Miss USA 2011
Introduction '''Miss USA 2011''' was the 60th Anniversary of the Miss USA pageant, held at the Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 19, 2011.Rima Fakih of Michigan crowned her successor, Alyssa Campanella of California, at the end of this event. This was California's sixth Miss USA title and the first title since 1992.Campanella represented the United States at the Miss Universe 2011 pageant in São Paulo, Brazil on September 12, 2011.This pageant gained attention on the internet, when a video of all the contestant's answers to the question, whether evolution should be taught in school, was put on YouTube. Only two contestants affirmed that it should be taught, with the others confusing the question with the debate on evolution of species vs. creationism, or stating that both should be taught.
Results Miss USA 2011 Final ResultsPlacement Contestant '''Miss USA 2011'''*''' – Alyssa Campanella''' 1st Runner-Up*  – Ashley Durham 2nd Runner-Up*  – Madeline Mitchell 3rd Runner-Up*  – Ana Rodriguez Top 8*  – Angela Byrd*  – Ashley-Lynn Marble*  – Allyn Rose*  – Courtney Turner Top 16*  – Brittany Brannon*  – Lissette Garcia*  – Kaylin Reque*  – Jillian Wunderlich*  – Hope Driskill*  – Brittany Toll ‡*  – Amber Collins*  – Jamie Crandall‡ Voted into Top 16 as America's Choice via Internet  ===Special awards===AwardContestant Miss Congeniality*  –  Kia Hampton Miss Photogenic*  – Brittany Brannon'''Order of Announcements''' '''Top 16'''# ############### '''Top 8'''#### #### '''Top 4'''####
Background ===Selection of participants===Delegates from 50 states and the District of Columbia were selected in state pageants which began in July 2010 and concluded in January 2011.The first state pageant was Florida, held on July 10, 2010, while the final pageant was Arkansas, held on January 9, 2011.Initially, eight of these delegates were former Miss Teen USA state winners but the number increased to nine after one titleholder resigned and former Teen USA delegate succeeded her, and one former Miss America state winner.Two state titleholders were appointed as a replacements after the original titleholders were unable to compete. Emily Johnson, the original Miss Maine USA 2011, resigned on April 17, 2011 due to attending her sister's wedding on the day of the pageant. She was replaced by Ashley Marble, who was the first runner-up of the Miss Maine USA 2011 pageant, and Shaletta Tawanna Porterfield, the original Miss Wisconsin USA 2011, resigned on May 12, 2011 after was being charged in Dane County Circuit Court of three felony theft charges. She was replaced by Jordan Morkin, who was the first runner-up of the Miss Wisconsin USA 2011 pageant.
Delegates  State Contestant  Hometown Age Height Placement Notes ''' Alabama''' Madeline Mitchell Russellville 22 5'9" 2nd runner-up Later Mrs. America 2015 ''' Alaska''' Jessica Chuckran Anchorage 24 5'7"  ''' Arizona''' Brittany Brannon Paradise Valley 22 5'6" Top 16  ''' Arkansas''' Lakynn McBride White Hall 20 5'6" ''' California''' '''Alyssa Campanella''' Los Angeles 21 5'9" '''Miss USA 2011''' Previously Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2007 ''' Colorado''' Blair Griffith Denver 23 5'6" Previously Miss Colorado Teen USA 2006Later Top 20 Miss Grand International 2013 ''' Connecticut''' Regina Turner Hartford 21 5'7" ''' Delaware''' Katie Hanson Newark 20 5'7" Contestant of ''Survivor: Philippines'' ''' District of Columbia''' Heather Swann Washington, D.C. 23 5'7" ''' Florida''' Lissette Garcia Miami 26 5'11" Top 16  ''' Georgia''' Kaylin Reque Suwanee 22 5'10" Top 16  ''' Hawaii''' Angela Byrd Honolulu 23 5'10" Top 8 ''' Idaho''' Erza Haliti Meridian 20 5'6" ''' Illinois''' Angela Sparrow Chicago 25 5'7" ''' Indiana''' Jillian Wunderlich Kokomo 20 5'6" Top 16 Previously Miss Florida Teen USA 2008 ''' Iowa''' Rebecca Goldsmith Chariton 26 5'9" ''' Kansas''' Jaymie Stokes Lenexa 20 5'11" Previously Miss Kansas Teen USA 2007 ''' Kentucky''' Kia Hampton Louisville 22 5'5"   ''' Louisiana''' Page Pennock Shreveport 21 5'9" ''' Maine''' Ashley Lynn MarbleTopsfield 27 5'10" Top 8 Previously Miss Maine Teen USA 2000Originally first runner-up, assumed the title after winner Emily Johnson resigned in April 2011 due to attending the latter's sister's wedding. ''' Maryland''' Allyn Rose Newburg 22 5'8" Top 8 Later Miss District of Columbia 2012 ''' Massachusetts''' Alida D'Angona Boston 24 5'8" ''' Michigan''' Channing Pierce Royal Oak 24 5'9" ''' Minnesota''' Brittany Lee Thelemann Plymouth 24 5'9" ''' Mississippi''' Keeley Patterson Starkville 20 5'7" ''' Missouri''' Hope Driskill Jefferson City 22 5'9" Top 16 Contestant of ''Survivor: Caramoan'' ''' Montana''' Brittany Wiser Bozeman 23 5'9" Previously Miss Montana 2009 ''' Nebraska''' Haley Herold  Omaha 23 5'7" ''' Nevada''' Sarah Chapman Henderson 27 5'10" Sister of Ellen Chapman, Miss California USA 2004 ''' New Hampshire''' LacyJane Folger  Farmington 22 5'6" ''' New Jersey''' Julianna White Haddon Township 22 5'7" Previously Miss New Jersey Teen USA 2006 ''' New Mexico''' Brittany Toll Las Cruces 24 5'9" Top 16 Previously Miss New Mexico Teen USA 2005 ''' New York''' Amber Collins Manhattan 26 5'9" Top 16 ''' North Carolina''' Brittany Leigh York Wilmington 21 5'6" ''' North Dakota''' Brandi Schoenberg Bismarck 26 5'10"''' Ohio''' Ashley Caldwell Gallipolis 24 5'8" ''' Oklahoma''' Kaitlyn Smith Norman 22 5'9" ''' Oregon''' Anna Prosser Portland 26 5'8" Contestant at National Sweetheart 2008 ''' Pennsylvania''' Amber-Joi Watkins Philadelphia 26 5'7" ''' Rhode Island''' Kate McCaughey Lincoln 23 5'4" ''' South Carolina''' Courtney Hope Turner North Augusta 21 5'7" Top 8  ''' South Dakota''' Chandra Burnham Highmore 23 5'3" ''' Tennessee''' Ashley Durham Adamsville 21 5'8" 1st runner-up Previously Miss Tennessee Teen USA 2006 ''' Texas''' Ana Rodriguez Laredo 25 5'8" 3rd runner-up  ''' Utah''' Jamie Crandall Salt Lake City 23 5'8" Top 16 ''' Vermont''' Lauren Carter Burlington 21 5'8" ''' Virginia''' Nikki Poteet Richmond 24 5'10" ''' Washington''' Angelina Kayyalaynen Orchards 21 5'8"  ''' West Virginia''' Whitney Veach Petersburg 24 5'6" Previously Miss West Virginia Teen USA 2003 ''' Wisconsin''' Jordan Morkin Green Bay 21 5'4"  ''' Wyoming''' Kaitlyn Davis Laramie 20 5'9"
Television ratings *In the first hour of the pageant, it earned NBC 6.6 million viewers, winning the timeslot. In the second hour, viewership rose to 7.8 million, also winning its timeslot. Both hours were the leader in the 18-49 demographic.
Notes
References
External links *  Miss USA official website*