The Miss North Dakota competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of North Dakota in the Miss America pageant. The first Miss North Dakota to compete at Miss America was Kitty Page in 1949. In 2017, Cara Mund became the first North Dakotan to win the Miss America title, when she won the Miss America 2018 pageant.

Emma Tong of Williston was crowned Miss North Dakota on June 13, 2026, at Bakken Auditorium in Williston, North Dakota. She competed for the title of Miss America 2027 on September 6, 2026, at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Gallery of past titleholders

Results summary The following is a visual summary of the past results of Miss North Dakota titleholders at the national Miss America pageants/competitions. The year in parentheses indicates the year of the national competition during which a placement and/or award was garnered, not the year attached to the contestant's state title.

Placements Miss America: Cara Mund (2018) Top 10: Donna Grotberg (1977), Tina Curran (1989), Roxana Saberi (1998) Top 16: Jacky Arness (2015)

Awards Preliminary awards Preliminary Talent: Karen Kopseng (1965), Rosie Sauvageau (2013) Preliminary Evening Gown: Sophia Richards (2025)

Non-finalist awards Non-finalist Talent: Joan Teets (1950), Margaret Aandahl (1953), Claudia Gullickson (1960), Denise Fledderman (1967), Georgia Ann Becker (1973), Daureen Podenski (1980), Rosie Sauvageau (2013)

Other awards Miss Congeniality: Ashley Young (2008), Jacky Arness (2015) Miss America Scholar: Roxana Saberi (1998) Quality of Life Award 1st runners-up: Cara Mund (2018)

Winners

Year Name Hometown Age Local Title Miss America Talent Placement at Miss America Special scholarships at Miss America Notes2026Emma TongWillistonMiss FargoLyrical DancePreviously Miss North Dakota's Outstanding Teen 20212025Kennedy DeLapBismarck24Miss Central Dakota HER Story2024Sophia RichardsHope23Miss West FargoVocal, "La Vie En Rose"Preliminary Evening GownFirst Miss North Dakota to be awarded Preliminary Evening Gown Award at Miss AmericaLater Miss North Dakota USA 20262023 Sydney Helgeson Bismarck22Miss Red River Valley FairVocalPreviously Miss North Dakota's Outstanding Teen 20172022Sidni KastMinot24Miss Grand ForksPiano, "Somebody to Love"2021Reyna BergstromFargo25Miss State CapitolVocal 2019–20 Haley D. Wolfe Carrington 21 Miss West Fargo Dance Previously Distinguished Young Woman of North Dakota 2016 2018 Katie Olson Williston 20 Miss Fargo Lyrical Dance, "I Will Wait" 2017 Lizzie Jensen Fargo 23 Miss West Fargo Vocal, "Hallelujah" colspan=3 Cara Mund Bismarck 23 Miss Northern Lights Jazz Dance, "The Way You Make Me Feel" Winner Quality of Life Award 1st runner-up Previously Miss North Dakota's Outstanding Teen 20104th runner-up at Miss North Dakota Teen USA 2012 pageant 2016 Macy Christianson Minot 19Miss Grand Forks Contemporary Ballet Later Miss North Dakota USA 20202015 Delanie Wiedrich Hazen 19 Vocal, "A New Life" from Jekyll & Hyde Delanie Jane Wiedrich is a native of Tracy, California. 2014 Jacky Arness Fargo 21 Miss Peace Garden Vocal, "Feeling Good" Top 16 Judges' ChoiceMiss Congeniality 1st runner-up at Miss North Dakota USA 2018 pageant 2013 Laura Harmon Grand Forks 23 Miss Grand Forks Vocal, "’O sole mio" 2012 Rosemary (Rosie) Elizabeth Sauvageau Fargo 24 Miss Fort Abercrombie Piano / Vocal, "To Make You Feel My Love" Preliminary Talent AwardNon-finalist Talent Award First black woman to be named Miss North Dakota 2011 Ariana Walker Bismarck 20 Miss State Capitol Contemporary Lyrical Dance, "Defying Gravity" from Wicked Previously Miss North Dakota's Outstanding Teen 2008Previously Miss North Dakota Teen USA 2010 2010 Beth Dennison Hutchinson, MN 21 Miss Grand Forks Modern Dance, "All'improvviso Amore" Eligible as a student at the University of North Dakota 2009 Katherine (Katie) Elise Ralston Carrington 22 Miss Red River Valley Vocal, "One Hundred Easy Ways" from Wonderful Town 2008 Tessie Louise Jones West Fargo 21 Miss Dickinson Piano Contestant at National Sweetheart 2007 pageant 2007 Ashley Anne Young Grand Forks 20 Miss Grand Forks Classical Vocal, "Adele's Laughing Song" from Die Fledermaus Miss Congeniality 2006 Annette Ellen Olson Baldwin 23 Miss Peace Garden Vocal, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" Contestant at National Sweetheart 2005 pageant 2005 Jacqueline Marie Johnson Fargo 20 Miss Red River Valley Cello, "Julio" 2004 Ashley Jo Ford Cavalier 21 Miss Potato Queen Vocal, "There You Are" 2003 Sara Marie Schelkoph Grand Forks 23 Miss Fort Abercrombie Lyrical Ballet, "Somewhere" 2002 Stacey lynn Thomas Bismarck 19 Jazz en Pointe, "Sparkling Diamonds" from Moulin Rouge! Previously Miss North Dakota's Outstanding Teen 1999Previously Miss North Dakota Teen USA 2001 2001 Jillayne Ann Mertens Motley, MN 19 Miss North Dakota State College of Science Violin / Vocal, "Look to the Rainbow" from Finian's Rainbow 2000 Carrie Ann Haberstroh Lisbon 21 Miss Red River Valley Classical Piano, Prelude in C sharp minor by Rachmaninoff 1999 Kathryn (Kay) Ruth Picconatto Minot 21 Miss Dakota Territory Vocal, "Journey to the Past" 1998 Sonja Marie Gedde Fargo 18 Miss Fargo Piano, "Malagueña" 1997 Roxana Saberi Fargo 20 Miss Fargo Classical Piano, Prelude in G minor by Rachmaninoff Top 10 Miss America Scholar Gained attention in 2009 after being imprisoned for 100 days for alleged espionage in Iran 1996 Stephanie Lee Hamilton Williston 18 Miss Williston Lyrical Dance, "On My Knees" 1995 Kimberly (Kim) Ann Cooley Grand Forks 24 Miss Potato Bowl Tap Dance, "Luck Be a Lady" 1994 Nicci Elkins 21 Miss Red River Valley Tap Dance Previously Miss North Dakota Teen USA 1991 Top 6 at Miss Teen USA 1991 pageant 1993 Suzanne Janelle Spilde Casselton 24 Miss Pride of the Prairie Vocal, "On a Wonderful Day like Today" from The Sweetheart Tree 1992 Stephanie Jean Fisher Larimore 24 Miss Watford City Vocal, "Until Now" 1991 VanNessa Straub Fargo 24 Miss US Durum Piano, Warsaw Concerto 1990 Lezlie Joan Lund Tolna 23 Miss US Durum Vocal, "Time Heals Everything" from Mack & Mabel 1989 Susan Jacobson Grand Forks 23 Miss Potato Bowl Vocal / Dance, "One Night Only" 1988 Tina Marie Curran Grand Forks 21 Miss Oil Country Ballet en Pointe, "Capriccio Espagnol" Top 10 1987 Susan Campbell Grand Forks 20 Miss Grand Forks Lyrical Dance 1986 Barbara Ann Kerzman Minot 23 Miss Ward County Semi-classical Vocal, "Love Is Where You Find It" 1985 Elizabeth Anne Jaeger Fargo 25 Miss Fargo Jazz Dance Previously Miss North Dakota USA 19834th runner-up at Miss USA 1983 pageant 1984 Callie Lynn Northagen Grand Forks 21 Miss Red River Valley Piano 1983 Phyllis Jeanette Hankey Park River 22 Miss Mayville State College Vocal, "If You Believe" from The Wiz 1982 Jeana Wolf Rugby 21 Miss Red River Valley Tap Dance, "You're a Grand Old Flag" & "Give My Regards to Broadway" 1981 Stacie Anfinson Hettinger 21 Miss Dickinson Vocal, "I Only Want to Say" 1980 Karen Moe Minot 20 Miss Minot Popular Vocal 1979 Daureen Podenski Edgeley 22 Miss LaMoure County Classical Vocal, "Vissi d'arte" from Tosca Non-finalist Talent Award 1978 Shelia Jean Lindeman Linton 20 Miss Valley City Popular Vocal, "Woman in the Moon" from A Star Is Born 1977 Kathryn L. Power Beulah 22 Miss North Dakota State Potato Queen Classical Vocal, "Adele's Laughing Song" from Die Fledermaus 1976 Donna Grotberg Valley City 18 Miss Valley City Piano, "The Cat and the Mouse" Top 10 1975 Cathy Marie Woell Minot 19 Miss Minot Vocal, "Yes" 1974 Susan Kay Myhr Bottineau 18 Miss Bottineau Vocal, "You're Gonna Hear From Me" & Don't Rain on My Parade 1973 Linda Joyce Cole Lisbon 19 Miss Valley City Classical Vocal, "Winds in the South" 1972 Georgia Ann Becker Napoleon 18 Miss Kidder County Country Western Vocal, "Rose Garden" Non-finalist Talent Award 1971 Lana Jean Herreid Williston 20 Miss Williston Original Vocal Composition, "From Life" 1970 Nancy Jean Tangen Northwood 19 Miss Grand Forks Classical Vocal, "Pace pace mio Dio" from La forza del destino 1969 Charlene Hope Seifert Gascoyne 21 Miss Bowman Comedy Monologue, "Sleeping Beauty" 1968 Virginia Lee Hanson Bismarck 21 Miss Grand Forks Semi-classical Vocal, "This Is My Country" 1967 Wanda Lou Lowry 18 Miss Parshall Classical Vocal, "Je veux vivre" from Roméo et Juliette 1966 Denise Lee Fledderman Inkster 20 Miss Langdon Popular Vocal Non-finalist Talent Award 1965 Onalee Louise Olson Fargo 19 Miss Fargo Original Interpretive Dance "Charleston" 1964 Karen Victoria Kopseng Bismarck 19 Miss Grand Forks Classical Vocal, "Un Bel Di" from Madama Butterfly Preliminary Talent Award 1963 JoAnn Syvrud Mandan Miss Dickinson Vocal Ballad & Guitar 1962 Claudia Ellen Revland Fargo 19 Miss Fargo Vocal & Guitar 1961 Diane Leda Ulvedal Grand Forks 18 Miss Grand Forks Piano, "Gavotte in B Major" by Bach 1960 Carol Ruth Olson Fargo 21 Miss Fargo Dramatic Monologue from Mary Stuart Carol Ruth Olson Larsen died at 86 on November 11, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1959 Claudia Jean GullicksonGrand Forks 18 Classical Vocal, "Carissima" Non-finalist Talent Award 1958 Helen Estelle Korfhage Classical Vocal, "If Thou Lov'st Me" 1957 Helen Jane Winje Minot Vocal 1956 Janet Elizabeth Smith Steele Drama 1955 Mary Ann Gibbs Williston Vocal 1954 Delores Ann Paulson Bismarck Violin, "Méditation" from Thaïs 1953 Marilyn Joy Wentz Napoleon Vocal 1952 Margaret Winnifred Aandahl Litchville 22 Piano Solo Non-finalist Talent Award 1951 Marilyn Jean WalkerMinot 19 Painting Display Marilyn Jean Walker Polsfut died at age 89 on August 16, 2021, in Denver, Colorado. 1950 Clarice Joan Teets 19 Comedy Monologue, "Touch of Norway" Non-finalist Talent Award Clarice Joan Teets Kern, who later became a minister, died on September 7, 2006, in Sarasota, Florida at the age of 75 after suffering a stroke. 1949 Kitty Gates Page Bismarck Tap Dance & Baton Twirling 1935–48No North Dakota representative at Miss America pageant 1934No national pageant was held 1933No North Dakota representative at Miss America pageant 1932No national pageants were held 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921

References

External links Miss North Dakota official website