Miss USA 2003


Miss USA 2003, the 52nd Miss USA pageant, was held at the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium in San Antonio, Texas on March 24, 2003. It was the first time it had been held in this state since 1996 when the pageant was held in South Padre Island. It was the latest it had been held since 1986, as previous pageants had been held in February or early March and this was the first Miss USA to be broadcast on NBC.
The pageant was won by Susie Castillo of Massachusetts, who was crowned by outgoing queen Shauntay Hinton of the District of Columbia. The format reverted to a Top Ten who competed in swimsuit and evening gown, although, as with 2002, there was no interview competition for the semi-finalists. This would be the last year where a top ten was called. The following Miss Universe Organization pageant, Miss Universe 2003 and onward, fifteen semi-finalists have been called each year.
Daisy Fuentes co-hosted the event for the first time, joined by Billy Bush who would also host the 2004 and 2005 events, as well as the Miss Universe pageants all three years. Color commentary was added by reigning Miss USA Shauntay Hinton. Entertainment was provided by Burn The Floor.

Results

Placements

Special awards

Contestants

The Miss USA 2003 delegates were:
StateContestantHometownAgeHeightPlacementAwardNotes
AlabamaMichelle ArnetteDothan251st Runner up
AlaskaStacey StoreyEagle River25Previously Miss Alaska 1995
ArizonaNafeesa DeFloriasPhoenix26
ArkansasTaylor CarlisleJacksonville21
CaliforniaCandice SandersLa Habra26
ColoradoErin Caperton MacGregorDenver26Previously Miss Colorado 1999
ConnecticutMichelle LaFranceOrange24
DelawareCheryl Lynn CroweFelton24Previously Miss Delaware Teen USA 1997
District of ColumbiaMichelle Dollie WrightWashington, DC26Previously Miss District of Columbia Teen USA 1995
FloridaCarrie MewhaFort Lauderdale24
GeorgiaErin HaneyAtlanta22
HawaiiAlicia Malia MichiokaKapaa24Top 10Her sister, Justine Michioka, succeeded her as Miss Hawaii USA 2004.
Later Mrs. Hawaii United States 2004 and 1st Runner up at Mrs. United States 2004.
IdahoLana WrightPocatello25
IllinoisAgnieszka ZakretaRolling Meadows24Previously Miss Tourism International 1999 as Poland's representative
IndianaTashina Brooke KastigarWest Terre Haute22Top 10Previously Miss Indiana Teen USA 1998
IowaLinsey GramsUrbandale20
KansasAlicia Angelina CabreraLeawood24
KentuckyLori MitchellScottsville21
LouisianaBrittney RogersShreveport20Won Fear Factor Miss USA 2003 special.
She and her family placed 9th on The Amazing Race: Family Edition.
MaineLacey HutchinsonBiddeford23
MarylandJaime KramerPasadena19
MassachusettsSusie CastilloLawrence23WinnerPreviously Miss Massachusetts Teen USA 1998
MichiganElisa Kathleen SchleefSt. Joseph233rd Runner up
MinnesotaSarah CahillWaseca24Miss PhotogenicPreviously Miss Minnesota Teen USA 1996
MississippiAllison BloodworthGrenada21Previously Miss Mississippi Teen USA 1999
MissouriTara BollingerChesterfield23
MontanaMegan MonroeMissoula22
NebraskaJessica PereaOmaha22
NevadaAshley HuffHenderson22Previously Miss Nevada 2001
New HampshireRachael RibeckLondonderry24
New JerseyVanessa BakerMarlton23
New MexicoAlina OgleAlbuquerque21Top 10Previously Miss New Mexico Teen USA 1999
New YorkNadia BehetteBay Ridge25
North CarolinaKristen LunebergDurham22Previously Miss Rhode Island Teen USA 1998
North DakotaSamantha EdwardsFargo23
OhioCandace SmithDayton26Second contestant voted off '.
OklahomaStar WilliamsTulsa22Top 10
OregonMyah MoorePortland21
PennsylvaniaCamille YoungPhiladelphia23
Rhode IslandKrisily KennedyWarwick23Runner-up on Season 7 of The Bachelor. Later contestant on the first season of Bachelor Pad.
South CarolinaAnna HanksBelton21Top 10
South DakotaJessica LawrenceBrookings25Later Mrs. Iowa America 2015
TennesseeBeth HoodCleveland244th Runner upPreviously Miss Tennessee 2000
TexasNicole O'BrianFriendswood202nd Runner upPreviously Miss Texas Teen USA 2000 and 1st Runner up at Miss Teen USA 2000.
She and her teammate finished 3rd on The Amazing Race 5.
UtahKelly ChapmanSouth Jordan24
VermontJennifer RipleyBurlington20Previously Miss Vermont Teen USA 1999
Later Mrs. Vermont America 2009
VirginiaMimi AbrahamAlexandria24
WashingtonBreann ParriottPuyallup25Miss CongenialityPreviously Miss Washington 2001
West VirginiaAmy ThomasonBuckhannon24
WisconsinJudy EckerleMilwaukee26
Wyoming'''Jamie GormanCheyenne22

1 Age as of March 24, 2003

Historical significance