Miss Connecticut

The Miss Connecticut competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Connecticut in the Miss America pageant. Connecticut has won the Miss America crown once (Marian Bergeron, 1933), and is the only New England state which has produced a Miss America.

Cayla Kumar of Hamden was crowned Miss Connecticut 2025 on June 28, 2025, at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, Connecticut. She competed for the title of Miss America 2026.

Results summary

The following is a visual summary of the past results of Miss Connecticut 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 Bergeron (1933-1934)
1st: Bridget Oei (2019)
2nd runners-up: Tillie Grey (1936)
4th runners-up: Jillian Duffy (2020)
Top 10: Billie Turner (1959), Jeanne Caruso (1981), Sylvia Gomes (2000), Tanisha Brito (2003), Kaitlyn Tarpey (2014)
Top 12: Ruth S. Rubin (1935)
Top 15: Florence Harriet Green (1926)
Top 16: Joan Turner (1946), Renee Roy (1951), Acacia Courtney (2015)

Awards

Preliminary awards

Preliminary Swimsuit: Margaretta Kling (1935), Carol Jean Norval (1970)
Preliminary Talent: Renee Roy (1951), Billie Turner (1959), Diana Klug (1960), Dana Daunis (2008)

Non-finalist awards

Non-finalist Talent: Susan Lightbown (1958), Carole Gelish (1967), Gunnell Ragone (1969), Maryalice Flintroy (1979), Michele Eaton (1988), Valorie Abate (1993), MaryGrace Santagata (1995), Merissa Starnes (1998), Dana Daunis (2008)

Other awards

Miss Congeniality: N/A

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	Cayla Kumar	Hamden	22	Miss Hamden	Dance			Previously Miss New York's Outstanding Teen 2018
2024	Monica Fenwick	Watertown	23	Miss Nutmeg	Flute
2023	Gina Carloto	New Haven	27	Miss Fairfield	Jazz Dance
2022	Sylvana González	Farmington	24	Miss Farmington	Latin Jazz Dance
2021	Sapna Raghavan	Ellington	22	Miss Pleasant Valley	Indian Classical Dance			Previously Miss Connecticut's Outstanding Teen 2015
2019–20	Jillian Duffy	Burlington	Miss Wolcott	Vocal, "Once Upon a Time" from Brooklyn the Musical	4th runner-up
2018	Bridget Oei	Hebron	22	Miss Mountain Laurel	Irish Step Dance, "Reel of Arrivals"	1st runner-up
2017	Eliza Lynne Kanner	Hamden	21	Miss Fairfield County	Operatic Vocal, "Memory" from Cats			Cheerleader for New England Patriots
2016	Alyssa Rae Taglia	Wolcott	22	Miss Litchfield County	Tap Dance			Previously Miss Connecticut Teen USA 2010
2015	Colleen Ward	Miss Windham County	Irish Step Dance
2014	Acacia Courtney	Hamden	21	Miss Hamden	Ballet en Pointe, "Kitri's Variations" from Don Quixote	Top 16		Previously Miss Connecticut's Outstanding Teen 2009 Currently a TV reporter and paddock analyst for Gulfstream Park Later Miss Connecticut USA 2019
2013	Kaitlyn Tarpey	Stamford	Miss Southington	Irish Step Dancing, "Reel Around the Sun" from Riverdance	Top 10		Previously New York's Miss Teen America 2008–2009 Crowned Miss Teen America 2008-2009 Preliminary Swimsuit Award at National Sweetheart 2012 pageant[citation needed]
2012	Emily Audibert	Wolcott	21	Miss Wolcott	Lyrical Dance, "Listen" from Dreamgirls
2011	Morgan Amarone	Hamden	23	Miss Southington	Dance, "My Strongest Suit" from Aida
2010	Brittany Decker	Bristol	21	Miss Hartford County	Vocal, "Journey to the Past"
2009	Sharalynn Kuziak	Southington	22	Miss Constitution	Theatrical Tap Dance
2008	Ashley Glenn	Hamden	23	Miss Shoreline	Lyrical Dance			Previously Massachusetts' Junior Miss 2003
2007	Dana Daunis	Watertown	22	Miss Fairfield County	Vocal, "Let Him Fly"		Preliminary Talent Award Non-finalist Talent Award	Contestant at National Sweetheart 2006 pageant
Lauren Betancourt	Suffield		Miss North Haven		N/A	Crowned on June 23, 2007, and later resigned on August 6, 2007[citation needed]
2006	Heidi Alice Voight	Milford	24	Miss Capital Region	Vocal, "Why Haven't I Heard from You"
2005	Dianna Baitinger	Norwich	23	Miss North Haven	Vocal, "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough"
2004	Nikki Palmieri	North Haven	22	Miss Montowese	Jazz Dance, "I Wanna Be a Dancin' Man"
2003	Marla Prete	North Haven	22	Miss Fairfield County	Tap Dance, "I Got Rhythm" & "Fascinating Rhythm"
2002	Tanisha Brito	New London	22	Miss New London County	Tap Dance, "Let's Face the Music and Dance"	Top 10		Later Miss Georgia USA 2005
2001	Marissa Perez	Meriden	23	Miss Fairfield County	Vocal, "This Time Around"			Previously Miss Connecticut Teen USA 1996
2000	Renelle Richardson	Branford	18	Miss Elm City	Classical Ballet en Pointe, "Kitri's Variation" from Don Quixote
1999	Sylvia Gomes	Bridgeport	20	Miss Hamden	Piano, Theme from The Piano	Top 10
1998	Lauren Bergamo	Prospect	19	Miss Hamden	Vocal, "It's Time"
1997	Merissa Starnes	Bloomfield	21	Miss Nutmeg	Contemporary Ballet en Pointe		Non-finalist Talent Award
1996	Stacy Perrone	Wolcott	22	Miss Wolcott	Vocal, "And This Is My Beloved"
1995	Amy Zappone	Wolcott	18	Miss Wolcott	Dance, "Dancin' Fool" from Copacabana
1994	MaryGrace Santagata	New Haven	24	Miss Charter Oak	Vocal		Non-finalist Talent Award
1993	Kimberly Burgess	Manchester	22	Miss Waterbury	Lyrical Dance, "Papa, Can You Hear Me?"
1992	Valorie Abate	North Haven	22	Miss New Haven County	Classical Vocal, "Carnival of Venice"		Non-finalist Talent Award	Previously Miss Connecticut USA 1991
1991	Stephanie Stiefel	West Haven	26	Miss New Haven County	Classical Vocal, "Quando me'n vo'"
1990	Bianca Salahashourian	Fairfield	25	Miss Greater Waterbury	Vocal, "Part of Your World"
1989	Marlena Marshall	Glastonbury	25	Miss Greater Vernon	Ballet en Pointe
1988	Maria Caporale	Oakdale	24	Miss New London County	Vocal, "What Did I Have That I Don't Have" from On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
1987	Michele Dawn Eaton	Shelton	21	Miss Fairfield County	Baton Twirling, "They're Playing Our Song"		Non-finalist Talent Award
1986	Lorraine Hudson	North Haven	24	Miss Briarwood College	Vocal, "Something's Coming" from West Side Story
1985	Lorine Guagenti	Derby	21	Miss New Haven County	Jazz Dance
1984	Joanne Caruso	Trumbull	23	Miss Trumbull	Clarinet, "Jazz Medley"			Sister of Miss Connecticut 1980, Jeanne Caruso[citation needed]
1983	Dakeita Vanderburg	Westport	25	Miss Westport	Popular Vocal, "I Can See It"
1982	Kelly Slater	Woodbury	21	Miss Woodbury	Popular Vocal, "Blue Champagne"
1981	Virginia Reichardt	Danbury	21	Miss Danbury	Country Western Vocal, "Love is a Rose" & "Queen of Hearts"			Virginia (Ginny) J. Reichardt Moseley died at 59 in Greenwood, S.C. on August 3, 2019.
1980	Jeanne Caruso	Trumbull	21	Miss Trumbull	Piano & Original Vocal, "Song for Tomorrow"	Top 10		Sister of Miss Connecticut 1984, Joanne Caruso Former wife of Joe Theisman[citation needed]
1979	Laura Kaufmann	Enfield	18	Miss Greater Enfield	Interpretive Modern Jazz Dance
1978	Maryalice Flintroy	Meriden	18	Miss Meriden	Popular Vocal, "Inseparable"		Non-finalist Talent Award
1977	Karen Kopins	Ridgefield	18	Miss Ridgefield	Modern Jazz Dance, "Zero to Sixty in Five"			Actress who has appeared in Dallas, Designing Women, Perry Mason, Troop Beverly Hills, and Once Bitten[citation needed]
1976	Debra LaRoche	Cheshire	20	Miss Cheshire	Popular Vocal, "I Feel a Song Coming On"
1975	Mary Cadorette	East Hartford	18	Miss Manchester	Modern Jazz Dance
1974	Elisa Heinemann	Wethersfield	18	Miss Wethersfield	Dramatic Interpretations, "Prunella," "Yenta," & "Wicked Witch"
1973	Deborah Blanchard	North Haven	21	Miss New Haven	Modern Jazz Dance
1972	Linda Kapral	East Lyme	19	Miss East Lyme	Modern Jazz, African Dance, & Gymnastics
1971	Priscilla Doyle	Rockville	23	Miss Manchester	Flamenco Dance
1970	Cynthia Fowler	Cheshire	21	Miss Cheshire	Classical Vocal, "The Jewel Song" from Faust
1969	Carol Jean Norval	Stafford Springs	21	Miss Stafford	Organ, "St. Louis Blues"		Preliminary Swimsuit Award
1968	Gunnell Ragone	West Hartford	21	Miss University of Hartford	Popular Vocal & Monologue, "Guantanamera"		Non-finalist Talent Award
1967	Diane Bylo	Norwalk	21	Miss Stamford	Vocal, "Heaven Hop"
1966	Carole Gelish	Hartford			Accordion, "Aquarela do Brasil," "More," & "Tico Tico"		Non-finalist Talent Award	Assumed the title after charging that the winner, Karen Maguire, was not qualified. Behind closed doors with pageant officials present there was some sort of secret run-off with the original winner. At that meeting, Gelish was declared the winner
1965	Donna Scott	Stratford	18	Miss Danbury	Vocal, "Someone to Watch Over Me"
1964	Honora Bukowski	Wallingford	18	Miss Wallingford	Jazz Dance, "Bossa Nova"
1963	Valerie Stetson	Milldale		Miss Southington	Modern Ballet
1962	Diane DeMaio	Hartford	18	Miss Hartford	Dramatic Skit
1961	Karen Louise Scalise	Glastonbury	18	Miss East Hartford	Sermon based on the Sermon on the Mount from the Book of Matthew
1960	Wendy Mitchell	New Haven	18	Miss West Haven	Vocal, "Just In Time"
1959	Diana Klug	Torrington	21		Speech on Fashion Designing, Presentation of Original Designs, & Tractor Driving		Preliminary Talent Award
1958	Billie June Turner	New Canaan	20		Ballet en Pointe from Les Sylphides	Top 10	Preliminary Talent Award	Died at 61 on January 12, 2000, in West Redding, Connecticut[citation needed]
1957	Susan Lightbown	Fairfield			Vocal, "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" from My Fair Lady		Non-finalist Talent Award
1956	Joy Corrado	Torrington			Organ
1955	Audrey Figlar	Hartford			Charleston Dance
1954	Dorothy Hopkins	Storrs			Piano
1953	Sally Middleton	Hartford			Dance
1952	Joyce Yeske	West Hartford			Ballroom Dance
1951	Beverlee Rosemary Burlant	Bridgeport	19		Drama			Later Miss Connecticut USA 1953
1950	Renee Roy	Hartford			Comedy Sketch of a Cosmetic Demonstration and Vocal / Dance, "Charley, My Boy"	Top 16	Preliminary Talent Award	Later Miss New York City USA 1954 Actress who notably appeared on the soap opera, Love of Life
1949	Barbara Smetana	Bridgeport			Vocal & Monologue, "Maybe" & "Jackie, Son of a Hardboiled Cop"
1948	Fairfax Mason	Bridgeport			Classical Vocal, "Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix"
1947	Louise Bienvenu	Waterbury			Vocal, "On the Sunny Side of the Street"
1946	Joan Turner	West Haven			Vocal, "Coax Me a Little Bit"	Top 16
1945	Sylvia Shaw	Hartford			Vocal, "I'm in the Mood for Love"
1944	Barbara Fisher	East Hartford
1943	Mary Rice	Hartford
1942	Alice Clifford	Burlington
1941	Daphne Gladding	Plymouth
1940	Dorothy Pickard	New Haven
1939	Catherine Harrison	Derby		Miss Central Connecticut				Multiple Connecticut representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
Frieda Lampar	Bridgeport		Miss Connecticut
1938	Blanche Hawley	Stratford
1937	Frances Greene	Milford
1936	Tillie Grey	Waterbury		Miss Connecticut		2nd runner-up		Multiple Connecticut representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
Evelyn Lenhart	Greenwich		Miss Roton Point
1935	Sonia Banks	Bridgeport		Miss Bridgeport				Multiple Connecticut representatives Contestants competed under local title at Miss America pageant
Margaretta Kling	New Haven		Miss Connecticut			Preliminary Swimsuit Award
Veronica Turosky[citation needed]			Miss Greater Hartford
Margaret Holmes	Hartford		Miss Hartford
Ruth S. Rubin[citation needed]	New Haven		Miss New Haven		Top 12
1934	No national pageant was held
1933	Marian Bergeron	West Haven	15		N/A	Winner		Held the national title from September 1933 to September 1935 due to pageant being financially unsuccessful after 1933 and not returning until 1935
1932	No national pageants were held
1931
1930
1929
1928
1927	Antoinette Violet	Bridgeport		Miss Bridgeport	N/A			Multiple Connecticut representatives Contestants competed under local title at national pageant
Leona Faith Monoson	Hartford		Miss Hartford
Peggy Louise Proctor			Miss Lockport
Dorothy Barton	New Haven		Miss New Haven
1926	Florence Harriet Green	Bridgeport		Miss Bridgeport	Top 15		Multiple Connecticut representatives Contestants competed under local title at national pageant
Doris Laretta Beaupre	Hartford		Miss Hartford
Molla Barnett	New Haven		Miss New Haven
1925	Alta Sommerville	Bridgeport		Miss Bridgeport			Multiple Connecticut representatives Contestants competed under local title at national pageant
Mary Brandaburg	Hartford		Miss Hartford
Helen Kanehl			Miss Manchester
1924	Helen Haddock			Miss Stamford			Competed under local title at national pageant
1923	Hazel Haddock	New Haven		Miss New Haven
1922	Paula E. Spoettle	Bridgeport		Miss Bridgeport			Multiple Connecticut representatives Contestants competed under local title at national pageant
Lillian Peterson	New Haven		Miss New Haven
Hazel Germershausen	Waterbury		Miss Waterbury
1921	No Connecticut representative at Miss America pageant