Miss Arkansas USA and Teen USA Titleholder History

1950s – Arkansas’ decade to shine

Arkansas has competed at every Miss USA pageant since 1952 and their most successful decade was in those first few years of the Miss USA pageant, with three semi-finalist and two runner-up placements, including getting called four consecutive years. Margaret Haywood placed first runner-up at Miss USA 1955 and went on to also finish first runner-up at Miss World.

Poultry Princesses

You might know that in the 1970s, many of the state pageant titles were styled Miss State Universe… but did you know that in the early 1960s, it was the Arkansas Poultry Princess winner that went on to represent the Land of Opportunity at Miss USA? In the news clippings section there’s a photo from 1963 of Arkansas representative Cheryl Bechtelheimer and governor Orval Faubus watching intently as Miss Universe Ieda Maria Vargas chomps down on a chicken drumstick.

Terri Utley and that photo

Terri Utley’s reaction to winning Miss USA is one of the most recognisable photos from the 1980s era of Miss USA and one of the few quality photos in colour. Terri was the first Miss USA to win with short hair and her small-town charm set her apart.

Twins so identical they “could have swapped with each other on stage”

Check out the news clippings for a great photo of Miss Arkansas USA 1981 Lynnanne Derryberry and her identical twin sister Leann taken at the Miss USA pageant in Biloxi. Their story continued with Leann placing first runner-up to Terri Utley in the 1982 pageant and assuming the title when Teri won Miss USA.

Keeping it in the family

The Derryberry twins aren’t the only Arkansas titleholders with family connections. The first ever Miss Arkansas Teen USA Angela Boyd is the sister of Miss Arkansas USA 1984 Shelly Boyd (who sadly passed away in 2022), Miss Arkansas Teen USA 1988 Jessica Welch and Miss Arkansas Teen USA 2006 Taylor Wright are aunt and niece and Miss Arkansas Teen USA 2016 Makenzie Sexton is the daughter of Miss Missouri USA 1992 Tonya Snodgrass. The daughter of Paula Montgomery, Miss Arkansas Teen USA 1991 and later Miss Arkansas 1995, won Miss Arkansas’ Outstanding Teen 2017 title and made the top 9 at Miss America’s Outstanding Teen.

Vanbros – setting Arkansas up for success

When Vanbros took over the Arkansas pageant in 2008, the state hadn’t placed at Miss Teen USA since 1985, at the time one of the longest ongoing periods without a Teen placement of any state. In Vanbros’ very first year, Stevi Perry blew that “curse” out of the water, winning Arkansas’ first ever Miss Teen USA title, followed by semi-finalist finishes for Allison Kusenberger and Megan Michelle Burgess in 2009 & 2010. The following year Arkansas recorded only their second Miss USA placement since Terri Utley’s win in 1982, followed by their first back to back placement since the 1950s the following year.  Since 2010 Arkansas has placed three times at Miss USA and four times at Miss Teen USA.

Former Teens back with a vengeance in the 2010s

When Miss Arkansas Teen USA 2013 Abby Floyd won the Miss Arkansas USA title in 2016, the first former Teen to win in 20 years, it set off an unusual streak of three consecutive Teen titleholders winning the Miss title in three years – although the order of the last two was flipped, with 2015 Teen Arynn Johnson holding the 2017 title and crowning 2014 Teen Lauren Weaver as Miss AR USA 2018. All three made the top five at Miss Arkansas Teen USA 2013, alongside 2016 Teen winner Makenzie Sexton.