The Miss Illinois Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Illinois in the Miss Teen USA pageant. It is directed by Vanbros and Associates and is previously directed by D&D Productions from 2001 to 2014 before becoming part of Vanbros organization in 2014, headquartered in Lenexa, Kansas.

Miss Illinois Teen USA
Formation1983
TypeBeauty pageant
HeadquartersShawnee
Location
Membership
Miss Teen USA
Official language
English
Key people
John M. Vannatta
Jason Vannatta
Jennifer Vannatta-Fisher, State Pageant Director
WebsiteOfficial website

Illinois is in the top fifteen states in terms of number and value of placements over the twenty-three years of the Miss Teen USA competition.[1] Illinois ties with Florida and North Carolina for the most Miss Photogenic awards won at Miss Teen USA (3) and has won more awards than any other state.[2] Like the Miss USA Pageant, Illinois went on to win the Miss Teen USA title in the second edition of the pageant.

Three Illinois teens have competed at Miss USA, although none won the Miss Illinois USA title. The first was Cherise Haugen, Illinois' only Miss Teen USA, who competed as Miss Teen USA at the 1985 pageant (the first few Miss Teen USAs were given this opportunity). Later two more would compete at the Miss USA pageant, representing Vanbros states: Terri Bollinger represented Missouri in 1999 and Anne-Marie Dixon Oklahoma in 1998. Vanbros is a pageant production company that owns the Miss Teen USA franchises for, and produces and directs, several state pageants in the Midwest. The Miss Illinois Teen USA Pageant has been the single largest official state preliminary competition with over 150 contestants every year since at least 2002 and has always ranked among the top ten largest state preliminary pageants. [citation needed]

Dawn Parks of Chicago was crowned Miss Illinois Teen USA 2022 on May 30, 2022, at Braden Auditorium in Normal. She will represent Illinois for the title of Miss Teen USA 2022.

Results summary

Placements

  • Miss Teen USA: Cherise Haugen (1984)
  • First runners-up: Autumn Waterbury (1997), Lexi Atkins (2010)
  • Third runners-up: Kathleen McClelland (1988), Kelly Cruse (2005), Sydni Dion Bennett (2018)
  • Top 6: Anne-Marie Dixon (1995)
  • Top 10: Lisa Jessen (1985), Nicole Manske (1998)
  • Top 12: Julee Kleffman (1992)
  • Top 15: Victoria Davis (2007), Olivia Pura (2016), A’Maiya Allen (2019)
  • Top 16: Alexandra Plotz (2012)
  • Top 20: Vivica Lewandowski (2023)

Illinois holds a record of 15 placements at Miss Teen USA.

Awards

  • Miss Photogenic: Linda Burkholder (1983), Lisa Jessen (1985), Kathleen McClelland (1988)

Winners

  •   Declared as Winner
  •   Ended as runner-up
  •   Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
Year Name Hometown Age1 Placement at Miss Teen USA Special awards at Miss Teen USA Notes
2024 Arianna Thompson Central Illinois TBA Top 10
2023 Vivica Lewandowski Chicago 18 Top 20
2022 Dawn Parks Chicago 18
2021 Gissell Bahena Chicago 17
2020 Victoria Blair Rhemrev[3] Long Grove 17 First Asian American Miss Illinois Teen USA
2019 A’Maiya Allen Bolingbrook 18 Top 15
2018 Sydni Dion Bennett Algonquin 16 3rd Runner-Up First African American Miss Illinois Teen USA; Later Miss Illinois USA 2021 and 3rd runner-up at Miss USA 2021
2017 Olivia Bohleber Carmi 18
2016 Olivia Pura Deer Park 17 Top 15 Later Miss Illinois USA 2020 and Top 10 at Miss USA 2020
2015 Megan Riesner Plainfield 18
2014 Miranda Fenzau Chicago 17
2013 Grayson Hodgkiss Downers Grove 16
2012 Alexandra Plotz Geneva 17 Top 16 Later Miss Illinois USA 2019
2011 Paige Higgerson Cutler 19
2010 Lexi Atkins Champaign 18 1st runner-up Later Miss Illinois USA 2014
2009 Stacie Juris Tinley Park 18 Later Miss Illinois USA 2013; 2nd runner-up at Miss USA 2013.
2008 Nora Downs Chicago 16
2007 Victoria Davis Thawville 18 Top 15
2006 Ceitlyn Glenn Effingham 17
2005 Kelly Cruse[4] Marion 17 3rd runner-up
2004 Brittany Acosta Warrenville 16
2003 Tiffiney McCormick Streator 18
2002 Lacey Wilson Hinsdale 17 Later Miss Massachusetts USA 2010
2001 Brittany Richmond Bristol 17
2000 Kimberly Williamson Goodfield 18 Died on December 27, 2004
1999 Amber Dusak Antioch 18
1998 Nicole Manske Roscoe 18 Semi-finalist ESPN personality and wife of Australian INDYCAR driver Ryan Briscoe.
1997 Autumn Waterbury Marion 18 1st runner-up
1996 Eisa Istok[5] Elgin 18
1995 Anne-Marie Dixon[6] Highland 17 Top 6 Later Miss Oklahoma USA 1998
1994 Charlotte Martin Chicago 17
1993 Jaime Lyn Holbrook Chicago 16
1992 Julee Kleffman Hoffman Estates 18 Semi-finalist
1991 Kara Kline Champaign 15
1990 Terri Bollinger Chicago 17 Later Miss Missouri USA 1999
1989 Kimberly Hannell Chicago 17
1988 Kathleen McClellan Bloomington 18 3rd runner-up Miss Photogenic
1987 Danielle Reese Riverwoods 17
1986 Dyann Lowery[7] Sandwich 17
1985 Lisa Jessen Macomb 17 Semi-finalist Miss Photogenic
1984 Cherise Haugen Sleepy Hollow 17 Miss Teen USA 1984 Best State Costume Non-finalist at Miss USA 1984
1983 Linda Burkholder Chicago 18 Miss Photogenic

1 Age at the time of the Miss Teen USA pageant

References

  1. ^ "Pageant Almanac > Miss Teen USA > Ranking". Archived from the original on May 5, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ "Pageant Almanac > Miss Teen USA > Who Has the Most?". Archived from the original on May 2, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ "Stevenson junior wins teen prize". Daily Herald. September 13, 2019. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  4. ^ Rush, Linda (2004-12-01). "LOCAL CROWNED MISS ILLINOIS TEEN PLANS FOR NATIONAL PAGEANT". The Southern.
  5. ^ Mask, Teresa (1995-12-02). "St. Edward senior named Miss Illinois Teen USA". Daily Herald.
  6. ^ Goodrich, Robert (1995-07-06). "METRO EAST TEENS WINNERS IN PAGEANT; HIGHLAND GIRL SET FOR MISS TEEN-USA". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  7. ^ Krichbaum, Jayne (1995-07-09). "BEAUTY CROWN FITS THE 2D TIME". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012.