stettler	San Rafael			1st Runner-Up
1960	Teri Janssen	Los Angeles			Top 15
1959	Terry Lynn Huntingdon	Mount Shasta	19		Miss USA 1959
1958	Donna Kay Brooks	Los Angeles			Top 15
1957	Peggy Jacobson	Los Angeles			Top 15
1956	Shirlee Witty	Los Angeles
1955	Donna Schurr	Los Angeles			3rd Runner-Up
1954	Sandra Constance	Los Angeles			Top 20
1953	Marcella Roulette	Los Angeles			Top 20
1952	Gloria Maxwell	Los Angeles

Images for kids

Sabrina Lewis - Miss California USA.jpg

Sabrina Lewis, Miss California USA 2021
Erica Dann, Miss California USA 2019
Nadia Mejia, Miss California USA 2016
Natasha Martinez, Miss California USA 2015
Cassandra Kunze, Miss California USA 2014
Mabelynn Capeluj, Miss California USA 2013
Natalie Pack, Miss California USA 2012
Katie Blair, Miss California USA 2011
Alyssa Campanella, Miss California USA 2011 and Miss USA 2011
Nicole Johnson, Miss California USA 2010
Tami Farrell, Miss California USA 2009
Carrie Prejean, Miss California USA 2009
Raquel Beezley, Miss California USA 2008
Meagan Tandy, Miss California USA 2007
Tamiko Nash, Miss California USA 2006
Ellen Chapman, Miss California USA 2004
Julie Hayek, Miss California USA 1983 and Miss USA 1983
Summer Bartholomew, Miss California USA 1975 and Miss USA 1975
Maria Remenyi, Miss California USA 1966 and Miss USA 1966
Terry Huntingdon, Miss California USA 1959 and Miss USA 1959