Miss USA 2008 was the 57th Miss USA pageant, held in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 11, 2008.[2] At the conclusion of the final night of competition, Crystle Stewart of Texas was crowned the winner by outgoing titleholder Rachel Smith of Tennessee. Crystle represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2008 pageant, which was held in Vietnam, where she placed in the Top 10. This was also the first time in the pageant's 56-year history that two consecutive women of African Americans have been crowned.
The pageant was held at the Theatre for the Performing Arts, a 7,000-seat theater located in the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino.[3] The theater was also the location of Miss Universe 1991 and 1996 pageants. This is the first time that the Miss USA pageant was held in Nevada.
For the first time, the competition was broadcast in High Definition.
Brother/sister duo Donny and Marie Osmond hosted the live telecast for the first time, and Finger Eleven performed their single "Paralyzer".[1][4] Rihanna's song Umbrella was used during the evening gown competition.
During the final show on April 11, the fifteen delegates with the highest average scores from the preliminary competition were announced. The top fifteen competed in the swimsuit competition. The top ten delegates from swimsuit competed in evening gown. The top five delegates from the evening gown competition (not averaged composite scores from both competitions) competed in the final question round to determine the winner. The judges' composite score was shown after each round of competition for only the second time since 2002.
Previously Miss Rhode Island Teen USA 2001 Later Miss Earth United States 2009 Later contestant on The Amazing Race 23 and won
South Carolina
Jamie Hill
Columbia
24
5'6"
Top 15
Contestant on The Amazing Race 10
South Dakota
Charlie Buhler
Mitchell
20
5'5"
First African American Miss South Dakota USA
Tennessee
Hailey Laine Brown
Franklin
25
5'9"
Top 10
Texas
Crystle Stewart
Missouri City
26
5'9"
Winner
Top 10 at Miss Universe 2008; placed 8th
Utah
Julia Bachison
North Ogden
24
5'7"
Top 15
Previously Miss Utah 2005
Vermont
Kim Tantlinger
Burlington
22
5'7"
Virginia
Tori Hall
Roanoke
21
5'8"
Previously Miss Virginia Teen USA 2005 Cast member on Road Rules 2007: Viewers' Revenge and The Gauntlet 3
Washington
Michelle Font
Renton
26
5'7"
West Virginia
Skylene Montgomery
Parkersburg
23
5'7"
Wisconsin
Michelyn Cynthia Butler
Madison
25
5'8"
Wyoming
Cassie Shore
Casper
22
5'5"
Contestant gallery
[edit]
Raquel Beezley Miss California USA 2008
Keisha Walding Miss Alabama USA 2008
Vincenza Carrieri-Russo Miss Delaware USA 2008
Shanon Lersch Miss Illinois USA 2008
Michelle Berthelot Miss Louisiana USA 2008
Casandra Tressler Miss Maryland USA 2008
Elisabeth Crawford Miss Michigan USA 2008
Kaylee Unverzagt Miss Minnesota USA 2008
Candice Crawford Miss Missouri USA 2008
Veronica Grabowski Miss Nevada USA 2008
Crystle Stewart (2008 winner) Miss Texas USA 2008
Charlie Buhler Miss South Dakota USA 2008
Contestant notes
[edit]
Michelle Gillespie is crowned Miss Kansas USA 2008
Due to accounting errors, Christina Silva was crowned Miss California USA. When the mistake was discovered a week after the pageant, the real winner Raquel Beezley assumed the title.[8]
Michelle Gillespie, Miss Kansas USA, is the great-great niece of Miss America 1921, Margaret Gorman of Washington, DC.[17]
Three contestants previously competed in the Miss Texas USA and/or Miss Texas Teen USA pageants before winning titles in other states:
Candice Crawford (Missouri) placed third runner-up at Miss Texas Teen USA 2003 and 2005. She is the sister of Gossip Girl actor Chace Crawford.[18]
Elisabeth Crawford (Michigan) was a non-finalist at Miss Texas USA 2004 to 2006
Veronica Grabowski (Nevada) competed at the Miss Texas Teen USA 2003 and Miss Texas USA 2007 pageants, finishing as a semifinalist in both years.
Amy Diaz (Rhode Island) and Danielle Roundtree (New York) competed at Miss Florida USA 2007. Diaz placed third runner-up and Roundtree was a non-finalist.[19]
Abbey Curran (Iowa) was the first contestant with a disability. Curran was born with cerebral palsy.[20]
Amy Diaz (Rhode Island) competed at Miss Earth 2009 in Boracay, Philippines but unplaced.
^ ab"New Miss California winner named after accounting error". Associated Press. 2007-12-04.
^"Owner of Pinque wins Miss Colorado USA crown". The Daily Sentinel. 2007-10-30.
^Stina Sieg (31 October 2007). "Businesswoman named Miss Colorado". The Post Independent. Glenwood Springs and Garfield County, CO, USA: Swift Communications, Inc. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2020.