Miss South Carolina

For the state pageant affiliated with Miss USA, see Miss South Carolina USA.

The Miss South Carolina competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of South Carolina in the Miss America pageant. The pageant was first held in Myrtle Beach and moved to Greenville starting in 1958 and remained in that city until the 1990s. Spartanburg hosted the pageant in a few different venues until new leadership took over the organization and moved the pageant to Columbia, SC in 2011. The pageant was televised since the 1960s until the 1998 pageant. Televising was resumed with the 2000 pageant through 2006. The pageant returned to television in 2014.^[1]

Miss South Carolina

Formation	1923; 102 years ago (1923)
Type	Beauty pageant
Headquarters	Columbia
Location	South Carolina
Membership	Miss America
Official language	English
Key people	Ashley Byrd Chaz Ellis Erin Gambrell
Website	Official website

Two South Carolina women have become Miss America: Marian McKnight of Manning in 1957 and Kimberly Aiken of Columbia in 1994. Six more have been first runners-up at the national competition and another thirteen have placed in the Top Ten. The Miss South Carolina organization is the leading state pageant in the nation in scholarship money raised for young women- surpassing many much larger states.

Sarah Kay Wrenn of Columbia was crowned Miss South Carolina 2025 on June 28, 2025, at Township Auditorium in Columbia, South Carolina. She will compete for Miss America 2026.

Gallery of past titleholders

• 
  Jane Jenkins,
  Miss South Carolina 1979
• 
  Shelley Benthall,
  Miss South Carolina 2006
• 
  Crystal Garrett,
  Miss South Carolina 2007

Results summary

The following is a visual summary of the past results of Miss South Carolina 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 Americas: Marian McKnight (1957), Kimberly Clarice Aiken (1994)
• 1st runners-up: Claudia Turner (1971), Lavinia Cox (1977), Sherry Thrift (1986), Mary Gainey (1991), Ali Rogers (2013), Rachel Wyatt (2017)
• 2nd runners-up: Polly Suber (1955), Catherine Hinson (1978), Dawn Smith (1987)
• 3rd runners-up: Evelyn Ellis (1963)
• 4th runners-up: N/A
• Top 7: Daja Dial (2016)
• Top 10: Joyce Perry (1952), Mary Griffin (1953), Miriam Stevenson (1954), Edith Sandra Browning (1961), Nancy Moore (1966), Cynthia Anthony (1976), Carrie Lee Davis (1993), Erika Grace Powell (2006), Suzi Roberts (2018)
• Top 11: Davis Wash (2025)
• Top 12: Bree Boyce (2012)
• Top 15: Mary Claudia Harvin (1927), LaBruce Sherill (1940), Kelly McCorkle (2003)
• Top 16: Crystal Garrett (2008)
• Top 20: Jeanna Raney (2002)

Awards

Preliminary awards

• Preliminary Lifestyle and Fitness: Polly Suber (1955), Edith Sandra Browning (1961), Barbara Harris (1967), Claudia Turner (1971), Lavinia Cox (1977), Catherine Hinson (1978), Lisa Ann King (1984), Dawn Smith (1987), Nancy Humphries (1988), Carrie Lee Davis (1993), Ali Rogers (2013), Daja Dial (2016), Davis Wash (2025)
• Preliminary Talent: LaBruce Sherill (1940), Nancy Moore (1966), Lisa Ann King (1984), Valarie (Valerie) Trapp (1996), Kimilee Bryant (1990), Erika Grace Powell (2006)

Non-finalist awards

• Non-finalist Talent: Margaret Seible (1945), Gene Wilson (1959), Mary Diane Toole (1979), Julia Hill (1983), Amanda Spivey (1996), Janet Powers (1998), Heather Hudson (2001), Jessica Eddins (2004), Shelley Bryson Benthall (2007), Anna Perry (2009)

Other awards

• Miss Congeniality: Brooke Mosteller (2014) (tie)
• Active International Scholarship for Business and Marketing: Jeanna Raney (2002)
• Bernie Wayne Performing Arts Scholarship: Erika Grace Powell (2006)
• Children's Miracle Network (CMN) Miracle Maker Award: Brooke Mosteller (2014), Lanie Hudson (2015), Suzi Roberts (2018), Davia Bunch (2019), Morgan Nichols (2020)
• CMN Miracle Maker Award 1st runners-up: Rachel Wyatt (2017)
• George Cavalier Talent Award: Kimilee Bryant (1990)
• Quality of Life Award / Social Impact Initiative Scholarship 1st runners-up: Brooke Mosteller (2014), Morgan Nichols (2020)
• Quality of Life Award 2nd runners-up: Suzi Roberts (2018)
• STEM Scholarship Award Winners: Morgan Nichols (2020)
• Top Fundraiser: Julia Herrin (2022)

Winners

•   Declared as winner
•   Ended as a runner-up
•   Ended as a finalist or semi-finalist

Year	Name	Hometown	Age	Local Title	Miss America Talent	Placement at Miss America	Special scholarships at Miss America	Notes
2025	Sarah Kay Wrenn	Columbia	24	Miss Lake Murray	Lyrical Dance	TBA	TBA	Previously Top 10 at Miss South Carolina 2024 as Miss Greenville County, Top 10 at Miss South Carolina 2023 as Miss Capital City, and 3rd Runner-Up at Miss South Carolina 2022 as Miss Greenville County; also previously Top 10 at Miss South Carolina Teen 2017 as Miss Greater Easley Teen and Top 10 at Miss South Carolina Teen 2018 as Miss Spartanburg Teen
2024	Davis Wash	Edgefield	23	Miss Clemson	Vocal	Top 11		Previously 1st Runner-Up at Miss South Carolina 2023 as Miss Greater Carolina
2023	Jada Samuel	Greenville	26	Miss Bridge City	HERstory			Previously 2nd Runner-Up at Miss South Carolina 2022 as Miss Columbia
2022	Jill Dudley	Myrtle Beach	23	Miss Hartsville	Vocal
2021	Julia Herrin[2]	Bluffton	19	Miss Clarendon	Piano		Top Fundraiser 1st Place
2019–20	Morgan Nichols[3]	Lexington	22	Miss Clemson	Vocal, “Bridge Over Troubled Water"		CMN Miracle Maker Award[4] Social Impact Initiative Scholarship Award 1st runner-up[4] STEM Scholarship Award[4]
2018	Davia Bunch[5][6]	Spartanburg	21	Miss Spartanburg	Ballet en Pointe, "Feel it Still" by Portugal The Man		CMN Miracle Maker Award	4th runner-up at Miss South Carolina USA 2020 and 2022 competitions[citation needed] Later a contestant on season 27 of The Bachelor
2017	Suzi Roberts[7]	Pawleys Island	23	Miss Columbia	Lyrical Dance, "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" by Katie Thompson	Top 10[8]	CMN Miracle Maker Award[9] Quality of Life Award 2nd runner-up[10]	Former NFL cheerleader for the Atlanta Falcons[11]
2016	Rachel Wyatt[12]	Piedmont	21	Miss Clemson	Dance, "Something in the Water"[13]	1st runner-up[13]	CMN Miracle Maker Award 1st runner-up[14]	Previously Miss South Carolina Teen 2012 and Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2013[12] Current NFL cheerleader for the Dallas Cowboys[15]
2015	Daja Dial[16]	Spartanburg	22	Miss Greenville County	Vocal, "I Believe"	Top 7	Preliminary Swimsuit Award[17]
2014	Lanie Hudson[18][19]	Spartanburg	23	Miss Anderson	Clogging, "Think"		CMN Miracle Maker Award	Competed on America's Got Talent
2013	Brooke Mosteller[20]	Mount Pleasant	24	Miss Mount Pleasant	Vocal, "Hallelujah"		Miss Congeniality (tie)[21] Quality of Life Award 1st runner-up[21] CMN Miracle Maker Award[21]	Winner of Miss Congeniality at both Miss South Carolina 2013 and Miss America 2014 pageants[21]
2012	Ali Rogers[22]	Laurens	20	Miss Laurens County	Piano, "I Want You Back"	1st runner-up[23]	Preliminary Swimsuit Award	Previously Miss South Carolina Teen 2009 Top 10 at Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2010 pageant[24]
2011	Bree Boyce[25]	Florence	22	Miss Capital City	Classical Vocal, "Tu Tu Piccolo Iddio" from Madama Butterfly	Top 12
2010	Desiree Puglia[26]	Simpsonville	22	Miss Pendleton	A Capella Tap Dance
2009	Kelly Sloan[27]	Gray Court	24	Miss Hartsville	Vocal, "For Once in My Life"
2008	Anna Perry[28]	Florence	23	Miss Lexington	Piano, "Rhapsody in Blue"		Non-finalist Talent Award	Daughter of Miss South Carolina 1982, Julia Hill[29]
2007	Crystal Garrett[30]	Columbia	21	Miss Charleston	Vocal, "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Boulevard	Top 16
2006	Shelley Bryson Benthall[31]	Florence	21	Miss Florence	Vocal, "A Broken Wing"		Non-finalist Talent Award	Previously Miss South Carolina Teen 2003[31] First Miss South Carolina Teen to be crowned Miss South Carolina[31]
2005	Erika Grace Powell[32]	Easley	20	Miss Golden Corner	Classical Vocal, "Time to Say Goodbye"	Top 10	Preliminary Talent Award Bernie Wayne Performing Arts Scholarship	Former nanny for Hugh Jackman's children[33] Later Miss South Carolina USA 2012 Top 16 at Miss USA 2012 pageant[33]
2004	Ann Ashley Wood[34]	Spartanburg	23	Miss Charleston	Lyrical Dance, "You Raise Me Up"			Never received $25,000 in scholarship winnings from the Miss South Carolina Organization[35][36]
2003	Jessica Eddins[37]	Irmo	24	Miss North Charleston	Semi-classical Vocal, "And This Is My Beloved"		Non-finalist Talent Award
2002	Kelly McCorkle[38]	Greenville	23	Miss Golden Corner	Lyrical Ballet, "I Believe"	Top 15		Half-sister of Miss South Carolina Teen 2008, Courtney Cisson[39] Contestant on The Amazing Race 7 with then boyfriend, Ron Young[40]
2001	Jeanna Raney[41]	Inman	20	Miss Greater Greer	Tap Dance, "Kiss Me"	Top 20	Active International Scholarship for Business and Marketing
2000	Heather Hudson[42]	Lexington	22	Miss Tigertown	Classical Vocal, "Il Bacio" by Luigi Arditi		Non-finalist Talent Award	Previously South Carolina's Junior Miss 1996
1999	Danielle Davis[43]	Greer	18	Miss Greater Greer[43]	Vocal, "I Wanna Fall in Love"
1998	Wendy Willis[44]	Fountain Inn	24	Miss Camden	Vocal, "Operator" by The Manhattan Transfer
1997	Janet Powers[45]	Hartsville	21	Miss Southern 500	Vocal Medley, "Go Tell It on the Mountain," "Gonna Build a Mountain," & "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"		Non-finalist Talent Award
1996	Angela Hughes[46]	Anderson	21	Miss Anderson County	Tap Dance, "Sing, Sing, Sing"			Later Mrs. South Carolina America 2005 under her married name, Angela Hughes-Singleton[47]
1995	Amanda Spivey[48]	Boiling Springs	22	Miss Southern 500	Soprano saxophone, "The Joy of Life"		Non-finalist Talent Award
1994	Kristie Greene[44]	Greenville	24	Miss Berea	Comedy Vocal, "Exactly Like Me"
1993	Tonya Helms[49]		24[49]	Miss Greater Greer		Did not compete; later assumed title after Aiken won Miss America 1994[49]
	Kimberly Clarice Aiken[50]	Columbia	18	Miss Columbia	Vocal, "Summertime"	Winner[50]		First African American to be crowned Miss South Carolina[50] Named one of People Magazine's "Fifty Most Beautiful People in the World" in 1994[50]
1992	Carrie Lee Davis[51]	Greenville	26	Miss Greenville	Marimba, "Csárdás"	Top 10	Preliminary Swimsuit Award	Postponed her medical school residency after being crowned[51] Later sued the pageant and settled without terms being publicly disclosed[35]
1991	Ronnetta Hatcher[44]	Columbia	26	Miss Columbia	Percussion			Later Mrs. South Carolina 2015 under her married name, Ronnetta Hatcher Griffin[52]
1990	Mary Gainey[44]	Hartsville	24	Miss Liberty	Marimba, "Scherzo for Marimba in C"	1st runner-up
1989	Kimilee Bryant[44]	Greenville	23	Miss Berea	Classical Vocal, "Je Suis Titania" from Mignon		Preliminary Talent Award George Cavalier Talent Award	Broadway actress and opera singer[53]
1988	Anna Graham Reynolds[54]	Greenwood	23	Miss Greenwood	Vocal, "Mack the Knife"			Daughter of Miss South Carolina 1957, Cecilia Colvert[55]
1987	Nancy Humphries[56]	Myrtle Beach	21	Miss Myrtle Beach	Piano, "The Stars and Stripes Forever"		Preliminary Swimsuit Award[56]	Former co-host of Access Hollywood[57] Current co-anchor on Entertainment Tonight[58]
1986	Dawn Smith[59]	Columbia	22	Miss Liberty	Classical Vocal, "Je Veux Vivre" from Roméo et Juliette	2nd runner-up	Preliminary Swimsuit Award	Sister was brutally murdered a year prior to her winning Miss South Carolina (events were later made into investigative documentary dramas)[60][61][62] Won "Miss Pageant Rewind" on What Not to Wear against two fellow pageant contestants
1985	Sherry Thrift[63]	Westminster	23	Miss Liberty	Clogging, "Are You From Dixie?"	1st runner-up		Previously South Carolina's Junior Miss 1980
1984	Vicki Harrell[44]	Columbia	22	Miss University of South Carolina	Piano
1983	Dalia Garcia[64]		21	Miss South Congaree	Vocal, "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"
1982	Julia Hill[29]	Florence	26	Miss Duncan-Lyman-Wellford	Classical Piano, "Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, 3rd Movement"		Non-finalist Talent Award	Mother of Miss South Carolina 2008, Anna Perry[29]
1981	Jill Rankin[65]	Columbia	21	Miss Columbia Northeast	Figure Skating, "Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major"
1980	Donna Jewell[66][67]		19	Miss Cayce-West Columbia	Vocal, "Have I Stayed Too Long at the Fair?"
1979	Jane Jenkins[68]	Johns Island	23	Miss Charleston	Vocal Medley, "The Party's Over" & "Send in the Clowns"			Author of Bare Feet to High Heels, What Ta Tas Teach Us, and "Bury Me with My Pearls"[68]
1978	Mary Diane Toole[69]	Aiken	17	Miss Aiken County	Ballet, "Pas de Quatre"		Non-finalist Talent Award
1977	Catherine Hinson[44]	Rock Hill	22	Miss Rock Hill	Saxophone Medley, "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" & "Flight '76" by Walter Murphy	2nd runner-up	Preliminary Swimsuit Award
1976	Lavinia Cox[70]	Latta	23		Piano Medley, "The Man I Love" & "Sunny"	1st runner-up	Preliminary Swimsuit Award
1975	Cynthia Anthony[44]	West Columbia	22	Miss Lexington	Classical Vocal, "Chacun le Sait" from La fille du régiment	Top 10
1974	Cheryl Von Lehe[71]	Charleston	18	Miss Charleston	Vocal, "Oh Babe, What Would You Say?"
1973	Fran Riggins[71][72]	Easley	21	Miss Easley	Vocal, "All the Things You Are"
1972	Bonnie Corder[73]	Columbia	21	Miss Columbia	Vocal Medley, "My Man's Gone Now," "Let Me Sing," & "I'm Happy"
1971	Pamela Inabinet[44]	Swansea	21		Tap Dance, "Puttin' on the Ritz"			Featured performer on the Miss America 1973 telecast
1970	Claudia Carmen Turner[74]	Spartanburg	19	Miss Spartanburg	Vocal, "Once Upon a Time"	1st runner-up	Preliminary Swimsuit Award	Claudia Carmen Turner Wells Bauman, died at 71 on September 24, 2021, in South Carolina.
1969	Brantlee Price[75]	Newberry	19	Miss Newberry	Vocal, "Got A Lot O' Living To Do"
1968	Rebecca Smith[44]	Clover	19	Miss Clover	Semi-classical Vocal, "America the Beautiful"
1967	Peggy White[76]	Fountain Inn	23	Miss Laurens	Organ Medley, "Spanish Flea" & "Flight of the Bumblebee"
1966	Barbara Harris[77]	Simpsonville	21	Miss Columbia	Classical Vocal, "Adele's Laughing Song" from Die Fledermaus		Preliminary Swimsuit Award	Toured with Miss America USO Troupe[77] Former Mayor of Morris Township, New Jersey[citation needed]
1965	Nancy Moore[78]	Aiken	18	Miss Aiken	Piano, "Variations on There She Is"	Top 10	Preliminary Talent Award	Later married US Senator, Strom Thurmond, who was 44 years her senior, in 1968[78]
1964	Sue Smith[79]	Florence	20	Miss Florence	Vocal Medley
1963	Carolyn Gaines[79]	North Augusta	19	Miss North Augusta	Popular Vocal
1962	Evelyn Ellis[80]	Greenville	19	Miss Columbia	Interpretive Dance, "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" & "Gigi"	3rd runner-up		Previously South Carolina's Junior Miss 1961
1961	Janet McGee[81]	Greenville	20	Miss Greenville	Vocal, "Ave Maria"
1960	Edith Sandra Browning[82]	Greenwood	19	Miss Greenwood	Comic Dance / Pantomime, "I Wish I Could Shimmy Like my Sister Kate"	Top 10	Preliminary Swimsuit Award[82]
1959	Nettie Dennis[83]	Moncks Corner	19	Miss Moncks Corner	Vocal
1958	Gene Wilson[84]	Charleston	18	Miss Charleston	Vocal, "If I Loved You"		Non-finalist Talent award
1957	Cecilia Colvert[55]	Greenwood	18	Miss Columbia	Pantomime / Vocal, "C'est si bon" by Eartha Kitt			Mother of Miss South Carolina 1988, Anna Graham Reynolds[55]
1956	Marian McKnight[85]	Manning	19	Miss Manning	Comedy Sketch, "The Monroe Doctrine"	Winner[86]
1955	Martha Chestnut[87]	Conway		Miss Conway	Piano
1954	Polly Suber[88]	Greenville		Miss Whitmire	Monologue, "Air Corps"	2nd runner-up	Preliminary Swimsuit Award
1953	Miriam Stevenson[89]	Winnsboro	20	Miss Greenwood	Tap Dance	Top 10		Later Miss South Carolina USA 1954, Miss USA 1954, and Miss Universe 1954[90][91] First Miss USA to be crowned Miss Universe[91]
1952	Mary Griffin[92]	Florence		Miss Florence	Classical Vocal	Top 10		1st runner-up at the Miss USA 1953 pageant, representing Myrtle Beach 5th runner-up at Miss World 1953 pageant, representing the United States
1951	Joyce Perry[93]	Conway		Miss Conway	Comedy Vocal, "Sewing Machine"	Top 10
1950	Carolyn Fowler[94]	Lyman	17	Miss Lyman	Vocal, "Why Don't You Fall In Love With Me"[94]
1949	Barrie Wingard[95]	Columbia		Miss Clinton				Died on April 24, 1952, after her car was struck by a drunk driver[95]
1948	Esther Greene[44]	Greenville		Miss Greenville
1947	Margaret Griffin[44]	Spartanburg		Miss Spartanburg	Classical Vocal
1946	Anne Mae Morse[96]			Miss Columbia
1945	Margaret Seible[97]	Columbia			Drama, "Life with a Southern Mammy on an Old Plantation"		Non-finalist Talent Award
1944	Gloria Mae Grisso[98]							Multiple South Carolina representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
	Virginia Owens[97]			Miss South Carolina
1943	Sarah Nina Harvin[98]			Miss Columbia				Multiple South Carolina representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
	Jenelle Virginia Strange[97]			Miss South Carolina
1942	Virginia Pulliam[99]			Miss Columbia				Multiple South Carolina representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
	Nelle Xermenia Owens[99]			Miss South Carolina	Dance
1941	Miriam King[100]	Charleston		Miss Charleston				Multiple South Carolina representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
	Gloria Frances Missel[101]			Miss South Carolina	Vocal, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy"
1940	LaBruce Sherill[102]	Myrtle Beach		Miss Myrtle Beach	Tap Dance, "Cocktails for Two"	Top 15	Preliminary Talent Award	Multiple South Carolina representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
	Vanadora Baker[103]	Dillon		Miss South Carolina	Recitation
1939	Mary Eleanor Parish[104]	Myrtle Beach		Miss Myrtle Beach				Multiple South Carolina representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
	Margaret Allan Shealy[104]	Clinton		Miss South Carolina	Vocal, "Especially For You"
1938	Margaret Simrill Land[44]	Chester		Miss Camden
1937	Wayring Smathers[105]	Columbia		Miss Columbia
1936	No South Carolina representative at Miss America pageant[106][107]
1935
1934	No national pageant was held[108]
1933	No South Carolina representative at Miss America pageant[109]
1932	No national pageants were held[108]
1931
1930
1929
1928
1927	Mary Claudia Harvin[110]	Charleston		Miss Charleston		Top 15		No Miss South Carolina Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
1926	Dorothy Brickman[111]	Charleston		Miss Charleston
1925	No South Carolina representative at Miss America pageant[112][113][114][115][116]
1924
1923
1922
1921