Miss America 2003

Miss America 2003
Miss America 2003
	Miss America 2003, Erika Harold, in 2002
Date	September 21, 2002
Presenters	Wayne Brady Julie Moran
Venue	Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Broadcaster	ABC
Winner	Erika Harold; Illinois
	← 2002 2004 →

Miss America 2003, the 76th Miss America pageant, was televised live from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Saturday, September 21, 2002 on the ABC Network. Erika Harold of Illinois won the pageant.^[1]

Results

Placements

Final results	Contestant
Miss America 2003	Illinois - Erika Harold^[1]
1st runner-up	Alabama - Scarlotte Deupree^[1]
2nd runner-up	Oklahoma - Casey Preslar^[1]
3rd runner-up	Nevada - Teresa Benitez^[1]
4th runner-up	Maryland - Camille Lewis^[1]
Top 10	Connecticut - Tanisha Brito Massachusetts - Melanie Beth Correia Mississippi - Jennifer Adcock New York - Tiffany Walker Texas - Lisa Dalzell^[1]
Top 15	Arizona - Laura Lawless Indiana - Tangra Riggle North Carolina - Misty Clymer South Carolina - Kelly McCorkle Washington - Amanda Beers^[1]

Awards

Awards	Contestant
Gown	Maryland - Camille Lewis Missouri - Shandi Finnessey New Jersey - Alicia Luciano
Interview	Nevada - Teresa Benitez Texas - Lisa Dalzell Illinois - Erika Harold
Lifestyle and Fitness	New York - Tiffany Walker Mississippi - Jennifer Adcock Arkansas - Lauren Davidson
On Stage Interview	Georgia - Amy Mulkey Illinois - Erika Harold Nevada - Teresa Benitez
Talent	Oklahoma - Casey Preslar Indiana - Tangra Riggle Maryland - Camille Lewis

Quality of Life awards

Results	Contestant	Platform
Winner	Nevada - Teresa Benitez	Poverty: A N.E.W. Focus

Delegates

51 contestants competed for the title:^[2]

State	Name	Hometown	Age¹	Talent	Placement	Awards	Notes
Alabama	Scarlotte Deupree^[3]	Birmingham	22	Vocal	1st runner-up	Quality of Life 1st runner-up
Alaska	Peggy Willman^[4]	Anchorage	23	Alaskan Native Dance
Arizona	Laura Lawless^[5]	Tempe	23	Classical Piano	Top 15		New York's Junior Miss 1996
Arkansas	Lauren Davidson^[6]	El Dorado	20	Vocal
California	Jennifer Glover^[7]	Castro Valley	23	Contemporary Vocal			Miss California USA 2001
Colorado	Morgan O'Murray^[8]	Colorado Springs	21	Jazz Dance			Miss Colorado Teen USA 1999
Connecticut	Tanisha Brito^[9]	New London	22	Tap Dance	Top 10		Miss Georgia USA 2005
Delaware	Shoha Parekh^[10]	Newark	24	Bharatnatyam Style Dance
District of Columbia	Sarah-Elizabeth Langford^[11]	Atlanta, GA	23	Gymnastics			Miss District of Columbia USA 2005
Florida	Katherine Carson^[12]	Sarasota	20	Vocal
Georgia	Amy Mulkey^[13]	Gainesville	23	Classical Piano
Hawaii	Kehaulani Christian^[14]	Pearl City	23	Tahitian Dance
Idaho	Misty Taylor^[15]	Boise	20	Classical Vocal
Illinois	Erika Harold^[16]	Urbana	22	Operatic Aria	Winner	Preliminary Interview
Indiana	Tangra Riggle^[17]	West Lafayette	21	Contemporary Vocal	Top 15	Preliminary Talent
Iowa	Stephanie Moore^[18]	Okoboji	22	Vocal
Kansas	Jeanne Anne Schroeder^[19]	Hutchinson	24	Classical Vocal
Kentucky	Mary Catherine Correll^[20]	Somerset	21	Classical Vocal
Louisiana	Casey Jo Crowder^[21]	Shreveport	23	Vocal
Maine	Rachel Wadsworth^[22]	Hiram	20	Rhythm Tap Dance
Maryland	Camille Lewis^[23]	Silver Spring	21	Crossover Classical Violin	4th runner-up	Overall Talent, Preliminary Talent, Preliminary Evening Gown
Massachusetts	Melanie Correia^[24]	Acushnet	22	Vocal	Top 10
Michigan	Erin Moss^[25]	Stevensville	21	Flute
Minnesota	Allyson Kearns^[26]	Eden Prairie	22	Self-Choreographed Dance
Mississippi	Jennifer Adcock^[27]	Hattiesburg	22	Piano	Top 10	Preliminary Swimsuit	Miss Mississippi USA 2005 and Top 10 at Miss USA 2005
Missouri	Shandi Finnessey^[28]	Florissant	24	Piano Solo		Preliminary Evening Gown	Miss Missouri USA 2004 and Miss USA 2004
Montana	Heather Rathbun^[29]	Darby	24	Tae Kwon Do Demonstration
Nebraska	Krista Knicely^[30]	Omaha	23	Jazz Dance
Nevada	Teresa Benitez	Reno	24	Monologue	3rd runner-up	Quality of Life, Overall Interview, Preliminary Interview
New Hampshire	Mary Morin	Bedford	24	Classical Piano
New Jersey	Alicia Luciano	Stanhope	19	Lyrical Dance		Overall Gown, Preliminary Evening Gown
New Mexico	Erin Griggs	Alamogordo	22	Violin Solo
New York	Tiffany Walker	Brooklyn	22	Interpretive Modern Dance	Top 10	Preliminary Swimsuit
North Carolina	Misty Clymer	Raleigh	21	Semi-classical Vocal	Top 15
North Dakota	Stacey Thomas	Bismarck	19	Jazz en Pointe			Miss North Dakota Teen USA 2001
Ohio	Tiffany Haas	Cincinnati	20	Classical Vocal		Quality of Life 2nd runner-up
Oklahoma	Casey Preslar	Tulsa	22	Jazz Vocal	2nd runner-up	Preliminary Talent
Oregon	Brita Stream	Eugene	22	Vocal
Pennsylvania	Autumn Marisa	Waynesburg	22	Lyrical Dance
Rhode Island	Gianine Teti	Providence	22	Classical Vocal
South Carolina	Kelly McCorkle	Greenville	23	Lyrical Ballet	Top 15		The Amazing Race 7 contestant
South Dakota	Vanessa Short Bull	Rapid City	23	Ballet en Pointe			Miss South Dakota USA 2000
Tennessee	Valli Kugler	Rutherford	22	Vocal
Texas	Mary Lisa Dalzell	Magnolia	23	Flute solo	Top 10	Preliminary Interview
Utah	Natalie Johnson	Bountiful	22	Classical Piano
Vermont	Sarah Jo Willey	Bakersfield	24	Vocal
Virginia	Jennifer Pitts	Arlington	24	Contemporary Ballet En Pointe			Miss Virginia USA 2005
Washington	Amanda Beers	Richland	20	Classical Piano	Top 15
West Virginia	Janna Kerns	Terra Alta	23	Vocal
Wisconsin	Jayme Dawicki	New Berlin	22	Classical Piano
Wyoming	Beth Holland	Gillette	23	Vocal

¹ Age as of September 2002

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Curran, John (Sep 22, 2002). "Miss America for 2003 put law school on hold". The Post-Standard. Associated Press. p. 8. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
↑ "Contestants". Press of Atlantic City. Atlantic City, New Jersey. September 15, 2002. p. C8. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
↑ "Scarlotte Deupree wins crown in fifth trip to state competition". The Birmingham News. Birmingham, Alabama. June 16, 2002. p. 1. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
↑ "UAA nursing major named Miss Alaska". Anchorage Daily News. Anchorage, Alaska. May 17, 2002. p. 18. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
↑ "Miss Arizona title begins to sink in for ASU student". Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. July 1, 2002. p. B2. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
↑ "El Dorado Woman Claims Title". Times Record. Fort Smith, Arkansas. June 23, 2002. p. 3. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
↑ "Student wins state crown". The Californian. Temecula, California. July 15, 2002. p. C-8. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
↑ "Miss America hopefuls dispel old stereotypes". Daily Record. Morristown, New Jersey. September 17, 2002. p. A3. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
↑ Ward, Coley (June 16, 2002). "Gronton woman is Miss Connecticut". The Day. New London, Connecticut. p. 9. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
↑ "New Miss Delaware". The News Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. June 9, 2002. p. 30. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
↑ "Atlantan in running for Miss America". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. June 13, 2002. p. A2. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
↑ "Miss Largo wins Miss Florida pageant". St. Petersburg Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. July 3, 2002. p. 26. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
↑ Yan, Holly (June 30, 2002). "Miss Atlanta captures crown". Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. Columbus, Georgia. p. 1. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
↑ "She's Miss Hawaii". The Pacific Commercial Advertiser. Honolulu, Hawaii. June 8, 2002. p. 4. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
↑ "Boise woman named Miss Idaho". The Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. June 9, 2002. p. 9. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
↑ "Miss Illinois named". The State Journal-Register. Springfield, Illinois. July 9, 2002. p. 14. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
↑ Geller, Marc B. (June 17, 2002). "Miss Indiana title amazes local woman". Journal & Courier. Lafayette, Indiana. p. 7. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
↑ Geyer, Thomas (June 9, 2002). "Emotions run high at pageant". Quad-City Times. Davenport, Iowa. p. A3. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
↑ Neil, Denise (June 9, 2002). "Hutchinson native wins Miss Kansas". The Wichita Eagle. Wichita, Kansas. p. 4B. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
↑ Taylor, Louise (June 17, 2026). "UK student Mary Catherine Correll named Miss Kentucky". Lexington Herald-Leader. Lexington, Kentucky. p. B3. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
↑ Heyen, Curtis (June 16, 2002). "Shreveporter Casey Crowder wins Miss Louisiana crown". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. p. 3B. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
↑ "Miss Maine crowned". Sunday Sun-Journal. Lewiston, Maine. May 26, 2002. p. B2. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
↑ "Miss Maryland hopes to protect music and art". The News Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. July 1, 2002. p. B5. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
↑ "There she is". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. June 11, 2026. p. D2. Retrieved April 1, 2026.
↑ Eliasohn, Michael (June 17, 2002). "Stevensville woman is new Miss Michigan". The Herald-Palladium. Benton Harbor, Michigan. p. 1. Retrieved April 1, 2026.
↑ "Miss Twin Cities wins state pageant". St. Cloud Times. Saint Cloud, Minnesota. July 15, 2002. p. 4B. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
↑ Parker, Maggie (July 7, 2002). "Jennifer Adcock takes the crown". The Vicksburg Post. Vicksburg, Mississippi. p. 1. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
↑ "Shandi Finnessey, Miss Metro St. Louis, is crowned Miss Missouri". The Daily Journal. Flat River, Missouri. June 10, 2002. p. 11. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
↑ Webb, Jaci (June 30, 2002). "Martial arts expert wins beauty title". The Billings Gazette. Billings, Montana. p. 25. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
↑ Poss, Denise (June 9, 2002). "Omahan crowned Miss Nebraska '02". The North Platte Telegraph. North Platte, Nebraska. p. 1. Retrieved May 4, 2026.

External links

Official Results

[Post-Standard-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Curran, John (Sep 22, 2002). "Miss America for 2003 put law school on hold". The Post-Standard. Associated Press. p. 8. Retrieved 9 September 2024.

[2] "Contestants". Press of Atlantic City. Atlantic City, New Jersey. September 15, 2002. p. C8. Retrieved March 24, 2026.

[3] "Scarlotte Deupree wins crown in fifth trip to state competition". The Birmingham News. Birmingham, Alabama. June 16, 2002. p. 1. Retrieved March 23, 2026.

[4] "UAA nursing major named Miss Alaska". Anchorage Daily News. Anchorage, Alaska. May 17, 2002. p. 18. Retrieved March 23, 2026.

[5] "Miss Arizona title begins to sink in for ASU student". Arizona Republic. Phoenix, Arizona. July 1, 2002. p. B2. Retrieved March 23, 2026.

[6] "El Dorado Woman Claims Title". Times Record. Fort Smith, Arkansas. June 23, 2002. p. 3. Retrieved March 24, 2026.

[7] "Student wins state crown". The Californian. Temecula, California. July 15, 2002. p. C-8. Retrieved March 24, 2026.

[8] "Miss America hopefuls dispel old stereotypes". Daily Record. Morristown, New Jersey. September 17, 2002. p. A3. Retrieved March 24, 2026.

[9] Ward, Coley (June 16, 2002). "Gronton woman is Miss Connecticut". The Day. New London, Connecticut. p. 9. Retrieved March 25, 2026.

[10] "New Miss Delaware". The News Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. June 9, 2002. p. 30. Retrieved March 25, 2026.

[11] "Atlantan in running for Miss America". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. June 13, 2002. p. A2. Retrieved March 25, 2026.

[12] "Miss Largo wins Miss Florida pageant". St. Petersburg Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. July 3, 2002. p. 26. Retrieved March 26, 2026.

[13] Yan, Holly (June 30, 2002). "Miss Atlanta captures crown". Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. Columbus, Georgia. p. 1. Retrieved March 26, 2026.

[14] "She's Miss Hawaii". The Pacific Commercial Advertiser. Honolulu, Hawaii. June 8, 2002. p. 4. Retrieved March 27, 2026.

[15] "Boise woman named Miss Idaho". The Idaho Statesman. Boise, Idaho. June 9, 2002. p. 9. Retrieved March 28, 2026.

[16] "Miss Illinois named". The State Journal-Register. Springfield, Illinois. July 9, 2002. p. 14. Retrieved March 28, 2026.

[17] Geller, Marc B. (June 17, 2002). "Miss Indiana title amazes local woman". Journal & Courier. Lafayette, Indiana. p. 7. Retrieved March 29, 2026.

[18] Geyer, Thomas (June 9, 2002). "Emotions run high at pageant". Quad-City Times. Davenport, Iowa. p. A3. Retrieved March 30, 2026.

[19] Neil, Denise (June 9, 2002). "Hutchinson native wins Miss Kansas". The Wichita Eagle. Wichita, Kansas. p. 4B. Retrieved March 30, 2026.

[20] Taylor, Louise (June 17, 2026). "UK student Mary Catherine Correll named Miss Kentucky". Lexington Herald-Leader. Lexington, Kentucky. p. B3. Retrieved March 30, 2026.

[21] Heyen, Curtis (June 16, 2002). "Shreveporter Casey Crowder wins Miss Louisiana crown". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. p. 3B. Retrieved March 30, 2026.

[22] "Miss Maine crowned". Sunday Sun-Journal. Lewiston, Maine. May 26, 2002. p. B2. Retrieved March 30, 2026.

[23] "Miss Maryland hopes to protect music and art". The News Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. July 1, 2002. p. B5. Retrieved March 30, 2026.

[24] "There she is". The Boston Globe. Boston, Massachusetts. June 11, 2026. p. D2. Retrieved April 1, 2026.

[25] Eliasohn, Michael (June 17, 2002). "Stevensville woman is new Miss Michigan". The Herald-Palladium. Benton Harbor, Michigan. p. 1. Retrieved April 1, 2026.

[26] "Miss Twin Cities wins state pageant". St. Cloud Times. Saint Cloud, Minnesota. July 15, 2002. p. 4B. Retrieved April 14, 2026.

[27] Parker, Maggie (July 7, 2002). "Jennifer Adcock takes the crown". The Vicksburg Post. Vicksburg, Mississippi. p. 1. Retrieved April 14, 2026.

[28] "Shandi Finnessey, Miss Metro St. Louis, is crowned Miss Missouri". The Daily Journal. Flat River, Missouri. June 10, 2002. p. 11. Retrieved May 4, 2026.

[29] Webb, Jaci (June 30, 2002). "Martial arts expert wins beauty title". The Billings Gazette. Billings, Montana. p. 25. Retrieved May 4, 2026.

[30] Poss, Denise (June 9, 2002). "Omahan crowned Miss Nebraska '02". The North Platte Telegraph. North Platte, Nebraska. p. 1. Retrieved May 4, 2026.

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