Crystle Stewart, Miss Texas USA and Miss USA 2008

The Miss Texas USA competition is the pageant who selects the representative for the state Texas in the Miss USA pageant. In turn, the winner of Miss USA competes for the title of Miss Universe.

Texas is the most successful state ever to compete at Miss USA. They have had nine winners, four more than any other state, but only one Miss Universe. Texas may be best known for its five consecutive winners. Until these five beauties came along no state had ever won the Miss USA pageant more than two times in succession, but Texas then won consecutively from 1985 to 1989. Texas has also had the most semifinalists (or better) - 45, and has received the most special awards - 9.

The Miss Texas USA pageant itself is one of the most competitive among state pageants for Miss USA; the number of contestants often exceeds one hundred. To make it even tougher, many of the contestants are winners from local pageants, the most notable of which are held in cities such as Dallas, Houston, and Austin. Other contestants are "assigned" a title, but unlike local winners, they have to pay an entry fee in order to participate. The Miss Texas USA pageant is also one of the few state pageants to be broadcast on television (in the state of Texas naturally).

Christy Fichtner, Miss Texas USA, Miss USA and first runner-up for Miss Universe 1986 had a soon-to-be famous first runner-up - Oscar winner actress Halle Berry.

[edit] Former Miss Texas Teen USA titleholders at Miss Texas USA

Although a large number of former Miss Texas Teen USA titleholders have attempted to win the Miss Texas USA title, only four have succeeded, each only after competing in the pageant on at least one prior occasion.

There was a rare occurrence in 2001 when all former Miss Texas Teen USA titleholders from 1995-2000 competed for the Miss Texas USA 2002 title. Andria Mullins (1997) was second runner-up, Christie Lee Woods (1996) was third runner-up, Mandy Jeffreys (1995) was a semi-finalist and Nicole O'Brian, Christie Cole and Misty Giles did not place.

Former Miss Texas Teen USA titleholders who have competed for Miss Texas USA but did not win the title are:

• Mandy Jeffreys (1995), a non-finalist in 1998 and 2000, semi-finalist in 2002 and 2004, 3rd runner-up in 1999 and 2003 and 1st runner-up in 2001.
• Christie Lee Woods, (1996), was the first former Miss Teen USA not to win a Miss USA state pageant on her first attempt. She first competed for the Miss Texas USA 2002 title, where she placed 3rd runner-up. She was a semi-finalist in 2003 and again in 2004, her last year of eligibility.
• Andria Mullins (1997), a non-finalist in 1999 and 2000, semi-finalist in 2001, 2003, and 2004, and second runner-up in 2002, and then competed in New York in 2005 (4th runner-up) and 2007 (1st runner-up) and California in 2006 (Top ten and Miss Photogenic).
• Misty Giles (1999) was a non-finalist in 2001, 2002, and 2003.
• Christie Cole (1998) was a non-finalist in 2002.
• Tye Felan (2003), was a finalist in 2005

Successful former Teen titleholders include:

• Kara Williams (1991) - 2nd runner-up in 1995, Miss Texas USA 1996
• Carissa Blair (1992) - Top 12 in 1997, 3rd runner-up in 1998, Miss Texas USA 1999
• Nicole O'Brian (2000) - Non-finalist in 2002, Miss Texas USA 2003
• Magen Ellis (2004) - Top 15 in 2005, Miss Texas USA 2007

[edit] Winners

Stephanie Guerrero, Miss Texas USA 2004

Kandace Krueger, Miss USA 2001

Michelle Royer, Miss Texas USA and Miss USA 1987

Christy Fichtner, Miss Texas USA and Miss USA 1986

Lisa Allred, Miss Texas USA 1983

¹ Age at the time of the Miss USA pageant

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official site of Miss Texas USA