Your ultimate Miss USA state pageant resource
Take a trip back into the history of the Miss Vermont USA and Teen USA pageants, from the first winner to the most recent. Get to know every single Miss and Teen titleholder with a full listing, hometown map and extensive photo archive, with state pageant photos, Miss USA and Teen USA competition photos and more.
What was all over the headlines at Miss USA 1956? “Miss Vermont Does Not Like Live Minks”, “Miss Vermont says only raises mink, does not wear them”, “Miss Vermont takes dim view of mink” “Miss Vermont has high regard for minks her family owns” “Miss Vermont Cold to Mink”, and my personal favourite “Miss Vermont, Up from Farm, Is Sure Mink Hath No Charm” … Dolores Wettack indeed grew up on a mink farm and newspaper editors were having a field day with it.
Both Miss Vermont USA 1959 Sandra Laquerre and Miss Vermont USA 1960 Carole Demas were runners-up at Miss Vermont (America) 1960 – waiting to give up your title wasn’t an issue back then!
Carole Demas – who was also first runner-up at Miss Vermont (America) 1959 – later went on to a successful Broadway role as “Louisa (The Girl)” in The Fantasticks before starring as Sandy in the original Broadway production of Grease.
The 1968-1970 pageants were held at the Mount Snow ski resort – with the winners receiving a season ski pass, free skis and ski apparel, a uniquely Vermonty prize package. 1970 winner Cindy Jurewicz was from New Jersey but representing Mount Snow (where she worked) in the competition – runners-up that year included “Miss Student Ski Association”, “Miss Haystack Ski School” and “Miss Okemo Ski Area”!
One of my all-time favourite headlines of any pageant-related article has to be this one about Miss Vermont USA 1968 Susan Glynn, a self-proclaimed hippie, hitchiker and snow bunny who brought her guitar to Miss USA. You can read the rest in the “News Clippings” section in the photo galleries below. While there were separate photos of her strumming for some fellow contestants, sadly the main articles about her weren’t matched with photos, a lost opportunity if you ask me.
In the 1970s four consecutive Vermont winners were out-of-state students at Green Mountain College in Poultney. 1972 winner Stacey Becker and 1973 winner Bonnie Height were both originally from New Jersey – Bonnie helped tend horses for a trainer at Monmouth Park – and their back-to-back Miss Amity (Congeniality) winners Donna Thornton (1974) and Constance Crabtree (1975) were both from Connecticut. In the 1973 pageant seven of the ten contestants were from Green Mountain College as were all five finalists in 1975 (no word on how many among the 22 contestants). Ironically the 1976 winner Susan Parsons was a native of Poultney who attended the University of Vermont.
Vermont has won five Miss Congeniality awards (or Miss Amity, as it was known in the early days), more than any other state – and has many Congeniality awards as they do placements. Four of the five came in a 10 year period between 1969 and 1978, including back-to-back awards in 1974. The first was Mary Verdiani in 1969. She also finished first runner-up in the pageant, Vermont’s second highest placement and their most recent top five finish. The most recent Congeniality winner was the gorgeous Michelle Fongemie in 2004 – I had the pleasure of sharing a room with her when I attended Miss USA 2012 in Vegas!
In 2022 Kelsey and Kenzie Golonka became the first sisters to win a state’s Teen and Miss titles in the same year! Kelsey was previously Miss Vermont Teen USA 2017 herself and is the first Vermonter to place in both pageants. In making the top 12 at Miss USA 2022 she broke Vermont’s 30 year non-placement streak. Kenzie wore Kelsey’s Miss Teen USA gown (minus the train) to win the Miss VT Teen USA title.
The pageant is currently directed by Glenn Brown of GDB Pageant Productions. Past directors of the Miss Vermont USA and Teen USA pageants have included:
22 • Rutland
Semi-finalist
at Miss Universe
16 • Dorset
Winner
Carlene King Johnson (1955)
1st runner-up
Mary Verdiani (1969)
Semi-finalist
Sandra Taft (1971), Georgia Marie Davis (1982)
Top 8/10/11/12*
Kelsey Golonka (2022)
* Where the semi-finalists are cut in multiple stages before the top 5 or 6
Congeniality
Mary Verdiani (1969), Donna Thornton (1974), Constance “Pinky” Crabtree (1975), Nancy Wierzbicki (1978), Michelle Fongemie (2004)
IMAGE | YEAR | NAME | HOMETOWN | AGE | PLACEMENT | AWARD | NOTES |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Samantha Vocatura | Stowe | 27 | ||||
2023 | Jenna Howlett* | Bridport | 20 | Previously Miss VT Teen USA 2019 | |||
2022 | Kelsey Golonka* | Montpelier | 23 | Top 12 | Previously Miss VT Teen USA 2017 (SF Miss Teen USA); sister of Miss VT Teen USA 2022 | ||
2021 | Joanna Nagle | Colchester | 27 | ||||
2020 | Shannah Weller | Middlebury | 24 | ||||
2019 | Bethany Garrow | Rutland | 20 | ||||
2018 | Maia-Jena Allo | Colchester | 20 | ||||
2017 | Madison Cota* | Bellows Falls | 21 | Previously Miss VT Teen USA 2014 | |||
2016 | Neely Fortune | Burlington | 24 | ||||
2015 | Jackie Croft | Burlington | 24 | ||||
2014 | Gina Bernasconi | Colchester | 19 | ||||
2013 | Sarah Westbrook | Burlington | 25 | ||||
2012 | Jamie Dragon | Stowe | 26 | ||||
2011 | Lauren Carter | Burlington | 21 | ||||
2010 | Nydelis Ortiz | Essex | 20 | ||||
2009 | Brooke Werner | Granville | 22 | ||||
2008 | Kim Tantlinger | Burlington | 22 | ||||
2007 | Jessica Comolli | Montpelier | 22 | ||||
2006 | Amanda Gilman | Danville | 20 | ||||
2005 | Amanda Mitteer | Brattleboro | 26 | ||||
2004 | Michelle Fongemie | Williston | 26 | Congeniality | |||
2003 | Jennifer Ripley* | Burlington | 20 | Previously Miss VT Teen USA 1999 | |||
2002 | Brooke Angus | Essex | 20 | ||||
2001 | Katy Johnson^ | Brattleboro | 23 | Previously Miss VT 1999 | |||
2000 | Katie Bolton | Colchester | 22 | ||||
1999 | Nicole Lewis | Windsor | 22 | ||||
1998 | Catherine Bliss* | Burlington | Previously Miss NY Teen USA 1990 | ||||
1997 | Lisa Jean Costantino | Burlington | |||||
1996 | Nancy Anne Roberts | Middlebury | |||||
1995 | Jennifer Cazeault | Winooski | |||||
1994 | Christy Ann Beltrami* | Williston | Previously Miss VT Teen USA 1987 | ||||
1993 | Jodi Sicely | Burlington | |||||
1992 | Bonnie Kittridge | Burlington | |||||
1991 | Margaret Corey | Brattleboro | |||||
1990 | Stephanie Bessey | Chester | |||||
1989 | Stacey Palmer | Burlington | |||||
1988 | Stacy Sisson | Rutland | |||||
1987 | Carole Woodworth | North Bennington | |||||
1986 | Tracey D. Morton | Rutland | |||||
1985 | Angie Cummingham | Rutland | |||||
1984 | Sue O'Brien | Waterbury Center | |||||
1983 | Leslie Lucchina | Barre | |||||
1982 | Georgia Marie Davis | Bennington | Semi-finalist | ||||
1981 | Jeannette Wulff | Montpelier | |||||
1980 | Judiwynne Mason | Randolph | |||||
1979 | Katherine Rechsteiner^ | Sugar Busch Valley | Previously Miss VT 1975 | ||||
1978 | Nancy Wierzbicki | Rutland | Congeniality | ||||
1977 | Anne Kent | Castleton | |||||
1976 | Susan Parsons | Poultney | |||||
1975 | Constance "Pinky" Crabtree | Poultney | Congeniality | ||||
1974 | Donna Thornton | Poultner | Congeniality | ||||
1973 | Bonnie Height | Poultney | |||||
1972 | Stacey Becker | Poultney | |||||
1971 | Sandra Taft | West Dover | Semi-finalist | ||||
1970 | Cynthia Jurewicz | West Dover | |||||
1969 | Mary Verdiani | Montpelier | 19 | 1st runner-up | Congeniality | ||
1968 | Susan Glynn | Mt. Snow | 25 | ||||
1967 | Elaine Farrell | Burlington | |||||
1966 | Peggy Eckert | West Burke | |||||
1965 | Andrea Kenyon | North Bennington | |||||
1964 | Freda Elaine Betts | Bennington | |||||
1963 | Ellen "Bunny" Centerbar | North Bennington | |||||
1962 | Barbara Ann "Bobby" Kearney | Springfield | |||||
1961 | Susan Nielson | Poultney | |||||
1960 | Carole Demas | Burlington | |||||
1959 | Sandra Laquerre | Barre | |||||
1958 | Doreen McNamee | Brattleboro | 20 | ||||
1957 | Marjorie Link | East Harwick | |||||
1956 | Dolores Wettack | Westminster | |||||
1955 | CARLENE KING JOHNSON^ | Rutland | 22 | Miss USA | SF Miss Universe 1955; previously Miss VT 1953 | ||
1954 | Georgia Lauriso | 24 | |||||
1953 | Kathleen Surrel | 22 | |||||
1952 | Elizabeth Whitcomb | Essex Junction |
YEAR | NAME | HOMETOWN | AGE | PLACEMENT | AWARD | NOTES |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | Samantha Vocatura | Stowe | 27 | |||
2023 | Jenna Howlett* | Bridport | 20 | Previously Miss VT Teen USA 2019 | ||
2022 | Kelsey Golonka* | Montpelier | 23 | Top 12 | Previously Miss VT Teen USA 2017 (SF Miss Teen USA); sister of Miss VT Teen USA 2022 | |
2021 | Joanna Nagle | Colchester | 27 | |||
2020 | Shannah Weller | Middlebury | 24 | |||
2019 | Bethany Garrow | Rutland | 20 | |||
2018 | Maia-Jena Allo | Colchester | 20 | |||
2017 | Madison Cota* | Bellows Falls | 21 | Previously Miss VT Teen USA 2014 | ||
2016 | Neely Fortune | Burlington | 24 | |||
2015 | Jackie Croft | Burlington | 24 | |||
2014 | Gina Bernasconi | Colchester | 19 | |||
2013 | Sarah Westbrook | Burlington | 25 | |||
2012 | Jamie Dragon | Stowe | 26 | |||
2011 | Lauren Carter | Burlington | 21 | |||
2010 | Nydelis Ortiz | Essex | 20 | |||
2009 | Brooke Werner | Granville | 22 | |||
2008 | Kim Tantlinger | Burlington | 22 | |||
2007 | Jessica Comolli | Montpelier | 22 | |||
2006 | Amanda Gilman | Danville | 20 | |||
2005 | Amanda Mitteer | Brattleboro | 26 | |||
2004 | Michelle Fongemie | Williston | 26 | Congeniality | ||
2003 | Jennifer Ripley* | Burlington | 20 | Previously Miss VT Teen USA 1999 | ||
2002 | Brooke Angus | Essex | 20 | |||
2001 | Katy Johnson^ | Brattleboro | 23 | Previously Miss VT 1999 | ||
2000 | Katie Bolton | Colchester | 22 | |||
1999 | Nicole Lewis | Windsor | 22 | |||
1998 | Catherine Bliss* | Burlington | Previously Miss NY Teen USA 1990 | |||
1997 | Lisa Jean Costantino | Burlington | ||||
1996 | Nancy Anne Roberts | Middlebury | ||||
1995 | Jennifer Cazeault | Winooski | ||||
1994 | Christy Ann Beltrami* | Williston | Previously Miss VT Teen USA 1987 | |||
1993 | Jodi Sicely | Burlington | ||||
1992 | Bonnie Kittridge | Burlington | ||||
1991 | Margaret Corey | Brattleboro | ||||
1990 | Stephanie Bessey | Chester | ||||
1989 | Stacey Palmer | Burlington | ||||
1988 | Stacy Sisson | Rutland | ||||
1987 | Carole Woodworth | North Bennington | ||||
1986 | Tracey D. Morton | Rutland | ||||
1985 | Angie Cummingham | Rutland | ||||
1984 | Sue O'Brien | Waterbury Center | ||||
1983 | Leslie Lucchina | Barre | ||||
1982 | Georgia Marie Davis | Bennington | Semi-finalist | |||
1981 | Jeannette Wulff | Montpelier | ||||
1980 | Judiwynne Mason | Randolph | ||||
1979 | Katherine Rechsteiner^ | Sugar Busch Valley | Previously Miss VT 1975 | |||
1978 | Nancy Wierzbicki | Rutland | Congeniality | |||
1977 | Anne Kent | Castleton | ||||
1976 | Susan Parsons | Poultney | ||||
1975 | Constance "Pinky" Crabtree | Poultney | Congeniality | |||
1974 | Donna Thornton | Poultner | Congeniality | |||
1973 | Bonnie Height | Poultney | ||||
1972 | Stacey Becker | Poultney | ||||
1971 | Sandra Taft | West Dover | Semi-finalist | |||
1970 | Cynthia Jurewicz | West Dover | ||||
1969 | Mary Verdiani | Montpelier | 19 | 1st runner-up | Congeniality | |
1968 | Susan Glynn | Mt. Snow | 25 | |||
1967 | Elaine Farrell | Burlington | ||||
1966 | Peggy Eckert | West Burke | ||||
1965 | Andrea Kenyon | North Bennington | ||||
1964 | Freda Elaine Betts | Bennington | ||||
1963 | Ellen "Bunny" Centerbar | North Bennington | ||||
1962 | Barbara Ann "Bobby" Kearney | Springfield | ||||
1961 | Susan Nielson | Poultney | ||||
1960 | Carole Demas | Burlington | ||||
1959 | Sandra Laquerre | Barre | ||||
1958 | Doreen McNamee | Brattleboro | 20 | |||
1957 | Marjorie Link | East Harwick | ||||
1956 | Dolores Wettack | Westminster | ||||
1955 | CARLENE KING JOHNSON^ | Rutland | 22 | Miss USA | SF Miss Universe 1955; previously Miss VT 1953 | |
1954 | Georgia Lauriso | 24 | ||||
1953 | Kathleen Surrel | 22 | ||||
1952 | Elizabeth Whitcomb | Essex Junction |