Miss USA 2011 was the 60th Anniversary of the Miss USA pageant, held at the Planet Hollywood Theatre for the Performing Arts in Paradise, 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.

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.

Results Placements Placement ContestantMiss USA 2011 California – Alyssa Campanella1st Runner-Up Tennessee – Ashley Durham2nd Runner-Up Alabama – Madeline Mitchell3rd Runner-Up Texas – Ana RodriguezFinalists Hawaii – Angela Byrd Maine – Ashley Marble Maryland – Allyn Rose South Carolina – Courtney Turner Semifinalists Arizona – Brittany Brannon Florida – Lissette Garcia Georgia – Kaylin Reque Indiana – Jillian Wunderlich Missouri – Hope Driskill New Mexico – Brittany Toll New York – Amber Collins Utah – Jamie Crandall Delegates State/district 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 2006 Later 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 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