Meet the 51 women competing to be Miss USA 2026

• The 75th annual Miss USA pageant will take place in Miami on August 27.
• The pageant will stream live on the Queen Beauty Network at 8 p.m. ET.
• Meet the 51 women competing, from a fashion designer to a flight attendant.

Miss USA 2026 is coming.

On August 27, 51 women will take the stage at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami to compete for the title. Miss USA 2025 Audrey Eckert will crown the winner.

The final will feature swimwear, evening wear, and interview rounds. It was meant to air live on The CW, along with the Miss Teen USA finals the night before, but on Thursday, the network confirmed to Business Insider that both pageant events were no longer on its broadcast schedule. Instead, the Miss USA final will be available to watch live on the Queen Beauty Network, a streaming platform focused on the pageant industry, at 8 p.m. ET.

The 2026 contestants include a fashion designer, an ICU nurse, a transmission engineer, and more. Read on to get to know them.

Alabama: Samantha Havenstrite

Samantha Havenstrite, 27, is a pageant queen who loves adventure. According to her Miss USA bio, she was one of the youngest people to climb to the top of Mount Rushmore. She has also traveled to more than 40 states and jumped out of an airplane from 12,000 feet.

Havenstrite became an advocate for cancer awareness after losing her mother to the disease in 2020. She is also a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Alaska: Holly Huber

Holly Huber, 26, is using her Miss USA platform to advocate for suicide prevention. Huber serves on the board of directors for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and has received a congressional honor for her ongoing work, according to her Miss USA bio.

Huber loves to read in her free time, finishing anywhere from six to 10 books a month. And the Alaska native comes from a large family with 10 siblings.

Arizona: Kaitlyn Humphrey

Kaitlyn Humphrey, 23, has a degree in journalism and mass communications from Arizona State University. She works as a full-time content creator and has partnered with Fenty Beauty, L'Oréal, and Charlotte Tilbury.

Humphrey grew up performing and has auditioned for "American Idol." She was also an opening act for country singer Lee Brice.

Arkansas: Anna Claire Hay

Anna Claire Hay, 23, graduated from the University of Arkansas and is planning to go to medical school after competing at Miss USA, according to her bio. She is a nonprofit founder and avid volunteer, having raised over $30,000 for the Children's Miracle Network. The pageant queen recently partnered with Tyson Foods and Sam's Club to help feed 600 people and provide 200 backpacks filled with school supplies to those in need.

Hay was Miss Arkansas Teen 2020 and reached the top 16 at Miss Teen USA 2020.

California: Acacia McBride

Acacia McBride, 28, is the founder of Chauf, a luxury transportation company. McBride also works as a professional model and has collaborated with brands including Sephora and L'Oréal.

According to her Miss USA bio, McBride likes to call herself "Martha 2.0," after Martha Stewart. She met the lifestyle maven when they were both featured in Sports Illustrated.

Colorado: Jordyn Owen

Jordyn Owen, 30, has a master's degree in athletic training and has treated professional stunt performers. She also mentors young girls through the education nonprofit Girls Inc.

According to her Miss USA bio, Owen's life changed when she participated in an international student ambassador program. It helped Owen see the world past her small town — which has nearly as many horses and cows as it does people — and changed the way she saw herself.

Connecticut: Jaeden Hamelly

Jaeden Hamelly, 30, has a master's degree in social work. According to her Miss USA bio, the pageant queen lost over 100 pounds to achieve her dream of joining the US Army, where she is a staff sergeant and combat medic.

Hamelly has 11 siblings, seven of whom were adopted through foster care. She is using her Miss USA platform to advocate for mental health education in the military.

Delaware: Julia Hatoum

Julia Hatoum, 24, has a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware, where she was student body president and graduated with triple minors.

Hatoum now works as a transmission engineer, managing the maintenance of power grids across Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and Washington, DC. She is using her Miss USA platform to advocate for underrepresented students in STEM programs.

The pageant queen has walked at New York Fashion Week and the Library of Congress' first-ever fashion show.

District of Columbia: Kennedy Lucas

Kennedy Lucas, 28, has a bachelor's degree and an MBA from Hampton University, where she was a majorette. Lucas won the Miss Black USA pageant in 2024.

Lucas works as a project manager and has her own apparel brand. She also launched Built From Within, an initiative to make wellness accessible to women.

According to her Miss USA bio, the pageant queen is a huge fan of Disney World and has visited the theme park more than 20 times.

Florida: Aileen Cerchiara

Aileen Cerchiara, 26, was inspired to become a registered nurse after watching her father undergo cancer treatment when she was a child. She began her medical career on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cerchiara has been a longtime advocate for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare blood cancer, in honor of her late father. She was a keynote speaker for the National MDS Foundation and is using her Miss USA platform to raise awareness for research and education.

Georgia: Jade Kircus

Jade Kircus, 36, graduated from the US Naval Academy, where she was a Division 1 athlete. Kircus served for eight years as a surface warfare officer in the Navy.

Kircus is married and has three children. Miss USA 2026 will be the first pageant she has ever competed in.

Hawaii: Darja Bassut

Darja Bassut, 23, learned to fly an airplane before driving her first car. The flight attendant is pursuing her pilot's license. Bassut also works as a competitive speed painter, sometimes making works of art in front of an audience while upside down.

When Bassut was 17, her family became evacuees during the war in Ukraine. The experience inspired the pageant queen to launch Unity Across Borders, a nonprofit dedicated to cultural education and humanitarian initiatives.

Idaho: Katie Tetreault

Katie Tetreault, 30, is the vice president of marketing and events for Société Privée, a global luxury wedding network. According to her Miss USA bio, Tetreault has helped create partnerships with brands including The Ritz-Carlton, Monique Lhuillier, and Estée Lauder.

Tetreault is also the founder of Achieve Now, an initiative that partners adolescents with mentors and leadership experiences.

Illinois: Vivica Lewandowski

Vivica Lewandowski, 21, is a fashion designer and model who has worked with brands including Sherri Hill, Dior Beauty, and Neiman Marcus. She won Miss Illinois Teen 2023 and is the daughter of Mandy Lane Lewandowski, who won Miss Illinois in 1998.

The pageant queen was diagnosed with PCOS when she was 20 years old and has lobbied the Illinois State Capitol and Department of Public Health to advocate for women's hormone health.

According to her Miss USA bio, Lewandowski's favorite childhood memory is playing hide-and-seek with members of SEAL Team 6.

Indiana: Eniola Oke

Eniola Oke, 22, is studying community health at Indiana University. She made history as the first US Air Force member to win Miss Indiana. She hopes to become a physician assistant in the Air Force.

Oke is the president and cofounder of the Military Outreach Society at Indiana University, where she mentors military-affiliated students and advocates for veterans' mental health. She also partnered with the school's Army ROTC program to raise awareness for veteran suicide prevention.

Iowa: Madeline Erickson

Madeline Erickson, 22, has a degree in mass communications from Louisiana State University, where she helped cover the SEC football championship. She is now pursuing a career in sports communication.

Erickson won Miss Iowa Teen 2023 and reached the top 20 at Miss Teen USA 2023. Her initiative, I Owe Her, is dedicated to "celebrating the diverse voices, mentors, and communities that uplift and shape women," according to her Miss USA bio.

Kansas: Madilynn Becker

Madilynn Becker, 22, is a fourth-generation pageant competitor. She was previously Miss Kansas Teen USA in 2021.

Becker was diagnosed with skull lesions when she was 13, and is one of 12 cases that have been documented in medical journals, according to her Miss USA bio. There is an exhibit dedicated to Becker in her town's historical museum, and July 7 was officially declared "Madilynn Becker Day" in her hometown of Herington.

Kentucky: Brijet Finister

Brijet Finister, 36, is a former NFL and NBA dancer who later became a financial advisor. She founded Pretty Pensions, a financial education platform designed to help women build wealth, and hopes to expand it through Prosperi-Tea, a program that provides women around the world with tools for financial success.

Finister is also an author. She wrote the book "Good Grief" after losing her father to prostate cancer.

Louisiana: Ella Clark

Ella Clark, 24, has a degree in public relations from LSU. Clark is a content creator and model who has walked in a fashion show at Miami Swim Week. She is also a conservationist who co-owns a tree farm.

Clark was inspired to launch "The Sooner We Start" program by her older brother, who has autism. The program aims to foster inclusivity and provide students with education about developmental and intellectual disabilities.

Maine: Mykala Green

Mykala Green, 25, is an accomplished figure skater, serving as captain for the figure skating team at her alma mater, Providence College.

Green has her master's degree in child policy from Boston University and was accepted to the Chicago-Kent College of Law in 2026 with the goal of becoming a family attorney and Guardian ad Litem, hoping to advocate for children like her best friend Nikki, who died of a drug overdose, according to her Miss USA bio.

Green also leads virtual grief groups for kids and mentors other family law advocates.

Maryland: Holly Plank

Holly Plank, 35, is a TV presenter who has a master's degree in communications from Johns Hopkins University. She hosts and produces a weekly segment on NBC's WBAL called "Hometown Highlights with Holly."

Plank co-founded The Plank Foundation with her husband to help nonprofits increase their reach. She's also a professional pianist and vocalist, performing in venues across the US.

Massachusetts: Kayshauna Montaño

Kayshauna Montaño, 28, is a nonprofit marketing manager with master's degrees from Brown University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Montaño, who was adopted at age 3, launched Fit Your Mold, an initiative designed to help children build confidence and celebrate what makes them unique. She was also a cheerleader for the New England Patriots, walked in a fashion show during Milan Fashion Week as a college senior, and loves to read in her free time.

Michigan: Amber Uhler

Amber Uhler, 41, is a TV host and speaker who has opened up about how she lost 170 pounds with diet, exercise, and belief in herself in TEDx talks.

A wife and mother of three, Uhler advocates for swim safety and drowning prevention after surviving drowning in her own childhood, her Miss USA bio says. She educates others about drowning prevention and has worked in her community to advance legislation that makes swim lessons free for families that can't afford them.

She hopes to use the Miss USA platform to show other women that they can keep working on their goals no matter their age.

Minnesota: Rachel Betterley

Rachel Betterley, 35, is an art teacher who believes in the power of art to heal trauma. She created the project Sketchbooks for Kids, which provides schools with sketchbooks and art supplies for children experiencing hardship, and is also a former contemporary dancer.

The first wife and mother to be crowned Miss Minnesota USA, Betterly loves Minnesota winters, snowmobiling, and cheering her kids on as they snocross.

Mississippi: Victoria Cantu

Victoria Cantu, 27, is a weekend news anchor for NBC and CBS. She is also studying meteorology at Mississippi State University.

In addition to her broadcasting work, Cantu owns Secret Sculpt Studio, which focuses on affordable and accessible Pilates classes. She also uses Pilates to fundraise for her community, raising over $20,000 for local nonprofits, according to her Miss USA bio.

Missouri: Madison Beck

Madison Beck, 21, is a real estate agent and a first-time homeowner despite her young age.

She founded the Answer the Call program, which encourages students to pursue their dreams. Beck is close with her family, especially her twin sister, often joining them for family game nights.

Montana: Lisbeth Fernández

Lisbeth Fernández, 28, is pursuing her degree in government intelligence and already holds a degree in theology. She hopes to become a US diplomat.

Fernández has taken humanitarian trips throughout Latin America, and she is an international speaker, giving talks about ethical AI in the three languages she speaks. She hopes to use the Miss USA platform to continue her AI advocacy work.

Nebraska: Emily Lenser

Emily Lenser, 25, became a neonatal ICU nurse thanks to her lifelong love of "Grey's Anatomy." She became a March of Dimes brand ambassador, advocating for maternal and newborn health, and she hopes to expand that work as Miss USA.

Lenser also founded Embracing Imperfections, encouraging others to celebrate themselves because of her own experience with a speech impediment.

Nevada: Natalie Bode

Natalie Bode, 27, is a sports and poker reporter, as well as the host of the "Stories Untold" podcast. She hopes to use digital platforms to expand Miss USA's reach if she's crowned queen at the pageant.

Bode has done mentorship work since she was 14. After losing her mother to brain cancer and being raised by a single father, Bode is passionate about supporting youth and showing them they are not alone.

New Hampshire: Samantha LaBonne

Samantha LaBonne, 34, is a senior client success specialist at Indeed. She loves water skiing and dancing, and she hopes to be on "Dancing With the Stars" someday.

A mom of two, LaBonne launched the "More Than A Mama" initiative to encourage women to rediscover themselves and chase their dreams after becoming mothers. She's also partnered with Dress for Success in conjunction with her initiative and helped pass legislation designating May 6 as Maternal Mental Health Awareness Day.

New Jersey: Katarina Lengyel

Katarina Lengyel, 25, has a master's degree from New York University and works in finance. She is also a dancer whose dream is to be on "Dancing With the Stars."

She combines her passion for dance with Inspire Dance Team, a nonprofit that offers dance lessons and community gatherings for neurodivergent people.

Surprisingly, according to her Miss USA bio, Lengyel has never had a sandwich.

New Mexico: Cara Rgnonti

Cara Rgnonti, 26, is a school program administrator. In her work, she helps students discover their passions and hobbies, leading her to create her initiative, Grow to be Great, which encourages kids to go after their dreams.

Rgnonti is also a professional model who has walked in New York Fashion Week, Los Angeles Fashion Week, and Miami Fashion Week, while advocating for sustainable fashion.

New York: Jenna Dykstra

Jenna Dykstra, 30, is a licensed physician assistant, model, and perfume brand owner. She was recruited to compete in pageantry by a medical sales representative at her office.

According to her Miss USA bio, Dykstra wants to offer pro bono medical care to people who have experienced sexual abuse. She has worked with organizations that support survivors for years, hoping to help others because of her own experience as a child.

She hopes she can show women the power that pivoting professionally can have as Miss USA.

North Carolina: Myla Hadley

Myla Hadley, 24, has a degree in biology, but she works in business, helping entrepreneurs buy and sell companies. She has also worked as a model.

Hadley is an avid equestrian, riding horses whenever she can. She also founded Zenith House of Wellness, a holistic wellness practice. She hopes to use her platform to help others access health and wellness education.

North Dakota: Sophia Richards

Sophia Richards, 25, is a natural performer. She has 10 years of dance experience, is an amateur bronc rider, and works as a television news anchor.

Her Miss USA bio says Richards studied abroad in Japan and is now earning her master's degree in communications at the University of North Dakota. With her title, she aims to advocate for women's mental health and mentor young people.

Ohio: Kayelin Tiggs

Kayelin Tiggs, 34, is dedicated to helping incarcerated women live with dignity. She authored legislation in Ohio to ensure menstrual products are provided in prisons, and she hopes to regularly visit incarcerated women if crowned Miss USA.

Outside her work, Tiggs keeps herself busy as a caretaker for five reptiles: one snake, three tortoises, and one bearded dragon. She also gets her hair done every week, which, according to her Miss USA bio, is her favorite way to recharge.

Oklahoma: Annamaria Thomas

Annamaria Thomas, 22, is a model. She's walked runways in New York, Miami, and Milan, and has been featured on billboards in Times Square.

Thomas' experiences throughout childhood inspired her to create a nonprofit and advocate for Oklahoma laws to better protect children from grooming and abuse.

In her spare time, according to her Miss USA bio, she enjoys cuddling her dogs and watching Disney movies.

Oregon: Claire Wildey

Claire Wildey, 24, didn't walk a conventional path to success. She received various forms of education, including private, public, home, and online schooling. She later took her career into her own hands by becoming a model rather than entering a standard profession.

She now aims to champion nontraditional education and continue volunteering with Baby2Baby to support single mothers.

Pennsylvania: Elizabeth Voight

Elizabeth Voight, 26, might have grown up on a farm and served as a Pennsylvania State Fair Queen, according to her Miss USA bio, but now she's ready to be Miss USA.

She works as an educator, basketball coach, and model, while also pursuing her master's degree to become a reading specialist. Additionally, Voight is the founder of Read to Lead, which donates books to the Salvation Army each year.

Rhode Island: Victoria Cuartas

Victoria Cuartas, 33, is the founder of The Little Daisy Consulting, through which she works with young people as a life coach.

She's also an advocate for education. She holds a doctoral degree and serves as a coordinator of undergraduate programs at Brown University.

Cuartas' Miss USA bio also says she's passionate about music. She loves listening to Celine Dion, and she grew up playing a brass instrument called the euphonium.

South Carolina: Victoria Vesce

Victoria Vesce, 33, describes herself in her Miss USA bio as a millennial with three dogs and a law degree. She also spent years as an NBA dancer who took the stage at the 2016 Olympics, and has traveled to more than 40 countries.

Vesce had a brain tumor when she was 23 years old, and she lost her mom at a young age.

She's since cofounded an undergraduate fashion law program and created a women's wellness initiative called Strength in Community.

South Dakota: Lexus Paulson

Lexus Paulson, 28, believes that everyone deserves to smile. She graduated as a dental hygienist, now works with Invisalign, and is an advocate for closing the dental-care gap across the US through her nonprofit, TeamSmile.

She also enjoys traveling, having visited more than 10 countries and 33 states, according to her Miss USA bio, and was a former collegiate rower. She now plays tennis and golf and runs 10Ks.

Tennessee: Sydney Grace Young

Sydney Grace Young, 26, made history in her family as a first-generation college graduate.

She now has a career in marketing and is the founder of Pappy's Promise, through which she's advocating for the Veterans Early Detection and Accountability Act to improve healthcare for veterans nationwide. It's inspired by the loss of her grandfather to lung cancer.

According to her Miss USA bio, Young likes taking long drives and singing in her car, doing Solidcore, working on race cars with her dad, and spending time with her three dogs.

Texas: Alexis Maxine Fuetsch

Alexis Maxine Fuetsch, 21, has never let her age get in the way of her dreams. According to her Miss USA bio, she became the youngest NBA photographer at 16 and opened her own studio at 19.

She also discovered the Children's Rehabilitation Institute TeletonUSA at age 8 and later helped raise money for the center as its gala chair.

After Miss USA wraps, Fuetsch plans to take the LSAT and enter law school. She aims to work as a disability rights attorney.

Utah: Alayzia Christopher

Alayzia Christopher, 30, stays grounded with the help of her family and faith, her Miss USA bio says.

She works in hospitality and events, but still finds time to volunteer. Christopher founded a nonprofit called HER, which stands for Helping Empower Resiliency, and she's served on the committee for the Kids Beating Cancer gala.

Vermont: Katherine McQuade

Katherine McQuade, 31, is a lifelong dancer. She's had 16 years of classical training, attended a performing-arts high school, and has even danced with the Radio City Rockettes as a teen.

She works as a client relations specialist, according to her Miss USA bio, and she leads Promoting Hope: Potholders for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness, to raise awareness of the disease.

McQuade shares her home with five cats, all named after TV show characters.

Virginia: Justus Kelley

Justus Kelley, 29, is a star of her hometown, according to her Miss USA bio. The local mayor once declared March 11 as "Justus Kelley Day" in honor of her community leadership.

She's also a foster mom of two, a global St. Jude ambassador, and the author of a children's book series called "More Than One Thing."

Kelley exclusively wears a secondhand wardrobe for events like Miss USA to prove that pageantry can be accessible to all.

Washington: Ellise Kakazu

Ellise Kakazu, 35, credits the Miss USA organization with saving her life as she experienced postpartum depression.

She now serves as a mental health advocate and a board member of an international organization that supports the mental health of new and future mothers.

West Virginia: Alanna Lynch

Alanna Lynch, 25, has followed in her family's footsteps, serving as a third-generation farmer and Air Force veteran. But she's also carved her own path.

She graduated with a master's degree in communications and founded The Provisions Project to combat food insecurity.

Her first job was working at her grandfather's traveling petting zoo, and she dreams of competing on "Survivor."

Wisconsin: Olivia Lulich

Olivia Lulich, 23, was a shy child, so she began entering pageants at age 5, according to her Miss USA bio. She then went on to model for American Girl and now has multiple jobs and passion projects.

She co-owns a beef herd, coaches members of her local leadership FFA chapter, works as an agricultural educator, and produces a podcast called "Diecast and Diesel."

Wyoming: Melanie San Roman

Melanie San Roman, 30, is a fashion designer who's created looks for Maxim and Miami Swim Week. She began sewing at age 6.

Roan is also no stranger to the stage. Her Miss USA bio says she walked the latter runway and was formerly a professional bikini bodybuilder.

Additionally, she's the founder of a women's wellness app and an advocate for mental health support, inspired by her own experiences.

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