Miss USA 2000

49th Miss USA pageant

Miss USA 2000

Date| February 4, 2000
Presenters|

* Carson Daly
* Ali Landry
* Julie Moran

Entertainment|

* Christina Aguilera
* Lou Bega
* Brian McKnight
* Mark Wills

Venue| Grand Palace, Branson, Missouri
Broadcaster| CBS, KOLR
Winner| Lynnette Cole
Tennessee
Congeniality| Michelle Kaplan
Hawaii
Photogenic| Paige Swenson
Minnesota

<- 1999

2001 ->

Miss USA 2000 was the 49th Miss USA pageant, held at The Grand Palace, in Branson, Missouri on February 4, 2000. At the conclusion of the final competition,

At the end of the event, Kimberly Pressler of New York crowned Lynnette Cole of Tennessee as Miss USA 2000.[1] It is the first victory of Tennessee in the pageant's history. Cole later competed at Miss Universe and was one of the five finalists.

Contestants from 51 states and cities competed in this year's pageant. Carson Daly hosted the event for the only time, and color commentary was added for the third time by Miss USA 1996 Ali Landry and Julie Moran. Entertainment was provided by Christina Aguilera, Lou Bega, Brian McKnight and Mark Wills.

## Results

[edit]

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|

### Placements

[edit]

Map showing placements by state Placement  | Contestant

|

Miss USA 2000 |

* Tennessee – Lynnette Cole

1st runner-up  |

* New Hampshire – Bridget Jane Vezina

2nd runner-up  |

* Alabama – Jina Mitchell

Top 5  |

* Georgia – Patti Dunn
* Kansas – Tiffany Meyer

Top 10  |

* Colorado – Tiani Jones
* Iowa – Jensie Grigsby
* Michigan – Jill Dobson
* New York – Carrie Tucker
* South Carolina – Lisa Rabon

### Special awards

[edit]

Award  | Contestant

|

Miss Congeniality  |

* Hawaii – Michelle Kaplan

Miss Photogenic  |

* Minnesota – Paige Swenson

Style Award  |

* Florida – Kristen Ludecke

Best in Swimsuit  |

* Tennessee – Lynnette Cole

### Final competition scores

[edit]

| State | Interview | Swimsuit | Evening Gown | Average | Finalists

|
|
|
|
|

Tennessee | 9.81 (1) | 9.64 (1) | 9.78 (2) | 9.74 (1) | 9.66 (1)
New Hampshire | 9.58 (2) | 9.32 (6) | 9.27 (6) | 9.39 (5) | 9.40 (3)
Alabama | 9.54 (3) | 9.51 (4) | 9.93 (1) | 9.66 (2) | 9.45 (2)
Kansas | 9.36 (6) | 9.53 (2) | 9.63 (3) | 9.51 (3) | 9.36 (4)
Georgia | 9.29 (7) | 9.52 (3) | 9.41 (4) | 9.40 (4) | 9.14 (5)
Colorado | 9.21 (8) | 9.26 (7) | 9.33 (5) | 9.27 (6)
Michigan | 9.44 (5) | 9.07 (8) | 9.24 (8) | 9.25 (7)
New York | 9.47 (4) | 9.06 (9) | 8.93 (10) | 9.16(8)
South Carolina | 8.74 (10) | 9.39 (5) | 9.24 (7) | 9.12 (9)
Iowa | 9.10 (9) | 8.95 (10) | 9.02 (9) | 9.02 (10)

Winner
First Runner-Up
Second Runner-Up
Top 5 Finalist
(#) Ranking in the competition

## Contestants

[edit]

51 contestants competed for the title.[2]

State/City  | Contestant  | Age[a] | Hometown  | Notes

|
|
|
|

Alabama | Jina Mitchell  | 22  | Trussville |
Alaska | Laurie Ann Miller  | 21  | Palmer | Previously Miss Alaska Teen USA 1997
Arizona | Heather Keckler  | 26  | Scottsdale | Previously Miss Arizona Teen USA 1992
Arkansas | Whitney Lea Moore  | 22  | Cabot |
California | Rebekah Ann Keller  | 25  | Lakewood | Former Miss California 1997
Fourth runner-up at Miss America 1997
Colorado | Tiani Jones  | 23  | Aurora |
Connecticut | Sallie Toussaint  | 25  | Hartford | US representative to Miss World in 1997
Top 10 semi-finalist at Miss World 1997
Delaware | Jennifer Behm[3] | 23  | Wilmington |
District of Columbia | Juel April Casamayor  | 26  | Washington, D.C. |
Florida | Kristin Ludecke  | 23  | Eustis | Previously Miss Florida 1995
Georgia | Patti Dunn  | 24  | Duluth |
Hawaii | Michelle Kaplan  | 23  | Kona |
Idaho | Brooke Jennifer Gambrell  | 26  | Boise | Previously Miss Idaho 1995
Illinois | Constance Renee Stoetzer  | 26  | Abingdon |
Indiana | Kristal Michelle Wile  | 23  | Anderson |
Iowa | Jensie Grigsby  | 26  | West Des Moines |
Kansas | Tiffany Meyer  | 23  |  | Previously Miss Missouri Teen USA 1994
Kentucky | Jolene Youngster  | 18  | Glasgow |
Louisiana | Jennifer Dupont  | 18  | Plaquemine | Previously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 1998
Later became Miss Louisiana 2004
Maine | Jennifer Lyn Hunt  | 21  | Rumford | Previously Miss Maine Teen USA 1994
Maryland | Christie S. Davis  | 21  | Silver Spring |
Massachusetts | Rosalie M. Allain  | 25  | Leominster |
Michigan | Jillian Susan Dobson | 22  | Quincy |
Minnesota | Paige Swenson  | 24  | Fridley | Previously Miss Minnesota Teen USA 1994
Mississippi | Angie Michelle Carpenter  | 22  | Greenwood | Previously Miss Mississippi Teen USA 1994
Missouri | Denette Roderick  | 24  |  |
Montana | Brandi Bjorklund  | 20  | Bonner |
Nebraska | Valarie Cook  | 22  | Omaha |
Nevada | Alicia Denyse Carnes  | 22  | Las Vegas | Previously Miss Nevada Teen USA 1995
New Hampshire | Bridget Jane Vezina  | 19  | Manchester |
New Jersey | Michelle Graci  | 21  | Jamesburg |
New Mexico | Christina I. Ortega  | 23  | Las Cruces |
New York | Carrie Tucker  | 25  | Nesconset |
North Carolina | Portia Lyndell Johnson  | 20  | Greensboro |
North Dakota | Amie Hoffner  | 18  | Minot |
Ohio | Cheya R. Watkins  | 22  | Cincinnati | Previously Miss Ohio 1998
Oklahoma | Amanda Rochelle Penix | 21  | Shawnee | Previously Miss Oklahoma Teen USA 1997
Oregon | Elizabeth Heitmanek  | 19  | Medford |
Pennsylvania | Angela Patla  | 26  | Sweet Valley |
Rhode Island | Heidi St. Pierre  | 23  | Harrisville |
South Carolina | Lisa Rabon  | 24  | Myrtle Beach |
South Dakota | Vanessa Short Bull | 21  | Rapid City | Later Miss South Dakota 2002
Tennessee | Lynnette Marie Cole[4] | 21  | Columbia | Previously Miss Tennessee Teen USA 1995
Texas | Heather Ogilvie[5] | 22  | Houston |
Utah | Keri Hatfield  | 22  | Bountiful |
Vermont | Katie Bolton  | 22  | Colchester |
Virginia | Crystal Marie Jones  | 26  | Virginia Beach |
Washington | Jamie Marie Kern | 22  | Des Moines | Contestant on season 1 of Big Brother, finished in fourth place.
Co-founder and CEO of It Cosmetics.
West Virginia | Tara Shae Wilson | 22  | Sistersville |
Wisconsin | Samantha Jo Picha  | 20  | Verona |
Wyoming | Rebecca Smith  | 20  | Jackson Hole |

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Ages at the time of the pageant

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Miss USA in Branson". Springfield News-Leader. February 5, 2000. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
2. ^ "Miss USA scorecard". The Springfield News-Leader. Springfield, Missouri. 4 February 2000. p. 9. Retrieved 21 July 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
3. ^ "The crowning glory of the First State". The News Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. 7 November 1999. p. 27. Retrieved 21 July 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
4. ^ "Beauties grace Austin Peay". The Leaf-Chronicle. Clarksville, Tennessee. 10 October 1999. p. 1. Retrieved 21 July 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ "Houston woman wins Miss Texas USA title". The Kerrville Times. Kerrville, Texas. 6 July 1999. p. 3. Retrieved 21 July 2023 - via Newspapers.com.

## External links

[edit]

* Miss USA official website Archived 2006-09-18 at the Wayback Machine

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