Miss California Teen USA

Miss California Teen USA
Formation1983
TypeBeauty pageant
HeadquartersSanta Monica
Location
MembersMiss Teen USA
Official language
English
Websitewww.misscaliforniausa.com

The Miss California Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of California in the Miss Teen USA pageant. It was formed in 1983. This pageant is part of the Miss USA Organization.

California is in the top five most successful states at Miss Teen USA in terms of number and value of placements. Miss California Teen USA titleholders have been invited to red-carpet movie premieres, such as that for Santa Clause 3 attended by Kylee Lin,[1] and She's the Man, attended by Jessica Powell.[2]

Ava Grace Nichols of La Jolla was crowned Miss California Teen USA 2026 on July 12, 2026, at the Grand Hyatt Indian Wells Resort in Indian Wells. She will represent California at Miss Teen USA 2026.

History

In the 1980s, the pageant was directed by Richard Guy and Rex Holt, who also oversaw the Miss California USA, Miss Texas USA and Miss Texas Teen USA pageants. They lost the contract in 1990, when it came up for renewal.[3]

Results summary

Placements

  • Miss Teen USAs: Shauna Gambill (1994), Cassidy Wolf (2013)
  • 1st runners-up: Jennifer Morgan (2002), Melanie Mitchell (2015)
  • 2nd runners-up: Michelle Cardamon (1996), Chelsea Gilligan (2009), Emma Baker (2010), Alexis Swanstrom (2011), Cassidy Hill (2022)
  • 3rd runner-up: Bianca Vierra (2014)
  • 4th runners-up: Stephanie Brink (2005), Jaanu Patel (2017)
  • Top 6: Natasha Allas (1992)
  • Top 10: Shawn Gardner (1983), Angi Aylor (1987), Casey McClain (2001), Ava Grace Nichols (2026)
  • Top 12: Trisha Robey (1990), Kellie Foster-Moore (1995)
  • Top 15/16/20: Taylor Atkins (2008), Athenna Crosby (2016), Janeice Love (2018), Zoe Hunt (2020), Cameron Doan (2021), Taliya Ariana Peiris (2023), Raynah Hudson (2025)

California holds a record of 26 placements at Miss Teen USA.

Awards

Best State Costume: Raynah Hudson (2025)

Winners

Color key
  •   Declared as Winner
  •   Ended as runner-up
  •   Ended as one of the finalists or semifinalists
Year Name Hometown Age1 Local Title Placement at Miss Teen USA Special awards at Miss Teen USA Notes
2026 Ava Grace Nichols La Jolla 17 Miss La Jolla Teen Top 10
2025 Raynah Hudson Malibu 17 Miss Malibu Teen Top 20 Best State Costume
2024 Paige Gonor San Diego 18 Miss San Diego County Teen
2023 Taliya Ariana Peiris San Ramon 18 Miss Bay Area Teen Top 20
2022 Cassidy Hill Newport Beach 18 Miss Newport Beach Teen Second runner-up
2021 Cameron Doan Anaheim 19 Miss Anaheim Hills Teen Top 16
2020 Zoe Hunt Coronado 17 Miss Coronado Teen Top 16
2019 Alina Rae Carranza Los Angeles 17 Miss Woodland Hills Teen
2018 Janeice Love[4] Barstow 17 Miss Coastal Cities Teen Top 15
2017 Jaanu Patel[5] Huntington Beach 16 Miss Huntington Beach Teen Fourth runner-up
2016 Athenna Crosby[6] San Jose 17 Miss Santa Monica Teen Top 15
2015 Melanie Mitchell[7] Anaheim 16 Miss Anaheim Hills Teen First runner-up
2014 Bianca Vierra[8] Hayward 19 Miss Brea Canyon Teen Third runner-up
2013 Chloe Hope Hatfield[9][10] Norco 18 Miss Malibu Teen did not compete
  • 1st runner-up at Miss California Teen USA 2013; succeeded Cassidy Wolf when Wolf won Miss Teen USA 2013
  • Later Miss Collegiate America 2016
Cassidy Wolf[10] Temecula 19 Miss Greater San Diego Teen Miss Teen USA 2013
2012 Alexa Jones[11] Ramona 18 Miss Orange County Teen
2011 Alexis Swanstrom San Diego 17 Miss San Diego Teen Second runner-up
2010 Emma Baker Poway 18 Miss Poway Teen
2009 Chelsea Gilligan Beaumont 18 Miss Beaumont Teen
2008 Taylor Atkins Piru 17 Miss Ventura County Teen Top 15
2007 Kylee Lin San Rafael 16 Miss Marin Teen
2006 Jessica Powell Barstow 18 Miss Barstow Teen
2005 Stephanie Brink Bellflower 18 Fourth runner-up
2004 Stacey Beltran Oxnard 18
  • Miss California Teen International 2005
2003 Shannon Byrne Vacaville 18
2002 Jennifer Morgan Alpine 17 First runner-up
2001 Casey McClain[12] San Marcos 18 Top 10
2000 Alexandra Thompson Vacaville 15
1999 Marianne Kennedy Long Beach 17
1998 Amanda O'Leary[13] Fullerton 19
1997 Kimberly Gloudemans Bakersfield 16 First runner-up to National Sweetheart 2001
1996 Michelle Cardamon San Diego 18 Second runner-up
1995 Kellie Foster-Moore Fresno 17 Top 12
1994 Shauna Gambill[14] Acton 17 Miss Teen USA 1994
1993 Stefanie Sweeney El Dorado Hills 18 Now Stevi McShane; owner of Crowned One Productions, a pageant production company, and director of the Miss California U.S. International Pageant and the Jr. Miss and Miss Teen and Miss California American Beauty Pageant.[15] She was also Mrs. California International, 2008.[16]
1992 Natasha Allas Los Angeles 18 Top 6
1991 Jolene Fulkner Yorba Linda 14 Youngest ever Miss California Teen USA[18]
1990 Trisha Robey Los Angeles 18 Top 12
1989 Michealean Bonilla Los Angeles 17
1988 Alison Moreno[19] El Toro 15 Best State Costume Disqualified from competing at the national pageant curfew violation, contrary to pageant rules.[19]
1987 Angi Aylor[20] El Toro 14 Top 10 (6th)[21] Miss Photogenic (tie)
  • Second runner up in Miss World USA 1994
1986 Michelle Lowe[22] Ontario 17
1985 Sharon Gunther Clovis 16
1984 Jodie Alvarez San Pedro 19
1983 Shawn Jeanie Gardner Modesto 17 Top 10 Placed first runner-up in state pageant, assumed title when winner resigned title to get married.[23]
Teresa St. Nicholas Monterey 17 Resigned

1 Age at the time of the Miss Teen USA pageant

References

  1. ↑ "World Premiere THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE Sunday, October 29 at The El Capitan Theater" (Press release). Walt Disney Pictures. Retrieved 2007-01-26.
  2. ↑ Wireimage.com photo gallery Archived 2011-06-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2007-01-26
  3. ↑ Woodbury, Richard (1990-03-05). "Profits In Poise and Pulchritude". Time Magazine. Archived from the original on November 21, 2007. Retrieved 2007-01-27.
  4. ↑ "Miss California and Miss Teen California to compete in national pageant -". McKinnon Broadcasting. May 9, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  5. ↑ Alteir, Nuran (December 22, 2016). "Pride and poise help Huntington Beach girl capture Miss California Teen title". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Miss California from Miss Teen USA 2016 Semifinalists". E! Online. July 30, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Winners of 2015 Miss California USA pageant crowned". fox5sandiego.com. January 12, 2015. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Brea Canyon entrant is Miss California Teen". Orange County Register. January 5, 2014. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  9. ↑ "Pageant contestants want to dispel stereotypes". Orange County Register. December 27, 2013. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  10. 1 2 "CSULB Freshman Crowned Miss California Teen USA". Press Telegram. 27 August 2013.
  11. ↑ Brainard, Karen. "Alexa Jones crowned Miss California Teen USA". Ramona Sentinel. No. January 12, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  12. ↑ Sheshadri, Triveni (2001-08-12). "Beauty queen going for Miss Teen USA crown". The San Diego Union-Tribune.
  13. ↑ "Fullerton Fast Facts / In the Know". Fullerton News Tribune. 1997-09-04. p. 03.
  14. ↑ Smith, Sharon (1994-04-04). "Highland Valedictorian wins Miss California Teen USA". Los Angeles Daily News. p. SC2.
  15. ↑ Franz, Chris (March 2014). ""The Pageant Director's Point of View": Interview with Stevie McShane Pageant Director". The Platform Magazine. p. 7. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Former Mrs. California International Titleholders". Mrs. California International. Retrieved June 1, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Natasha Allas - Reigning Miss World USA - Available for Interviews at Republican Convention" (Press release). PR Newswire. 2000-07-31.
  18. ↑ Gaede, Susan (1991-05-23). "Yorba Linda teen is pride of California". The Orange County Register. p. 04.
  19. 1 2 "Miss Teen California Official Questions Contestant's Disqualification". AP News. July 27, 1988. Retrieved January 21, 2019.
  20. ↑ Heffernan, Lillian (1987-05-12). "Beauty is hard work // Angi Aylor is on the runway to success after taking time off from contests". The Orange County Register. p. 03.
  21. ↑ Heffernan, Lillian (1987-07-23). "Teen beauty queen from El Toro places sixth in national contest". The Orange County Register. p. 13.
  22. ↑ "BEACH BREAK". The Tyler Courier-Times. 16 January 1986. p. 30. Retrieved 13 October 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ Williams, Walt (1983-07-19). "Modestan Dons Miss Teen Crown". The Modesto Bee.
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