Miss South Carolina Teen USA

Miss South Carolina Teen USA
Formation1983
TypeBeauty pageant
HeadquartersAiken
Location
Membership
Miss Teen USA
Official language
English
WebsiteOfficial website

The Miss South Carolina Teen USA pageant is the competition that selects the representatives for the state of South Carolina in the Miss Teen USA pageant. The pageant has been directed by RPM Productions since its inception.

South Carolina is in the top 10 most successful states at Miss Teen USA in terms of number and value of placements, this state has placed 17 times at Miss Teen USA and has produced two winners. Vanessa Joy Minnillo won the Miss Teen USA title on August 17, 1998, in Shreveport, Louisiana and later went on to become successful in the entertainment industry and Katherine (K.) Lee Graham won the Miss Teen USA title on August 2, 2014, in Nassau, Bahamas.

South Carolina holds the record for the most Miss Congeniality awards. It has won three: 1994, 1998, and 2002. In 1998, Minnillo became the first teenager to win both Miss Congeniality and the national title, and is one of only two contestants to achieve this.

Six Miss South Carolina Teen USA titleholders have won the Miss South Carolina USA title and competed at Miss USA.

Kenlee McVay of Easley was crowned Miss South Carolina Teen USA 2023 on March 4, 2023, at North Charleston Coliseum & Performing Arts Center in North Charleston.[1]

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Results summary

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Placements

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  • Miss Teen USAs: Vanessa Joy Minnillo (1998), K. Lee Graham (2014)
  • 1st runners-up: Brittany Pjetraj (2008), Tori Sizemore (2013), Kirby Elizabeth Self (2018)
  • 2nd runner-up: Marley Stokes (2016)
  • 3rd runner-up: Caitlin Upton (2007)
  • Top 6: Mary Stevenson (1994)
  • Top 12: Lauren Poppell (1993)
  • Top 15/16/20: Lindsey Sporrer (2004), Brittany Smith (2006), Keyla Childs (2011), Shannon Ford (2012), Wesley Mitchell (2015), Allie Richardson (2019), Gracen Grainger (2020), Augusta Roach (2021), Kenlee McVay (2023)

South Carolina holds a record of 18 placements at Miss Teen USA.

Awards

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Winners

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Color key
  •   Declared as Winner
  •   Ended as runner-up
  •   Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
Year Name Hometown Age1 Placement at MTUSA Special awards at MTUSA Notes
2024 Jules Grass Clemson 19
2023 Kenlee McVay Easley 19 Top 20
2022 Katie Ward Charleston 19
2021 Augusta Roach Easley 17 Top 16
2020 Ava Gracen Grainger Clemson 18 Top 16 Previously Miss Teen World America 2017; later Miss South Carolina USA 2024
2019 Allie Richardson Lexington 17 Top 15
2018 Kirby Elizabeth Self Greenwood 17 1st Runner-Up Later Miss South Carolina USA 2023
2017 Alexis Johnson Myrtle Beach 17
2016 Marley D'Lynn Stokes Lexington 18 2nd runner-up Later Miss South Carolina USA 2021
2015 Wesley McCall Mitchell Lexington 17 Top 15
2014 Katherine (K.) Lee Graham Chapin 16 Miss Teen USA 2014 Daughter of Jennifer Neuen, Miss South Carolina Teen USA 1985
2013 Victoria "Tori" Carol Sizemore Anderson 17 1st runner-up
2012 Shannon Noel Ford Lexington 18 Top 16
2011 Keyla Starr Childs Summerville 17 Top 15 Later 3rd runner-up at Miss South Carolina USA 2014 and top 15 at Miss South Carolina USA 2017
2010 Megan Tyler Pinckney North Charleston 18
2009 Mary Helen Caver North Augusta 18
2008 Brittany Pjetraj Chapin 18 1st runner-up
2007 Lauren Caitlin Upton Lexington 18 3rd runner-up[5] Contestant on The Amazing Race 16. Gained notoriety following her answer to the final question in the 2007 Miss Teen USA pageant, which was criticized as "strange" and "grammarless". Videos of her response were posted to YouTube and have received millions of views.[6]
2006 Brittany Smith Lyman 17 Top 15
2005 Lauren Taylor Travelers Rest 18 Later two time top 10 semifinalist at Miss South Carolina USA
2004 Lindsey Sporrer Easley 17 Semi-finalist
2003 Stephanie Horton[7] Sumter 18
2002 Austen Brown Charleston 17 Miss Congeniality
2001 Sarah Ashley Medley North Charleston 15 Later Miss South Carolina USA 2005
2000 Morgan Smith Lexington 17
1999 Hannah Grooms[8] Wallace 17 Later 3x runner-up at Miss South Carolina USA
1998 Vanessa Joy Minnillo Charleston 17 Miss Teen USA 1998 Miss Congeniality Born in the Philippines. Later married actor and singer Nick Lachey
1997 Caroline Brigman Latta 17
1996 Wendy Roberts Pelzer 19
1995 Garianne Phillips Leesville 18
1994 Mary Stevenson Greenville 18 Finalist Miss Congeniality Granddaughter of Miss Universe 1954, Miriam Stevenson (Miss South Carolina USA, Miss USA 1954)
1993 Lauren Poppell Rock Hill 17 Semi-finalist Later Miss South Carolina USA 1999, finished 4th in Miss USA 1999
1992 Shannon Pelerin Lexington 17
1991 Jeanie Bowers Prosperity 17
1990 Kathryn Hancock Greenwood 15 Later Mrs. North Carolina America 2007 under her married name, Kathryn Hancock-Stuart.[9]
1989 Michelle Warner Inman 15
1988 Nicole Adams West Columbia 16
1987 Carol Carver Hilton Head 16
1986 Angela Shuler Rock Hill 15 Later Miss South Carolina USA 1989
1985 Jennifer Neuen Florence 19
1984 Mary Delgado Florence 17
1983 Elizabeth (Beth) Woodard Aiken 17 Later Miss South Carolina USA 1987

1 Age at the time of the Miss Teen USA pageant

References

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  1. ^ "2023-2024 Bill 4354: Kenlee McVay, Miss SC Teen USA 2023 - South Carolina Legislature Online". www.scstatehouse.gov.
  2. ^ Oyer, Kalin (18 November 2017). "The new Miss SC USA and Miss SC Teen USA have been crowned". The Post and Courier.
  3. ^ "Miss Clemson crowned Miss South Carolina 2019". WYFF News. June 29, 2019.
  4. ^ "Julia Herrin crowned Miss South Carolina 2021". WSPA 7News. 2021-06-27. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
  5. ^ "Midlands teen makes third runner-up in Miss Teen USA". WIS. 2007-08-24. Retrieved 2007-08-24.
  6. ^ "Beauty queen's blonde moment". The Daily Telegraph. 2007-08-27. Retrieved 2007-08-27.
  7. ^ Moore, Ivy (2002-11-16). "Sumter Teen wins State Title". The Item.
  8. ^ Franco, Jose (1988-11-10). "Spartanburg Beauties Win State Crowns". Herald-Journal.
  9. ^ "2007 Mrs America". Archived from the original on October 13, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
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