Miss USA 2000


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. 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

Placements

Special awards

Final competition scores

StateInterviewSwimsuitEvening GownAverageFinalists
Tennessee9.81 9.64 9.78 9.74 9.66
New Hampshire9.58 9.32 9.27 9.39 9.40
Alabama9.54 9.51 9.93 9.66 9.45
Kansas9.36 9.53 9.63 9.51 9.36
Georgia9.29 9.52 9.41 9.40 9.14
Colorado9.21 9.26 9.33 9.27 -
Michigan9.44 9.07 9.24 9.25 -
New York9.47 9.06 8.93 9.16-
South Carolina8.74 9.39 9.24 9.12 -
Iowa9.10 8.95 9.02 9.02 -

Contestants

51 contestants competed for the title.
State/CityContestantAgeHometownNotes
AlabamaJina Mitchell22Trussville
AlaskaLaurie Ann Miller21PalmerPreviously Miss Alaska Teen USA 1997
ArizonaHeather Keckler26ScottsdalePreviously Miss Arizona Teen USA 1992
ArkansasWhitney Lea Moore22Cabot
CaliforniaRebekah Ann Keller25LakewoodFormer Miss California 1997
Fourth runner-up at Miss America 1997
ColoradoTiani Jones23Aurora
ConnecticutSallie Toussaint25HartfordUS representative to Miss World in 1997
Top 10 semi-finalist at Miss World 1997
DelawareJennifer Behm23Wilmington
District of ColumbiaJuel April Casamayor26Washington, D.C.
FloridaKristin Ludecke23EustisPreviously Miss Florida 1995
GeorgiaPatti Dunn24Duluth
HawaiiMichelle Kaplan23Kona
IdahoBrooke Jennifer Gambrell26BoisePreviously Miss Idaho 1995
IllinoisConstance Renee Stoetzer26Abingdon
IndianaKristal Michelle Wile23Anderson
IowaJensie Grigsby26West Des Moines
KansasTiffany Meyer23Previously Miss Missouri Teen USA 1994
KentuckyJolene Youngster18Glasgow
LouisianaJennifer Dupont18PlaqueminePreviously Miss Louisiana Teen USA 1998
Later became Miss Louisiana 2004
MaineJennifer Lyn Hunt21RumfordPreviously Miss Maine Teen USA 1994
MarylandChristie S. Davis21Silver Spring
MassachusettsRosalie M. Allain25Leominster
MichiganJillian Susan Dobson22Quincy
MinnesotaPaige Swenson24FridleyPreviously Miss Minnesota Teen USA 1994
MississippiAngie Michelle Carpenter22GreenwoodPreviously Miss Mississippi Teen USA 1994
MissouriDenette Roderick24
MontanaBrandi Bjorklund20Bonner
NebraskaValarie Cook22Omaha
NevadaAlicia Denyse Carnes22Las VegasPreviously Miss Nevada Teen USA 1995
New HampshireBridget Jane Vezina19Manchester
New JerseyMichelle Graci21Jamesburg
New MexicoChristina I. Ortega23Las Cruces
New YorkCarrie Tucker25Nesconset
North CarolinaPortia Lyndell Johnson20Greensboro
North DakotaAmie Hoffner18Minot
OhioCheya R. Watkins22CincinnatiPreviously Miss Ohio 1998
OklahomaAmanda Rochelle Penix21ShawneePreviously Miss Oklahoma Teen USA 1997
OregonElizabeth Heitmanek19Medford
PennsylvaniaAngela Patla26Sweet Valley
Rhode IslandHeidi St. Pierre23Harrisville
South CarolinaLisa Rabon24Myrtle Beach
South DakotaVanessa Short Bull21Rapid CityLater Miss South Dakota 2002
TennesseeLynnette Marie Cole21ColumbiaPreviously Miss Tennessee Teen USA 1995
TexasHeather Ogilvie22Houston
UtahKeri Hatfield22Bountiful
VermontKatie Bolton22Colchester
VirginiaCrystal Marie Jones26Virginia Beach
WashingtonJamie Marie Kern22Des MoinesContestant on season 1 of Big Brother, finished in fourth place.
Co-founder and CEO of It Cosmetics.
West VirginiaTara Shae Wilson22Sistersville
WisconsinSamantha Jo Picha20Verona
WyomingRebecca Smith20Jackson Hole