National Sweetheart
Miss National Sweetheart is a United States beauty pageant created in 1941 where runners-up from the Miss America state pageants are invited to Hoopeston, Illinois to compete for the title of Miss National Sweetheart.
The event, which has no official ties to the Miss America Organization, is sponsored by the Hoopeston Jaycees and is held on Labor Day weekend in conjunction with the town's Sweetcorn Festival.[1] Most contestants placed first runner-up in their state pageant, however second and other runners-up are invited if the first runner-up chooses not to attend.[2] The winner of the National Sweetheart title receives a $1000 scholarship and a pendant shaped like an ear of corn.[2]
Winning this title does not guarantee that a contestant will win a Miss America state title, but since 1980, five Miss National Sweetheart winners have gone on to win both their state and the Miss America title.[2] A few have won state titles in different states from those they represented at National Sweetheart.
Winners
| Year | Name | State | Later Miss America state title | Placement at Miss America | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Kalie Wright | Idaho | |||
| 2013 | Jordan Krinke | California | 3rd runner-up at 2013 Miss California Pageant; Previously Miss California's Outstanding Teen 2007. Top 10 Miss California 2014 | ||
| 2012 | Desiree Williams | Virginia | Miss Virginia 2013 | ||
| 2011 | Simone Mullinax[3] | Arkansas | |||
| 2010 | Brittany Hagan[4] | Indiana | |||
| 2009 | Shannon Beam | Virginia | |||
| 2008 | Rachelle Gurule | Arizona | |||
| 2007 | Erica Gelhaus | Ohio | Miss Ohio 2009 | ||
| 2006 | Kelley Bradshaw[5] | Georgia | |||
| 2005 | Adrielle Churchill | Arkansas | Later Miss Arkansas USA 2010 & Top 15 at Miss USA 2010 | ||
| 2004 | Monica Pang | Georgia | Miss Georgia 2005 | 1st runner-up | |
| 2003 | Kandice Pelletier | Georgia | Miss New York 2005 | The Amazing Race 10 and All-Stars Contestant | |
| 2002 | Madonna Emond | Michigan | Miss Michigan 2003 | Top 15 | |
| 2001 | Melissa Clark | Louisiana | Miss Louisiana 2003 | ||
| 2000 | MacKenzie Mayes | Kentucky | Miss Kentucky 2003 | ||
| 1999 | Andrea Lee Bailey | Georgia | Miss Georgia 2003 | Top 15 | |
| 1998 | Keri Lynn Shrader | Florida | Miss Maryland 1999 | 3rd runner-up | |
| 1997 | Chera-Lyn Cook | Kentucky | Miss Kentucky 1998 | 4th runner-up | |
| 1996 | Stacey Momeyer | Arizona | Miss Arizona 1997 | 3rd runner-up | |
| 1995 | Tara Dawn Holland | Florida | Miss Kansas 1996 | Winner | |
| 1994 | Heather Rae Geery | Oklahoma | |||
| 1993 | Megan Welch | Florida | Miss Florida 1994 | Top 10 | |
| 1992 | Elizabeth Simmons | Oregon | Miss Oregon 1993 | 3rd runner-up | |
| 1991 | Leanza Cornett | Florida | Miss Florida 1992 | Winner | |
| 1990 | Carolyn Suzanne Sapp | Hawaii | Miss Hawaii 1991 | Winner | |
| 1989 | Mairead O'Connor | Connecticut | |||
| 1988 | Debbye Turner | Arkansas | Miss Missouri 1989 | Winner | |
| 1987 | Melissa Aggeles | Florida | Miss Florida 1988 | Top 10 | |
| 1986 | Carole Lynn Lawson | Arkansas | Miss Arkansas 1987 | ||
| 1985 | Catherine Breslin | Illinois | |||
| 1984 | Judy Anderson | Arizona | |||
| 1983 | Margaret Marie O'Brien | Massachusetts | Miss Massachusetts 1984 | Top 10 | |
| 1982 | Holly Mayer | Massachusetts | Miss Massachusetts 1983 | Mother of Miss New York's Outstanding Teen 2011- Lauren Molella; Sister-in-law of Miss New York 1989- Lisa Molella[6] | |
| 1981 | Gloria Gilbert | Texas | Miss Texas 1982 | ||
| 1980 | Elizabeth Grace Ward | Arkansas | Miss Arkansas 1981 | Winner | |
| 1979 | Bobbie Candler | Texas | Miss Louisiana 1982 | ||
| 1978 | Michelle Whitson | Kansas | Miss Kansas 1979 | 2nd runner-up | |
| 1977 | Carolyn Jones | Kentucky | |||
| 1976 | Guylyn Remmenga | Nebraska | Miss Nebraska 1978 | Top 10 | |
| 1975 | Carlene McGinnis | Georgia | |||
| 1974 | Linda Hodges | Georgia | |||
| 1973 | Rebecca Bloomer | Texas | |||
| 1972 | Jacqueline Barrett | Texas | |||
| 1971 | Susan Hays | Wisconsin | |||
| 1970 | Linda Brownfield | Kentucky | |||
| 1969 | Mary Lee Nordby | North Dakota | |||
| 1968 | Diana Barker | Kentucky | |||
| 1967 | Sidney Becker | Utah | |||
| 1966 | Vicki Lynn Hurd | Tennessee | Miss Tennessee 1966 | 2nd runner-up | |
| 1965 | Diana Bateman | Washington | Later Miss Washington USA 1967 | ||
| 1964 | Judy Duncan | Ohio | |||
| 1963 | Colleen Thacker | Washington | |||
| 1961 | Nancy McCelvey | Texas | |||
| 1960 | Marjorie Koehler | Illinois | |||
| 1959 | Rita Wilson | Tennessee | Miss Tennessee 1961 | ||
| 1958 | Janice Hansen | Iowa | |||
| 1957 | Irene Meyer | Ohio | |||
| 1956 | Joyce Riding | Iowa | |||
| 1955 | Kerin Kae Okerlin | Iowa | |||
| 1954 | Joyce Brown | Illinois | |||
| 1953 | Sandra Porter | Indiana | |||
| 1952 | Corine Javaag | Minnesota | |||
| 1951 | Patricia Baker | Wisconsin | |||
| 1950 | Janet Rainier | Indiana | |||
| 1949 | Joyce Cisco | Wisconsin | |||
| 1948 | Joan Edwards | Wisconsin | |||
| 1941 | Alice Baker | Wisconsin |
References
- ↑ Dempsey, Pam (2007-09-03). "Hoopeston festival a rich, and corny, tradition". The News-Gazette.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Still Dreaming of Miss America Crown?". The Island Packet.
- ↑ "National Sweetheart 2011 Crowned in Illinois". FourPoints Magazine. September 8, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
- ↑ Bollenbacher, Abby (September 6, 2010). "National Sweetheart 2010 Results!". MISScellanea. Retrieved September 9, 2010.
- ↑ King, Wendy (2006-09-04). "Georgia’s Kelley Bradshaw Wins National Sweetheart". The Chattanoogan.
- ↑ "Lauren Molella named Miss New York Outstanding Teen". SI Live. June 19, 2011.