Miss Alaska
The Miss Alaska competition is a scholarship pageant that selects the representative for the state of Alaska in the Miss America pageant.
Alaska's highest placement occurred in 1998, when Joslyn Tinker was selected for the Top Ten. One Miss Alaska won a preliminary swimsuit and another won a preliminary night talent award. Several other delegates have received non-finalist talent awards and special scholarships.
Miss Alaskas 1975 and 1978, Cindy Suryan and PJ Gentry respectively, were popular Anchorage television and radio personalities for many years. Miss Alaska 1976, Kathy (Tebow) Sharp worked as a National Weather Association certified television weather broadcaster in the early 1980s, and was on the same news team as co-anchor, Cindy Suryan.
Miss Alaska 1981, Laura Trollan, also worked in local television as an Anchorage weather broadcaster. Miss Alaska 1982 became an award-winning realtor and business woman, achieving recognition for The Kristan Cole Team. Miss Alaska 1984, Maryline Blackburn, pursued a career in music and has received critical acclaim as a recording artist. Miss Alaskas 1985 and 1986 went on to establish successful careers in modeling: Jerri Morrison as a plus-size model, most recognizable for her catalog work for Nordstrom and JC Penney, and Kristina Christopher-Taylor as a TV and print model featured in several national campaigns.
In addition to the winners, runner-ups in the mid-eighties also obtained national recognition. Miss Anchorage, Alice Welling, established herself as a comedic actress and singer, and Miss Wasilla, Sarah Heath Palin, rose through political ranks to become Governor of Alaska and the 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee.
Stacey Storey, Miss Alaska 1995, pursued an acting career and appeared in such films as Elvis and Annabelle. She marked what would become a resurgence of pageant winners entering the performing arts throughout the 2000s, most notably professional violinist Audrey Solomon, Miss Alaska 2000, as well as Miss Alaskas 2001 and 2003, who performed on Broadway.
Results summary
The year in brackets indicates the year of the Miss America competition the award/placement was garnered.
Placements
- Semi-Finalists: Joslyn Tinker (1999)
Awards
Preliminary Awards
- Preliminary Swimsuit: Joslyn Tinker (1999)
Non-Finalist Awards
- Non-Finalist Talent: Karol Hommon (1965), Kathy Tebow (1977), Maryline Blackburn (1985), Rebecca Nyboer (1994), Audrey Solomon (2001) Michelle Taylor (2013)
- Bert Parks Non-Finalist Scholarship: Audrey Solomon (2001)
Other
- Special Judge's: Linda Smith (1972)
- Natural White's Smile of Confidence Scholarship: Beth Gustafson (1992)
- Charles and Theresa Brown Scholarship: Joslyn Tinker (1999), Eugenia Primis (2002), Stephany Jeffers (2008)
Winners
Year | Name | Hometown | Age | Local Title | Miss America Talent | Placement at Miss America | Special scholarships at Miss America | Notes | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Michelle Taylor | Anchorage | 20 | Piano "Fantasie-Impromptu" & "Maple Leaf Rag" | ||||||||||||||
2012 | Debbe Jo Ebben | Eagle River | 23 | Miss Chugiak-Eagle River | Piano "Requiem for a Dream" | |||||||||||||
2011 | Katy Lovegreen[1] | Anchorage | 21 | Miss Forget-me-not | Irish Dance | Was Miss Alaska Sweetheart 2010 | ||||||||||||
2010 | Abby Hancock | Anchorage | 23 | Miss Anchorage | Piano "Bohemian Rhapsody" | |||||||||||||
2009 | Sydnee Waggoner | Anchorage | 23 | Classical Vocal "Ah! Je Veux Vivre" from Roméo et Juliette | ||||||||||||||
2008 | Stephany Jeffers | Chugiak | 23 | Miss Birchwood | Musical Theatre | Charles and Theresa Brown Scholarship award | ||||||||||||
2007 | Cari Leyva | Anchorage | 23 | Vocal "Habanera" | Previously Miss Alaska USA 2004 | |||||||||||||
2006 | Stephanie Wonchala | Eagle River | 21 | Miss Chugiak/Eagle River | Piano "Ballade pour Adeline" | |||||||||||||
2005 | Rebecca Hayes | Anchorage | 24 | Miss Anchorage | Ballet en Pointe "Take Five" | 2nd runner-up to Miss Alaska USA 2007 | ||||||||||||
2004 | Christina Reasner | Sterling | 22 | Vocal "This Is the Moment" | ||||||||||||||
2003 | Blair Chenoweth | Anchorage | 21 | Ballet en Pointe "All That Jazz" | Future Miss Alaska USA 2007 | |||||||||||||
2002 | Peggy Willman | Anchorage | 23 | Miss North Star | Alaskan Native Dance | |||||||||||||
2001 | Eugenia Primis | Eagle River | 20 | Miss South Central | Classical Cello "Allegro Appasionata" | Charles and Theresa Brown Scholarship | ||||||||||||
2000 | Audrey Solomon | Anchorage | 21 | Miss University Center | Classical Violin "Csárdás" | Bert Parks Non-finalist Scholarship award; Non-finalist Talent | ||||||||||||
1999 | Shannon Kelly | Palmer | 21 | Miss South Central | Flute "Carnival of Venice" | |||||||||||||
1998 | Joslyn Tinker | Soldotna | 22 | Miss Alyeska | Classical Vocal "Adele's Laughing Song" from Die Fledermaus | Top 10 | Preliminary Swimsuit Award, Charles and Theresa Brown Scholarship award | Former Alaska's Junior Miss 1994 | ||||||||||
1997 | Michelle Titus | Fairbanks | 19 | Vocal "There Is a Savior" | ||||||||||||||
1996 | Christine Buschur | Eagle River | 21 | Miss Cook Inlet | Show Vocal Medley "Another Op'nin, Another Show" & "I've Got Rhythm" | |||||||||||||
1995 | Stacey Storey | Eagle River | 17 | Miss Chugiak/Eagle River | Lyrical Dance "The Letting Go" | Future Miss Alaska USA 2003 | ||||||||||||
1994 | Patricia Marlow | Eagle River | 24 | Miss Anchorage | Vocal "If We Were In Love" | |||||||||||||
1993 | Rebecca Nyboer | Anchorage | 22 | Miss Alyeska | Classical Piano "Doctor Gradus Ad Parnassum" | Nonfinalist Talent Award | ||||||||||||
1992 | Keri Baumgardner | Eagle River | 25 | Miss Anchorage | Vocal "Come Rain or Come Shine" | |||||||||||||
1991 | Beth Gustafson | Palmer | 20 | Miss Denali | Piano | Natural White's Smile of Confidence Scholarship Winner | ||||||||||||
1990 | Holly Salo | Kenai | 24 | Miss Mat-Su Valley | Vocal "More" from Dick Tracy | |||||||||||||
1989 | Christine McCubbins | Kenai | 25 | Miss Denali | Vocal | |||||||||||||
1988 | Launa Middaugh | Wasilla | 19 | Miss South Central | Piano Solo | |||||||||||||
1987 | Teresa Murton | Anchorage | 25 | Miss Anchorage | Vocal "Battle Hymn of the Republic" | |||||||||||||
1986 | Jerri Morrison | Anchorage | 22 | Miss Northern Lights | Tap Dance | |||||||||||||
1985 | Kristina Christopher-Taylor | Palmer | 20 | Miss Talkeetna | Comedy Monologue | |||||||||||||
1984 | Maryline Blackburn | Anchorage | 23 | Miss South Central | Vocal "I Am What I Am" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||||||||||||
1983 | Jennifer Smith | Soldotna | 19 | Miss Soldotna | Vocal "Le Jazz Hot!" from Victor Victoria | |||||||||||||
1982 | Kristan Sapp | Wasilla | 20 | Miss South Central | Sac-Jazz Dance | |||||||||||||
1981 | Laura Trollan | Juneau | 19 | Miss Juneau | Ballet/Jazz Dance "Most Wanted" | |||||||||||||
1980 | Sandra Lashbrook | Eagle River | 21 | Miss Chugiak-Eagle River | Guitar & Vocal "Snowbird" | |||||||||||||
1979 | Lila Oberg | Palmer | 19 | Miss Willow Area | Vocal "For Once In My Life" | |||||||||||||
1978 | Patty-Jo Gentry | Valdez | 22 | Miss Fairbanks | Dramatic Monologue "Marie Antoinette" | |||||||||||||
1977 | Lisa Granath | Kenai | 18 | Miss Greater Kenai | Modern Ballet "A Spoonful of Sugar" & "Every Day's a Holiday" | |||||||||||||
1976 | Kathy Tebow | Anchorage | 19 | Miss Anchorage | Violin Solo "Méditation" | Non-finalist Talent Award | ||||||||||||
1975 | Cindy Suryan | Kodiak | 20 | Miss Kodiak | Popular Vocal & Guitar "For Baby" | |||||||||||||
1974 | Darby Moore | Kenai | 20 | Miss Kenai | Ventriloquism "Super califragilistic expialidocious" | |||||||||||||
Vicki Tomicek | was crowned Miss Alaska 1974 but withdrew for personal reasons | |||||||||||||||||
1973 | Virginia Adams | Anchorage | 21 | Miss Anchorage | Classical Vocal "Adele's Laughing Song" | |||||||||||||
1972 | Deborah Wood | Anchorage | Miss Anchorage | She was 1st runner up in the Miss Alaska pageant and replaced Linda Hogue. | ||||||||||||||
Linda Hogue | Kodiak | 18 | Miss Kodiak | Modern Dance "Charlie Chaplin Pantomime" | Neat As A Pin Award | |||||||||||||
1971 | Linda Smith | Anchorage | 19 | Dramatic Interpretation "The Seagull" | Judges Special Award | |||||||||||||
1970 | Virginia Walker | Kotzebue | 19 | Miss Kotzebue/Arctic Circle | Original Poem "My Wonderland" | Judges Special Award and Neat As A Pin Award | First Miss America contestant from the Arctic Circle | |||||||||||
1969 | Gwenn Gregg | Anchorage | 18 | Miss Northern Lights | Art & Poetry Interpretation "The Wonder of Color" | |||||||||||||
1968 | Jane Haycraft | Fairbanks | 18 | Miss Greater Fairbanks Area | Popular Vocal "Walking Happy" | |||||||||||||
1967 | Penny Thomasson | Spenard | 19 | Miss Big Lake | Recitation & Song "Let's Go to Alaska" | |||||||||||||
1966 | Nancy Lorell Wellman | Fairbanks | 21 | Miss Greater Fairbanks Area | Popular Vocal | |||||||||||||
1965 | Mary Ruth Nidiffer | Anchorage | 21 | Miss Alaska Methodist University | Popular Vocal "Typically English" | |||||||||||||
1964 | Karol Hommon | Anchorage | 20 | Acrobatic & Modern Jazz Dance | Non-finalist Talent Award | Died in October 1965, after falling off Mount Sugarloaf (Massachusetts)[2] | ||||||||||||
1963 | Colleen Kendall | Anchorage | Miss Alaska State Fair | Popular Vocal | ||||||||||||||
1962 | Mary Dee Fox | Anchorage | 18 | Miss Greater Anchorage | Original Modern Skit | |||||||||||||
1961 | Jean Ann Holm | Fairbanks | 19 | Miss Fairbanks | Monologue combined with modeling | |||||||||||||
1960 | June Bowdish | Anchorage | 22 | Dramatic Monoglogue "St. Joan" | ||||||||||||||
1959 | Alansa Carr | Ketchikan | 20 | Dramatic Reading | ||||||||||||||
1958 | Stuart Johnson | Douglas City | Piano "Alaska's Flag" | |||||||||||||||
1950 | Maxine Cothern | Fairbanks | Speech "Alaska" | |||||||||||||||
1938 | Grace Bailey | Anchorage | Ice Carnival Queen | |||||||||||||||
1937 | Marguerite Lee | Nome | Married Chuck West, a tourism entrepreneur known as "Mr. Alaska."[3] | |||||||||||||||
1922 | Helmar Liederman | Used Inuit throat singing which she learned on the boat from Sweden as her talent
External linksReferences
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