Miss USA 1989
Miss USA 1989, the 38th Miss USA pageant, was televised live from the Mobile Civic Center Theatre in Mobile, Alabama on February 28, 1989. At the conclusion of the final competition, Gretchen Polhemus of Texas was crowned by outgoing titleholder Courtney Gibbs. She was the fifth consecutive Miss Texas USA to win the pageant.
Miss USA 1989 | |
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Date | February 28, 1989 |
Presenters | Dick Clark, Angie Dickinson and Laura Harring |
Entertainment | Tommy Tune |
Venue | Mobile Civic Center Theatre, Mobile, Alabama |
Broadcaster | CBS, WKRG |
Entrants | 51 |
Placements | 10 |
Winner | Gretchen Polhemus![]() |
Congeniality | Kimberly Nicewonder![]() |
Best State Costume | Kelly Holub![]() |
Photogenic | Elizabeth Primm![]() |
This was the first Miss USA pageant hosted by Dick Clark (The Miss Universe Pageant was hosted by John Forsythe that year), with color commentary by Angie Dickinson. This pageant was held in Alabama for the first and so far only time.
Results

Map showing placements by state
Placements
Final Results | Contestant |
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Miss USA 1989 | |
1st runner-up Miss World USA 1989 |
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2nd runner-up |
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3rd runner-up |
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4th runner-up |
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Top 10 |
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Special awards
Award | Contestant |
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Miss Congeniality |
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Miss Photogenic |
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Best State Costume |
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Final competition
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Preliminary Swimsuit
Historical significance
- Texas wins competition for the sixth time and fifth in a row.
- Oklahoma earns the 1st runner-up position for the first time and surpasses its previous highest placement in 1952, becoming its highest placement of the state.
- New Jersey earns the 2nd runner-up position for the first time and surpasses its previous highest placement in 1977, becoming its highest placement of the state.
- Louisiana earns the 3rd runner-up position for the fourth time. The last time it placed this was in 1985.
- Georgia earns the 4th runner-up position for the fifth time. The last time it placed this was in 1987.
- States that placed in semifinals the previous year were California, Georgia, Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas.
- Texas placed for the fifteenth consecutive year.
- Illinois placed for the sixth consecutive year.
- Georgia placed for the fourth consecutive year.
- California and Oklahoma made their second consecutive placement.
- Arizona last placed in 1987.
- Louisiana last placed in 1985.
- New Jersey last placed in 1977.
- Pennsylvania last placed in 1983.
- Colorado last placed in 1969.
- Florida breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 1987.
- Mississippi breaks an ongoing streak of placements since 1986.
Judges
The following celebrities were invited to judge the competition:[1]
- Jude Deveraux – Author
- Bonnie Kay – Modeling manager
- Dick Rutan – Pilot of the Voyager aircraft
- Jeana Yeager – Pilot of the Voyager aircraft
- Stella Stevens – Actress
- Roscoe Tanner – Tennis player
- Linda Shelton – Aerobics instructor
- Lillian Glass – Author
- Richard Anderson – Actor
- Cecilia Bolocco – Miss Universe 1987 from Chile
- Jennifer Chandler – Olympic diver
Delegates
The Miss USA 1989 delegates were:
Alabama - Sherri Mooney Alaska - Tina Geraci Arizona - LeeAnne Locken Arkansas - Paige Yandell California - Christina Faust Colorado - Debbie James Connecticut - Lisa Vendetti Delaware - Terri Spruill District of Columbia - Somaly Sieng Florida - Jennifer Parker Georgia - Michelle Nemeth Hawaii - Julie Larson Idaho - Kelli Bean Illinois - Kelly Holub Indiana - Gwen Rochelle Volpe Iowa - Marcy Requist Kansas - Nancy Burris Kentucky - Veronica Hensley Louisiana - Elizabeth Primm Maine - Kirsten Blakemore Maryland - Jackie Carroll Massachusetts - Kimberley Wallace Michigan - Karyn Finucan Minnesota - Julie Knutson Mississippi - Laura Durrett Missouri - Rhonda Hoglan Montana - Tammy Reiter Nebraska - Rene Harter Nevada - Janu Tornell New Hampshire - Fayleen Chwalek New Jersey - Deborah Lee Husti New Mexico - Traci Brubaker New York - Jennifer Fisher North Carolina - Jacqueline Padgett North Dakota - Cara Christofferson Ohio - Lisa Thompson Oklahoma - Jill Rene Scheffert Oregon - Jennifer Blaska Pennsylvania - Denise Epps Rhode Island - Debra Damiano South Carolina - Angela Shuler South Dakota - Nanette Endres Tennessee - Kimberly Payne Texas - Gretchen Polhemus Utah - Zanetta van Zyverden Vermont - Stacey Palmer Virginia - Kimberly Nicewonder Washington - Chiann Fan Gibson West Virginia - Kathy Eicher Wisconsin - Sherri Leigh Baxter Wyoming - Chandra Anderson
Contestant notes
- Gretchen Polhemus (Texas) and LeeAnne Locken (Arizona) had competed against each other the previous year in the Miss Texas USA 1988 pageant. Polhemus placed second runner-up to winner Courtney Gibbs, and Locken was third runner-up.[2]
gollark: It's not very mobile friendly, is it...
gollark: *me dislikes mostly contextless statements*
gollark: What is?
gollark: I should make it show how many eggs are in.
gollark: ?
References
- "Miss USA". The Durant Daily Democrat. Associated Press. March 1, 1989. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
- Associated Press (1987-08-04). "Metroplex beauty wins Miss Texas". Houston Chronicle. p. 10.
External links
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