The Miss Idaho USA pageant is a competition that selects the representative for the state of Idaho 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 since 2007.

Miss Idaho USA
Formation1952
TypeBeauty pageant
HeadquartersPuyallup
Location
Membership
Miss USA
Official language
English
Key people
Maureen Francisco
WebsiteOfficial website

Idaho's first placement at Miss USA came in 1964 with Dorothy Johnson, the first African-American semi-finalist.[1] Their second placement came in 1997 when former Miss Idaho Teen USA and Miss Teen USA 1989 Brandi Sherwood placed first runner-up. She later became the first woman to be crowned both Miss USA and Miss Teen USA when she succeeded winner Brook Lee who became Miss Universe. Sherwood has since pursued a career as an actress, and is a rotating model on The Price Is Right. The third came in 2004 when former Miss Idaho Teen USA 1999 Kimberly Glyn Weible made the Top 10. Their fourth was in 2009, when Melissa Weber placed in the Top 15.

Idaho is currently third tied with North Carolina in number of former teens have competed in this pageant: ten, including Sherwood, and they are all from the same state. It is the largest former Teens competed in this pageant from the same state without being won the Teen title previously from other states. In addition, three have also competed at Miss America.

Kaitlyn Widmyer of Coeur d'Alene was crowned Miss Idaho USA 2024 on June 23, 2024 at Red Lion Hotel Templin's on the River in Post Falls, Idaho. Widmyer will represent Idaho at the Miss USA 2024.

Results summary

Placements

  • 1st Runner-Up: Brandi Sherwood (1997),[a] Kim Layne (2020)
  • Top 10: Kimberly Weible (2004)
  • Top 15: Dorothy Johnson (1964), Melissa Weber (2009)

Idaho holds a record of 5 placements at Miss USA.

Awards

  • Miss Congeniality: Sandra Baldwin (1967)

Titleholders

Color key
  •   Declared as Winner
  •   Ended as runner-up
  •   Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
Year Name Hometown Age[b] Local title Placement at Miss USA Special awards at Miss USA Notes
2024 Kaitlyn Widmyer Coeur d'Alene 28 Miss Downtown Coeur d'Alene
2023 Hannah Menzner Boise 27 Miss Capital City
2022 Jordana Dahmen Boise 26
2021 Katarina Schweitzer Boise 26 Top 10 at National Sweetheart 2019 representing Idaho, placed in Top 10
2020 Kimberly "Kim" Layne Nampa 25 1st Runner-up
2019 Shelby Brown Boise 24 Contestant on The Proposal
2018 Téa Draganović Boise 20
2017 Cassandra "Cassie" Lewis Moscow 25
2016 Sydney Halper Moscow 21
2015 Claira Hollingsworth Preston 22
2014 Yvette Bennett Boise 23
2013 Marissa Wickland Boise 20
2012 Erna Palić Boise 24
2011 Erza Haliti Meridian 20 Sister of Lorena Haliti, Miss Idaho Teen USA 2013
2010 Jessica Hellwinkel Boise 19
2009 Melissa Weber Boise 27 Top 15
2008 Tracey Brown Post Falls 21
2007 Amanda Rammell Rexburg 21
2006 Allyson Swan Twin Falls 22
2005 Sade Aiyeku Boise 24
2004 Kimberly Weible Eagle 22 Top 10
2003 Lana Wright Pocatello 25
2002 Hilary Ball Nampa 23
2001 Elizabeth Barchas Boise 20 Solicitor General of the United States appointed in 2021.[2]
  • Previously Miss Idaho Teen USA 1998;
  • Later Miss Idaho 2004.[2]
2000 Brooke Gambrell Boise 26
1999 Amy Ambrose Boise 18
  • Previously Miss Idaho Teen USA 1995
1998 Melinda Grassmick Boise 18
1997 Calley Slagle Boise 18 did not compete Originally first runner-up, assumed the title when Brandi Sherwood inherited the Miss USA title
Brandi Sherwood Idaho Falls 26 1st runner-up
1996 Tracy Yarbrough
1995 Amy Tolzmann Coeur D'Alene
1994 Trenna Wheeler Idaho Falls
1993 Natalie Nukaya Idaho Falls
1992 Cheryl Myers Boise 25
1991 Lori Easley Kimberly 23 Wife of Idaho Governor Butch Otter[3]
1990 Cindy Estey
1989 Kelli Bean Nampa
1988 Kay Kinsey Idaho Falls Wife of former NBA player Karl Malone[4]
1987 Vicki Hoffman Idaho Falls Mother of Madison Andreason, Miss Idaho's Outstanding Teen 2021
1986 Kelli Catron Coeur D'Alene
1985 Sheri Rose Boise
1984 Valencia Bilyeu Pocatello
1983 Kerry Damiano Coeur D'Alene
1982 Valerie Stephan Boise
1981 Lori Ditch Boise
1980 Marta Vincen Boise
1979 Lori Jukich Boise
1978 Suzette Sanford Pocatello
1977 Leslie Kingon Coeur D'Alene
1976 Cheryl Gilbert Boise
1975 Charlene McArthur Pocatello
1974 Darla Jan Dowden Pocatello
1973 Karen Hammond Rexburg
1972 Lianne Fulmer Coeur D'Alene
1971 Kris Riordan Nampa
1970 Kathy Cravens Nampa
1969 Karen Ryder Rigby
1968 Anna Evanson Post Falls
1967 Sandra Baldwin Coeur D'Alene Miss Congeniality
1966 Did not compete
1965 Did not compete
1964 Dorthy Johnson Pocatello Semi-finalist
1963 Did not compete
1962 Kinne Holland Nampa 18
1961 Delcene Rositer
1960 Margie Davis
1959 Pat Sherburne
1958 Jeanette Ashton
1954-1957 Did not compete
1953 Patricia Carter
1952 Cherrie Jean Lindsey

Notes

  1. ^ Brandi Sherwood was 1st runner-up at Miss USA, but succeeded the title when Brook Lee was crowned Miss Universe.
  2. ^ Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

References

  1. ^ "Miss USA a calm, lovely math whiz from the East". The Post-Crescent. 1964-06-30. Retrieved 2018-09-30.
  2. ^ a b Jones, Jim (18 August 2021). "Idaho-grown lawyer nominated by President Joe Biden to become next U.S. solicitor general". Idaho Capital Sun. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Newsmakers: Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter looks back at his time leading Idaho". East Idaho News. 30 December 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  4. ^ "The Malones". The Salt Lake Tribune. 17 October 1993. p. 71. Retrieved 9 August 2023.