Miss Ohio USA 2021 Nicole Wess, 23, of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States will crown her successor at The Vern Riffe Center for the Arts in Portsmouth, Ohio on May 21, 2022. It is the 71st edition of the state-level beauty pageant that selects Ohio’s candidate for Miss USA, which selects the Miss Universe candidate of the U.S..

Currently, Ohio has 22 Miss USA placements including the coronation of Sue Downey in 1965 and Kim Seelbrede in 1981 and the first runner-up finish on Halle Berry in 1986. The most recent one was in 2020 when Sthephanie Miranda finished in the Top 16.

Wess was crowned Miss Ohio USA 2021 at Matthews Auditorium in Sharonville, Ohio on July 10, 2021. The respective first, second, third and fourth runners-up were Mariah Payne of Northern Ohio, Andrea Hunter of Glass City, Madeleine Smith of Buckeye Lake and Mackenzie Schutt of Westerville.

There are 53 women competing for the Miss Ohio USA 2022 title. If facial beauty is the only criterion, these will be my Top 20 candidates:

#20. Mariah Whitney (Fairfield)

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#19. Jaylah Fellows (Cuyahoga County)

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#18. Rachel Spivak (Greater Cincinnati)

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#17. Madeleine Smith (Central Ohio)

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#16. Carolina Reinoso (Columbus)

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#15. Sir’Quora Carroll (Franklin County)

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#14. Andrea Hunter (Glass City)

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#13. Payton Szymczak (Lake Erie)

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#12. Victoria Kabungulu (Galloway)

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#11. Brianna Williams (Liberty Township)

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#10. Micah Rhodes (North Canton)

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#9. Emily Quinn (Goodyear Heights)

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#8. Kalie Marantette (Toledo)

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#7. Victoria Calvin (Locust Grove Township)

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#6. Kiyasia Hudson (Lorain County)

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#5. Nikuale Williams (Queen City)

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#4. Brooke Stanley (Heart of Ohio)

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#3. Argisa Deda (Northeast Ohio)

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#2. Olivia Miller (Oakley)

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#1. Sara Thornton (Springfield)